People most commonly associate carpet cleaning with two things, the first is stain removal and the second is vacating a rental property. Whilst carpet cleaning is great for stain removal and mandatory for a rental vacate clean, the most important reason to have your carpets cleaned is the health of you and your family. When it comes to stain removal, the problem is obvious. Whether it is a wine spill or just a build up of dirt in high traffic areas, the problem is its own reminder – you are faced with it until you sort it out. But with the invisable enemies hidden in your carpet fibers, it is easy to forget – out of sight, out of mind.
What Is In Your Carpet Fibers?
Well, the most obvious thing firstly is dirt. Dirt comes into your home through doors and windows as dust as well as on shoes (refer to our “recommended cleaning frequency chart” below and read this article to see why having a shoes off policy in your home is better for your health and your pocket). All carpet fibers are extremely porous, which means that they are great incubators and, when dirt, dust, dead skin cells, insect feaces, fungus and other impurities get into these fibers, it forms a perfect substrate to make your carpets a garden bed for bacteria colonies, allergens, dust mites and mold.
What Affect Can Your Carpets Have On Your Health?
The aforementioned undesirables may be largely invisible, yet studies have shown that living in a dirty environment (yes, even one that may look relatively clean but with these nasties hidden in it) increases stress and can cause your immune system to weaken as it goes into “overdrive” from constantly having to fend off attacks from harmful bacteria. This, in turn, leaves you more susceptible to disease and can drain you of energy. One of the most dangerous inhabitants of dirty carpets are mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are made up of different types of mold and exposure to them can lead to various health problems including but not limited to stomach infections, allergies and respitory diseases.
Another health risk of dirty carpets relates to the skin. Whilst hardly anyone could say that their skin never comes into contact with their carpets, the highest level of risk in this area is children learning to crawl. Dirty carpets can cause skin irritations such as ringworm, skin asthma and athlete’s foot. The risk of the latter is hugely increased if there are cuts or abrasions on the skin. The most obvious danger to one’s health from dirty carpets is respitory problems. When inhaled, allergens, molds and bacteria can result in flu-like symptoms and can cause other respiratory problems. Dust mites, which, as their name suggests, thrive in dirty environments, interestingly pose the greatest health risk when they die. As their carcases decompose, parts thereof can float into the air and cause eye irritation as well as rashes. All repository issues associated with carpets are magnified for those who suffer from asthma. A local doctor told me recently that dirty carpets are the leading trigger of asthma in Victoria! It makes sense when you think of it, because we spend so much time in our own home and if the environment that we sustain there is a source of the things mentioned above, our lungs don’t get a breather, pardon the pun. If you’d like to see what we could get out of your carpets (or hey, if you just want it gotten out and you don’t want to see it, that’s fine too) just click here to arrange your free quote and we will make your home environment healthier in no time.
