Carpet Cleaning For Health

The Definition of Clean

Health Benefits of Truly Clean Carpets

Most people have their carpets and upholstery cleaned once they begin to look dirty. Less often do people recognize that their carpet needs to be deeply cleaned regularly for health protection!

Carpet maintenance has a direct impact on the health and wellbeing of your home. If you neglect carpet cleaning, your carpets can collect unwanted allergens and toxins. Please be aware that carpets act like filters within your home — dust, dirt, debris, food crumbs, spilled drinks, everything tracked in on shoes, and oily residues from airborne cooking oils, candles, cigarette smoke, and even oil-based air fresheners — build up deep in your carpets and upholstery. Like all other "filters" in your home, they need to be cleaned regularly.

Carpets are the most popular kind of home flooring. With their softness & warmth, they add a sense of luxury and comfort that hard floor surfaces simply cannot offer. A clean carpet is the foundation of a healthy, cozy, and comfortable home.

A badly maintained carpet can be the cause of unpleasant odors, allergies, and poor indoor air quality. All the accumulated materials mentioned above can lead to bacteria and mold growth, dust mite infestations, and the accumulation of toxins and allergens which do reach a point where they can begin to be released back into the air simply from daily walking. This can lead to possible health issues.

The quality of our indoor air has become more important to us in recent years as the average American spends 20 hours a day inside a closed structure. According to Michael A. Berry, Ph.D., the leading cause of health complaints indoors is lack of proper maintenance. Airtight structures keep air inside and prevent the flow of fresh air from outside.

Research by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that our indoor environment has 2 to 5 times more pollutants than outside air. Our ancestors knew what they were doing when they opened windows to air out buildings. Open up windows daily in order to introduce fresh, clean air into your indoor environment.

Prestige is Mindful of your Family's Health

Prestige Carpet Care adheres to all CDC Guidelines. Soft surfaces such as carpets, rugs, and upholstery should to be cleaned with the hottest water possible, with cleaning solutions appropriate for each particular surface. Our cleaning solutions meet industry standards and our equipment meets CDC water temperature requirements.

We properly clean in accordance with industry guidelines and the CDC. Disinfectants and sanitizers are applied following manufacturers label directions. Before any disinfectants or sanitizers can be applied, proper cleaning with Hot Water Extraction (HWE) method must be done first.

Important Steps for a Healthy Home

1. Attend to spots and spills immediately.

See our Spot and Spill Guide here.

2. Vacuum several times a week

Carpet manufacturers advise owners to properly vacuum 2-3 times per week with focus on high traffic areas. Vacuum slowly and from multiple directions on those traffic areas to freshen up your carpet filter!

Aside from improving the appearance of your home and extending the life of your carpets & rugs — a little daily maintenance has significant health benefits.

3. Periodic Professional Deep Cleaning

Industry guidelines for professional carpet cleaning suggest professional deep cleaning at intervals of every 6-12 months depending on number of pets, children, and other lifestyle considerations. Let’s not only focus on cleaning for appearance's sake — but most importantly for the health benefits to you and your family by having freshly cleaned carpets, rugs, and upholstery!

"Effective cleaning is the process of extracting and removing unwanted matter to the optimum extent to reduce its exposure.

A high-performance carpet cleaning process focuses on nine steps using wet, high temperature, high flow, high extraction system"

-Dr. Michael Berry
Journal of Cleaning, Restoration & Inspection 2017

Mold, Bacteria, Dust Mites

Bio pollutants such as bacteria and molds have caused fatal illnesses, and they can be controlled through regular cleaning. In carpeting, the development of visible bacterial growth and accompanying odors are known to be the result of bacterial degradation of fibers or soil on them, as distinguished from musty fungal odors. Such bacteria are known to be a health hazard. Controlling germs — especially in buildings where people spend most of their time — was recognized to be the most important part of managing indoor environments.

Dust mites are known to use dead skin cells as a food source. Persons with allergies and who breathe the waste products of dust mites can have allergic reactions. Dust mites are often found in poorly maintained buildings/homes, and specifically in carpet. Dust mites multiply rapidly in high humidity. Thus, proper maintenance is critical for the reduction of dust mites. All textiles, including our mattresses, will see a benefit from this concern by keeping up with proper maintenance.

When water is spilled onto the carpet, it is best to immediately remove as much of the water as possible to help reduce the possibility of mold. Time is of the essence, so start extracting/soaking up the water quickly. A wet/dry vacuum, or even just absorbent towels are an excellent way of aiding in this effort. Opening a window and placing a fan near the area will also help, because mold typically needs about 48 hours to start to take place. These steps will greatly reduce the chance of mold. Keep fresh air flow until carpet is fully dry.

Current Events

During these times in which we are spending more times indoors, the carpets and furniture tend to be more greatly impacted. More foot traffic, more chances of spills, dirty shoes from outside — all these will play a role in how frequently the carpets should be professionally cleaned. Many of us have pets that are with us while we are at home, and they tend to be where we are. This means that all of our textiles need more attention so that we can maintain a healthy environment. Vacuum more regularly, and open your windows to keep fresh air moving.

Conclusion

Dirty carpet can greatly affect your indoor air quality. If carpets are not vacuumed frequently, dust, allergens and such have a better chance build up and become airborne. Also, sticky oils tend to attract more soil onto the carpets. Freshly cleaned carpet will perform and last much longer than if it was neglected. A factor that we have known from previous studies by health experts is the critical importance of cleaning for health. Properly done, professional cleaning protects us from unwanted exposures and helps manage our indoor environments. Simply put, it helps protect our health and property.

To keep yourself and your family healthy at home, it is a great idea to maintain your carpets with regular proper vacuuming and attending to spots and spills immediately. And it's just as important to schedule professional carpet cleaning on a routine basis.

If you have any questions about this article, or questions related to cleaning carpet, upholstery, and area rugs, and maintaining a healthy home, please feel free to give me a call, and let's talk!

Owner and Master Cleaner
Prestige Carpet Care