The dirty condition of “clean” carpets will make you itch

Your carpets may look clean and may even have been recently cleaned. But beware, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing ugly beneath the surface.

In a recent study, Factory Direct Flooring and microbiology laboratory BioLabTests analyzed 100 swabs taken from the floors of UK homes and found that bedrooms have the dirtiest carpets, full of Staphylococcus bacteria, which can cause infections in humans .

Hallway and staircase carpets were found to be the next dirtiest, with the most prevalent mold bacteria, followed by the living room and home offices, with the kitchen/dining room the cleanest. The most common types of bacteria found on carpets were yeast and mold, followed by Staphylococcus and Bacillus.

“The findings of our study prove that just because a floor may look clean, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is,” warns Paul Hambidge, managing director of Factory Direct Flooring. “Some dirt and grime may be visible to the naked eye, but many types of bacteria are only revealed under a microscope or when properly monitored under laboratory conditions.

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“Of all the types of bacteria we found on the floors, strep was the hardest to move, regardless of the technique tested.”

Dr Primrose Freestone, associate professor of clinical microbiology at the University of Leicester, explains that what’s on your pet’s shoes, feet, paws or blowing through the window will end up on your carpet. “This can include faeces if you have pets, and if you have cat litter, it will have spread into your rooms,” she said. “It’s amazing that the carpets don’t smell anymore.

“The fabric of carpets and rugs can act as a sink for a whole range of pollutants and allergens – the truth is, your carpet is a reservoir of potential infection.”

Dr Freestone says the nasties in carpets can include food debris, skin cells, house dust mites, faecal droppings, insects such as bed bugs or carpet ants, pollen, bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA) and Listeria. viruses, mold under carpets (if there is moisture), mold spores, dirt and dust, and these carpet pollutants can become airborne during vacuuming or even walking on the carpet.

Studies suggest that an adult walking on the floor can resuspend 10,100 million dust particles per minute, says Freestone, who points out that carpet allergens have been shown to exacerbate lung conditions such as asthma. The American Lung Association recommends against wall-to-wall carpeting in favor of hard floors that are easier to clean and less allergenic or trap pollutants.

Certain types of carpets, such as area rugs, as well as carpets older than 10 years, can trap higher levels of pollutants and allergens over time, especially if they have not been regularly disinfected or steam cleaned.

Research has found that most carpets and rugs have long-term fungi and fungal spores, as well as yeast, that can grow on any food debris present. “Cleaning up food spills will still leave microscopic traces, which microscopic life forms such as fungi and bacteria can eat, which then allows them to grow in numbers, especially if the carpets are in any way damp” , explains Freestone, who says how long potential pathogens in carpets persist depends on the carpet’s moisture, food stains and cleaning.

How often should you clean carpets and rugs?

The Factory Direct Flooring study found that vacuuming reduced bacteria on carpets by 67% on average and was particularly effective on living room carpets, where it reduced germs by 88%. But bedroom carpets were the hardest to clean, vacuuming here only reduced bacteria by 53%.

Faye Doolittle, senior product manager at VAX, points out that while vacuuming to remove surface dirt and debris is a common household task, carpet washing is often lower on the cleaning agenda. “But it shouldn’t be,” she points out, “the deeper into the carpet pile, bacteria that are invisible to the naked eye can go undetected, generating unpleasant odors.”

Doolittle says that wearing shoes indoors leads to the transfer of dirt and bacteria from outside into your home. “A no-shoes policy is the best line of defence, but not everyone will stick to it and certainly some pets like cats come and go as they please,” she points out. “So we recommend regular deep carpet cleaning to agitate and remove stubborn dirt from your carpet, cleaning deep into the fibers to remove ingrained stains and extend the life of your carpet.

“Washing your carpets every two to three months with an anti-bacterial solution will help kill bacteria and remove stains, dirt and pet mess, leaving them revitalized as well as ensuring your carpets look their best for longer .”

Freestone says just carpet vacuuming will remove biological particles like pollen, dried feces, dust mites and fungal spores, as well as dirt and dust. “However, bacteria and fungi attached to carpets or carpet fabrics may need a more thorough cleaning,” she points out, noting that steam at high temperature (100C) is an effective disinfectant, as is wet cleaning with detergent and bleach.

“Ideally, you should vacuum well at least once a week, or more if the carpet has a lot of tread (kids or pets), and clean better, maybe every one to three months “, she advises.

But don’t worry if you don’t clean your carpets or vacuum as often as recommended, the good news is that our immune systems are robust enough to deal with most carpet nuisances. Freestone says, “How do we get away with not mopping or vacuuming our floors that often? The answer is simply that we have an immune system that evolved when we lived much less clean lives. The truth is that we can live in such a system. environment because our immune systems are so incredibly protective, robust and powerful.”

However, she cautions that if someone living in the home has a compromised immune system, perhaps due to an illness such as HIV or cancer treatment, carpet and floor cleaning needs to be much more thorough. “You need to raise your hygiene standards if someone in your household is immunocompromised.”

She adds: “The health implications of what gets caught in carpets are not yet fully understood, but if carpet hygiene standards keep your family healthy and relatively free of infections or allergies, then whatever you do, your immune system is strong enough to meet the infection challenge of a germ-infested carpet”.