Dirt is Heavy

By their nature, carpets tend to collect a lot of debris. During a carpet’s regular lifespan, it will inevitably accumulate a multitude of small particles. This includes, but is not limited to: Dirt, dust, dust mites, human hair, animal hair, discarded skin cells, insect carcasses and droppings, bacterial colonies, mold and mildew particles, and all manner of irritants and allergens. Depending on the type and material it’s made of, a heavily-trafficked carpet can end up holding up to four times its own weight of these little nasty bits. It helps to regularly clean them using a vacuum cleaner, but there are some particles that are just too deeply embedded to be reached by anything but a professional with proper equipment.

The 5-Second Rule is Bogus

The floor, no matter what kind of floor it is, will always be at least a baseline level of filthy. The simple nature of floors is that they are the lowest point of the home, so particles and debris are naturally going to settle there. Even if it looks relatively clean, bacteria can stay alive for about a month. Many carpets harbor thousands of times more bacteria than even your toilet seat. Even if a floor is freshly sanitized, there is still a risk of ingesting cleaning chemicals. And it only takes a few steps to reintroduce some harmful pathogens that may have hitched a ride on your feet. Our advice is to just never eat food off of the floor in general.

Shoes are the Enemy of Carpet Longevity

There are both “shoes on” and “shoes off” households. While we don’t want to speak in absolutes, the simple fact is that wearing outdoor shoes while navigating indoor carpets will inevitably cause more wear and tear than not. Outdoor shoes pick up all manner of dirt and debris. The flat surface of the shoe and the weight of your body can then mash those particles between the fibers. Sand and other coarse mineral fragments that are left in the carpet can then cause continuous damage, as each time they are moved around they make little cuts on the fibers. This can cause your carpet’s loops and fibers to become shredded over time. Most vacuum cleaners simply are not powerful or precise enough to remove all of these particles.

Why Carpets Need Regular Cleaning

Most people wash their clothes every week. For the most part, a shirt usually still looks pretty clean when only worn once. But most people would go ahead and wash it anyway. Why? Because we know that it’s become host to germs and pollutants from us and our environment. The danger is more in what we can’t see vs. what we can see.

The same goes for carpets. Carpet cleaning tends to be way down on our list of priorities. We may only think to clean it once the grime and dirt become noticeable. But long before that point, they may have built up a stunning collection of dangerous bacteria and allergens that are waiting for an opportunity to get into your body. For this and other reasons, we and other professional carpet cleaners recommend having your carpets cleaned every 6 months. Not only will it extend the life of your carpet, it can also help keep your household fresh and healthy.

Don’t let dirt and grime set up shop in your home! Let Elite Carpet Cleaning be apart of your regular carpet maintenance routine. Give us a call today for a free evaluation.