Did you know that the typical carpet contains roughly 200,000 bacteria per square foot?
While most look at a surface and assume it’s time to take action when dirt and grime make an appearance, there’s much more than meets the eye. There are several surprising components when it comes to the carpet and stone in your home, and they may just make you redefine the way you clean.
Carpet: Below the Surface
Investing in clean carpet is also an investment in your health. Out of all the materials in your home, carpet is the most effective trap for dust mites, mold, mildew, fungi and more – you can think of it as a type of air filter for your home. Because of this, your average vacuum most likely isn’t stripping the fibers in your carpet of everything you’d like it to be.
To understand why your floor may look cleaner than it actually is, it’s important to first consider the difference between cleaning and sanitizing.
The process of cleaning or vacuuming simply removes any visible dirt from a surface, but does not remove any bacteria that may be present. Professional carpet cleaning on the other hand, removes grease and soil that live deep beneath the surface, more importantly it will remove bacteria and germs that might be present on the surface. In essence, everyday house cleaning does not remove the harmful contaminants that live beneath the surface.
While it may seem wild that there could be bacteria present in your carpet, our floors see a lot more use than we may realize. Outside shoes, along with pets and several other common articles often bring unwelcomed germs into the home. To put it into perspective, the thousands of bacteria that reside in the typical carpet make it roughly 4,000 times dirtier than an average toilet seat.
If that’s not shocking enough, these contaminants actually pollute the indoor air quality (IAQ) that you breathe every day - all while your carpet looks clean on the surface. Additionally, many vacuum cleaners can spit the germs and fine dust that is hiding in your carpet back into the air where they spread and trigger allergies.
So how do you go about achieving clean, sanitized carpet?
Carpet: Achieving a Deep Clean
Your vacuum cleaner should still be used to routinely remove dirt and grime from your floors, but it’s worth considering some additional action that will rid your carpet of everything you need it to. One of the easiest and most efficient ways to achieve this is by deep steam cleaning your carpets.
Steam cleaning presents many advantages over dry carpet cleaning, as it not only lifts dirt but effectively kills bacteria and removes buildup that may be contributing to mold or unwanted scents. It’s important to note that the results of this process rely on several different factors, such as the quality of equipment and technique used; the best fit procedure may vary based on the carpet type, the fiber integrity and soil level.
With this in mind, it’s wise to invest in a professional service that ensures the most advanced commercial grade equipment is used on your carpets to provide as deep and thorough of a cleaning possible. At COIT, our professionally trained technicians tailor each treatment to match what is best for your particular carpet, paying special attention to high traffic areas to remove ground-in dirt and stains that carpet shampoos and vacuums simply cannot handle.
Our cleaning techniques incorporate deep-down extraction, yet still follow manufacturers’ recommendations and warranty requirements so your carpet looks new and stays protected at the same time. COIT recommends that you professionally clean and sanitize your carpets every 6 to 12 months.
Call the PROS AT COIT
It’s safe to say that many surfaces in our homes may look and feel clean while unwanted contaminants still lurk under the surface. Whether you want to get ahead of allergy season with a Spring clean, prolong the life of your carpet, or make your counters shine again; the Pros at COIT are committed to providing the best cleaning experience possible, leaving you with a healthier and happier home.