What Your Carpet Isn’t Telling You
Think about an item you see every day: your carpet. It might surprise you to learn that it hides some unpleasant secrets. We’ll highlight ten things you may not have realized about your carpet, so let’s see what you should look out for. By understanding these hidden issues, you can take better care of your carpet, ensuring it stays clean, fresh, and in great condition for longer
We’ll also share some tips on how to protect and restore your carpet, bringing it back to its best. With the right care and cleaning habits, you can keep your carpet looking pristine and extend its life, all while maintaining a healthier home environment.
Carpets can hold a surprising amount of dirt
I think you’re familiar with microfiber and how well it traps dirt due to its slit fiber, and it dramatically increases its surface area. Your carpet works in a similar way, but on a much larger scale; it covers your entire floor. In fact, an average carpet will hold up to four times its weight in dirt (disgusting, I know).
If it’s been a while since you’ve cleaned your carpet, it’s most likely packed with dead skin, food crumbs, dust and soil, dust mites, pollen, and well, more.
Sandy soil is damaging from the inside
Take a closer look at your carpet, and if you separate the fibers with your hands, you might be shocked by what you can find there. Is it resemble a beach? Yes, you may find tiny grains of sand trapped in the carpet. These small particles of soil remain after the heavier, clay-like dirt, which is brushed away.
Walking on the carpet causes these grains to make their way deeper into the fiber, so your vacuum cleaner will struggle to reach them.
It may seem harmless at first, but especially since you didn’t even notice the sand until you inspected it.
Ignoring this is the worst thing you can do, and we’ll tell you the reasons why. The sharp edges of the sand will move around as you walk, rubbing against the fibers and gradually damaging them. Over time, these grains will manage to cut the carpet’s base and cause the fibers to break off. This will create bald spots and frayed fibers, making your carpet look worn and lifeless.
Vacuuming is not enough, unfortunately. It, of course, removes surface dust, but even the best vacuums can’t pull out dirt trapped deep within the carpet fibers. This is a problem that becomes even worse with plush or thick rugs. This is where the dirt can settle deep inside, far beyond the reach of your vacuum.
To tackle the issue, you can use a specialized carpet shampoo, like Pro-Kleen Carpet Shampoo, for a tough, deep clean. You can apply a foaming formula by hand and use a carpet cleaning machine. Both methods provide excellent results. The shampoo will reach the deepest levels of the carpet’s pile, breaking down dirt and lifting it towards the surface.
You can easily wipe up the dirt’s grip on the fibers and vacuum it to achieve impressive results.
This will keep your carpet looking fresh and prevent any damage caused by the sand particles buried within the pile.
Carpets attract dirt
If you’ve ever wondered why carpets seem to attract so much dirt, no matter how careful you are, there are two main reasons why carpets attract so much dirt (no matter how careful you are):
Static electricity plays a huge role as it can make your carpet act like a magnet for small dirt particles. Static occurs when two objects rub together, as you walk across your carpet. The fibers rub against each other, and they generate a constant low-level charge. You won’t see any lightning in your living room, but the charge is strong enough to attract dust particles floating through the air.
On top of that, carpets are covered in greasy residues from dead skin, oil from hair and pet fur, food crumbs, and a lot more.
This oily coating causes dirt to cling to the carpet fibers like glue. Not only does static electricity pull dirt onto the carpet, but this residue also stays stuck there until it’s finally disturbed.
Stains linger even after cleaning
Stains leave behind lasting marks even after you’ve cleaned them. The worst offenders are stains from urine, feces, and bodily fluids. These types are stains left behind by proteins that cling to the carpet fibers, no matter how much you clean. These are proteins that serve as a food source for bacteria, causing the persistent foul odor.
If you have pets, cat urine causes a stronger smell than dog urine because cats have a more protein-rich diet. No matter how many times you clean the stain, the smell returns until the proteins are fully removed (and it’s especially stubborn if your cat is the culprit).
A nightmare for allergies
As the dust and dirt accumulate in your carpet, it can be a nightmare for people who suffer from allergies.
They have the perfect environment for dust mites (tiny organisms that feed on dead skin cells). They are generally harmless and too small to be noticed under normal circumstances. However, their number can grow to the point where they can trigger allergies. Symptoms experienced are similar to those caused by hay fever: mild discomfort, runny nose, itchy eyes, and even throat inflammation or difficulty breathing.
When you vacuum and walk across heavily soiled carpets, the dust is disturbed, and it is it back into the air. This increases the chances of breathing in, which can worsen your allergies and often causes you a real headache.
Carpets can make you sick
Dust mites are disgusting, and they are not even the only tiny creatures thriving on the carpet. Bacteria and viruses can make themselves at home in the fibers. These harmful microbes will quickly multiply, especially in the warm, moist environment of your carpet. If you notice a stale or musty odor, there is bacteria growing within the pile. In fact, studies have found that your carpet can harbor around 4000 times more bacteria than your toilet seat.
Viruses such as Norovirus can survive in carpets for six weeks, so you’d better not eat food that’s dropped on the floor. The five-second rule won’t really protect you.
You need a specialized carpet cleaner to eliminate these proteins
If you want to actively break down the proteins, you need a carpet cleaning product especially designed for the job. Use a carpet shampoo that’s specially formulated with enzymes that digest protein and tackle the source of the unpleasant odors, and leave your carpet smelling fresh and clean.
Most people wear dirty shoes on carpets
75% of people wear shoes on their carpets, meaning all the germs, soil, dirt, and pollen, as well as other debris you’ve stepped on on the outside, are being transferred to your carpet.
Moreover, don’t forget about your guests. You can’t even know where they’ve been before. Wearing shoes not only brings dirt onto your carpet, but it also grinds deeper into the fiber and compacts it, making it even harder to remove.
Carpets require regular cleaning
Considering all the factors mentioned above, cleaning your carpets is essential. Clean it regularly with a vacuum and a carpet shampoo. How often should you clean them? It’s not practical to shampoo it every week, but you can still aim to vacuum it two or three times a week.
We recommend shampooing your carpets at least twice a year and ideally, every three months.
A carpet cleaning machine can be a great investment. If you’re using carpet shampoo, it’s not a necessity. It works perfectly with a carpet cleaner, but it can also be applied by hand. If you have a small rug or carpet, you can tackle the job with a little elbow grease.
Read next: Stop! 5 Things You Should NEVER Clean with Dawn Dish Soap
