At first glance, a carpet might look perfectly clean, especially if it gets vacuumed on a regular basis. But, looks can be deceiving.

Even if a carpet doesn’t show any visible warning signs that its hygiene isn’t up to scratch, there could be lots of hidden dangers lurking inside a carpet, without you knowing about it.

1. Out of sight, out of mind?

You could be forgiven for thinking, if you can’t see anything wrong with a carpet, should you really be that worried about what might be hiding deep inside its fibres? The answer is yes – you should take the hidden dangers lurking inside a carpet seriously. Here’s why.

Invisible, microscopic particles trapped in a carpet can be bad for your health. Some studies claim that just a square inch of carpet alone may be home to up to 200,000 bacteria. To put this into context, the average toilet contains 500 times less bacteria than this. Plus, experts reckon that carpets hold up to four times the amount of their own weight in dirt and grime, much of which you can’t see.

Worse still, the bacteria and germs living in a carpet don’t just stay put; when carpets get walked across, this disturbs the particles, effectively thrusting them into the atmosphere, contaminating the air and making them easier to breathe in. In fact, researchers have found that air quality inside can be as much as 100 times worse than outdoors.

So, what kind of culprits are responsible for polluting a carpet?

2. Dust mites and other bugs

You might not be able to spot dust mites, but they’ll make themselves known if you start to experience allergy type symptoms including eczema or asthma. Dust mites are attracted to carpets as they live off dead skin cells from humans and pet dander, which can settle into a carpet.

As well as dust mites, microscopic insects might be living in a carpet, thriving on tiny bits of food, pet faeces and other matter invisible to the naked eye.

Fleas are a common concern for pet owners, so it’s no surprise to discover that these pet-loving bugs also like to live in carpets, especially those with a thick pile. If you notice bite marks on your skin, fleas could be to blame.

Ticks can also live on pets, and may end up calling a carpet their home. Ticks are known to be a risk for a nasty illness, called Lyme disease.

3. Salmonella

Most people associate salmonella with undercooked meat or fish, but it’s surprising to discover that this bacteria can also thrive in a carpet. It’s usually transferred to a carpet from dirty or contaminated footwear, via pets or from any food that may have been spilled onto a carpet and not properly cleaned up. Salmonella can cause stomach upsets and fever.

4. Campylobacter

This bacteria tends to be found in environments that are moist, so if a carpet is damp, it can proliferate in your flooring. Symptoms from infection of campylobacter include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and vomiting.

5. E Coli

Food poisoning and E Coli tend to go hand in hand, but even without eating anything dodgy this harmful bacteria can find its way into a carpet. That’s because it can be picked up from the street outside, and walked inside on contaminated footwear. Symptoms of E Coli infection are unpleasant, and include stomach pain and fever, and, in more severe cases, could lead to kidney failure.

6. Norovirus

This common sickness bug is highly contagious, and can be especially harmful for the very young and the elderly. Worryingly, it can survive in carpets for around 4-6 weeks.

Other worrying bacteria and viruses that can end up residing in carpets include pneumonia, micrococcus and Covid-19, all of which are harmful to the health of humans.

7. Mould or fungus

Spores of mould or fungus can settle in a carpet, and if there is any damp present, the spores will multiply with speed. Mould or fungus can aggravate allergy symptoms, cause flu-like symptoms and breathing problems. Toxins released from mould may also make people more sensitive to experiencing bacterial infections. Carpets made from wool or cotton, or other natural fibres, are especially prone to encouraging mould or fungus growth, so special attention to cleaning should be given to these carpet types.

8. Pollen

Carpets that are situated close to windows or entrances might attract pollen from outdoors, which can settle into the fibres of your flooring. Although pollen isn’t the worst carpet dwelling offender, it can be particularly problematic for those who suffer from allergies, like hay fever.

9. Pesticides and herbicides

Pesticides are chemicals used to control pest infestations on plants, while herbicides tackle weed problems. Both of these can end up being brought inside on footwear and clothing, inadvertently ending up in a carpet. Pesticides and herbicides are often contentious, with some chemical ingredients suspected of causing ill-health in humans, as well as being potential carcinogens. Would you want your children playing on a carpet where such chemicals may be present?

10. Take action

It can be unsettling knowing that there are a multitude of different substances lurking in a carpet that can impact your health, but it’s reassuring to know that there are several ways you can turf these unwanted guests out of your home, and prevent them from manifesting in the first place.

11. Remove outdoor footwear

It’s estimated that three-out-of-four people walk on carpets wearing dirty footwear. Since a lot of unwanted substances that end up in a carpet are brought in from shoes from outdoors, it makes sense to get into the habit of taking footwear off at the door.

12. Clean pets

Pets can also bring germs in on their paws, so if you’ve been out walking the dog, give them a clean down when they come inside.

Pets should also be given regular anti-flea and anti-worming treatments, to ensure these bugs don’t become a nuisance to your pet, as well as your home.

13. Tackle damp

Damp in a carpet can encourage some germs, bacteria and viruses to thrive, so tackle any areas of your property that may be allowing moisture to seep in.

14. Consider eating areas

If there are areas of a carpet where you eat, make sure that all bits of food are thoroughly cleaned up from the floor on a regular basis. Food particles can encourage bugs to thrive, so by removing their food source, you prevent bug populations from exploding in your carpets.

15. Professional cleaning

It goes without saying that carpets should be regularly vacuumed to remove surface dirt, but in order to get to grips fully with all the nasties present in a carpet, professional cleaning at least once a year is imperative.

Professional cleaning companies will know how to tackle a range of problems that can affect carpets, such as dust mites, bacteria, viruses or germs, and will have the necessary equipment and techniques to eradicate these hidden carpet dangers.

In particular, steam cleaning is highly effective at getting rid of viruses, such as norovirus, present in carpets. However, in order to make sure viruses are properly eliminated, steam temperatures must be no less than 170°, for a minimum of 5 minutes.

A professional carpet cleaning company will make sure that the appropriate conditions and techniques are followed to have the maximum impact on banishing germs, bacteria and viruses, so it always makes sense to leave this task in the hands of the experts if you want peace of mind that your carpets have been properly deep cleaned and detoxed. Indeed, experts reckon that getting your carpets deep cleaned by professionals can remove thousands more times the amount of germs than cleaning a bathroom alone.

Contact our carpet cleaning South-East business for dust mite removal services and other deep cleaning solutions to get rid of germs, bacteria and viruses lurking hidden inside your carpets.