There are many things you know that are on your carpets, and even mattresses for that matter. The basics; dust, dirt, hair, fur, dander, skin cells, pollen, and pollutants are fairly known. But what about the things that is not so commonly known to homeowners. Today, we at Carpet Care 2000 would like talk about the nasty germs and bacteria that lurk in the carpets and mattresses.
How Many Germs & Bacteria Are on Your Carpet?
The incredible research that has been done to find the extent of the germs that exists on the carpets you walk on and the mattresses you sleep on, is mind boggling. The studies prove that the carpets are a lot dirtier than you might suppose. Covering every square inch has approximately 200,000 bacteria, which makes it 4,000 times nastier than toilets. Mattresses are the places where you are the most vulnerable and exposed to bacteria and virus invasions, where many of them have evolved into aggressive and bacteria resistant strains.
What Common Germs & Bacteria Live in Your Carpet?
Below you will find a handful of the most health risk bacteria, viruses, and germs that are accumulating on your carpets and mattresses.
1) Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MSRA): Especially susceptible if you have any athletes in the house, this nasty germ is penicillin-resistant. Being introduced to your carpets or mattress from being transferred off of the gym bag, shoes, or other gear that came in contact with it on the dirty locker room floor, Methicillin or MRSA can be carried for hours or even years by seemingly healthy individuals. Red bumps that become more painful and larger over time, resulting in fevers and rashes are generally experienced and it only gets worse from there. If left untreated over a period of time, it can become untreatable, and eventually fatal.
2) Norovirus: Norovirus, or the Norwalk virus, causes symptoms similar to food poisoning or even the stomach flu. It becomes airborne as people walk or roll across it and can survive in your carpet or in your bed for 4 to 6 weeks.
3) Campylobacter: Most dangerous during the winter months, especially so when in bacteria-friendly dampness on galoshes come trekking inside, campylobacter causes a potentially deadly disease known as campylobacteriosis. This germ is exceptionally dangerous to people with a compromised immune system, particularly small children or the elderly. Bloody diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever are the typical symptoms.
4) Micrococcus: For those with weaker immune systems, micrococcus can cause some serious skin infections, septic shock, meningitis, and other illnesses as well as death in severe cases.
5) Enterococci: Enterococci is a fairly normal bacteria that exists in your intestines, but some species can cause serious infections in humans. It can cause urinary tract infections, among other things, and can be caught from the carpet or mattress from a carrier.
6) Fungi and mold: Fungi and molds invade your home more frequently than you might realize. They can be the source of serious allergies and even death. Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Alternaria, Geotrichum and Cladosporium are a few examples of the different fungi and mold.
How to Clean Bacteria & Germs from Carpet
There are plenty of other germs, bacteria, and viruses that you can spread that have landed on your carpet. To minimize or even avoid many of them remember to vacuum regularly, keep your carpet dry, and have it professionally cleaned at least once per year, twice is more optimal. Keep up on regular maintenance on you mattress as well as annual cleanings and every 7-10 years replace the mattress.
Carpet Cleaning, Stain Removal in Tracy, Livermore, San Ramon, Dublin, Ripon, Mountain House, Walnut Creek, Danville & the East Bay of California
If you are in need of a professional carpet cleaning, mattresses, rugs, sofas etc, contact Carpet Care 2000 and our experts will clean, sanitize, and deodorize your carpets, effectively extracting the debris, neutralizing odors, and absolving stains.
