Homes will provide you with a soft, comfortable, warm feel through carpets. They help to enhance the appearance of the bedroom, living room, and other common areas. However, carpets also trap dust, dirt, and allergens such as pet hair and pollen, and every day can trap additional allergens in the carpet’s fibres.
Hidden allergens are still present even in a carpet that looks clean. They exist deep within the fibres of the carpet, which could cause indoor air quality issues. Other family members may experience allergies due to these allergens being present.
Many homeowners clean or vacuum carpets often, but consistently vacuuming will not eliminate deep cleaning allergens. Therefore, having the carpet cleaned by a professional will completely remove harmful allergens, giving you a healthier and cleaner living environment.
If someone in your home has an allergy or condition due to allergies, professional cleaning should occur quite frequently for carpeted areas in the home.
What Are Allergens?
Small pieces of matter that anyone can be allergic to are called allergens. These are often too little to be seen by the eye but still can affect your health, as well as your ability to breathe. Common allergy-causing agents that can be found in carpeting include:
Dirt & Bacteria
Pet Hair
Dust Mites
Pollen
Mould Spores
Allergens accumulate gradually in carpet fibres over time.
How Carpets Collect Allergens
Allergens are trapped under your feet when you wear shoes or have pets or when your windows are left open and the air outside is not.
When you walk across your carpet, some of the allergens are released back into the air around you. This can lead to allergies such as sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes, and difficulty breathing.
Additionally, families with pets, kids, or lots of foot traffic usually have allergens collected in their carpet at a much faster rate than families without these characteristics.
Why Vacuuming Is Not Enough
When you vacuum your carpet, you are taking care of your carpet by removing the loose dirt from the surface of the carpet, but all of the allergens that are located deep within the fibres of the carpet remain in place.
Some vacuums can even blow particles back into the air while vacuuming, thereby making allergies for the allergic person worse.
A professional carpet cleaner will use strong equipment and clean using deep cleaning processes that will be able to remove allergens from carpets much better than just regular vacuuming.
Professional Carpet Cleaning Removes Deep Dirt
Dust mites are frequently found in households and provide a source of indoor allergy or asthma triggers for many people. Dust mites are tiny insects that can be found in a variety of areas throughout your home, such as in carpet or in your bedding or furniture. Dust mites consume dead skin cells as a food source and can reproduce rapidly in a warm indoor environment.
A lot of individuals have an allergy to dust mites but are unaware of it. It is the waste particles left behind by the dust mites that create allergy symptoms like sneezing, coughing, or itchy skin.
Using a professional carpet cleaning service will help remove dust mites and will help to reduce the accumulation of dust mites in your carpet(s) and/or upholstery.
Removes Dust Mites
Dust mites are frequently found in households and provide a source of indoor allergy or asthma triggers for many people. Dust mites are tiny insects that can be found in a variety of areas throughout your home, such as in carpet or in your bedding or furniture. Dust mites consume dead skin cells as a food source and can reproduce rapidly in a warm indoor environment.
A lot of individuals have an allergy to dust mites but are unaware of it. It is the waste particles left behind by the dust mites that create allergy symptoms like sneezing, coughing, or itchy skin.
Using a professional carpet cleaning service will help remove dust mites and will help to reduce the accumulation of dust mites in your carpet(s) and/or upholstery.
Helps Remove Pet Dander
Animals are a source of delight for family; however, they also shed dander and hair, which cause clutter in the home environment. The small flakes from human skin can stimulate allergic reactions in some people and are considered “pet dander”.
Even if you have pets that keep themselves clean, there remains some residue of dander still embedded in your carpets. As most vacuums only pick up surface hair and dander from your pet, running the vacuum increases only the dirt at the base of your carpet.
Have a professional clean your carpets to remove dander more thoroughly, providing an additional benefit of improving the air quality of your indoor environment for both you and your pets.
Removes Pollen From Carpets
Pollen can easily find its way into your house with all of the doors, windows, clothing, and shoes. Once inside the home, it can accumulate on carpets and other furniture items. Allergy seasons can create significant issues for individuals with pollen accumulation. An individual may still have allergy symptoms indoors due to this pollen accumulation.
Professional carpet cleaning can remove pollen that is trapped in carpet fibres and help improve your indoor air quality.
Helps Prevent Mould Growth
Carpet moisture in humid and rainy environments can create a breeding ground for mould. Mould spores can cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems.
Professional carpet cleaners take the necessary steps to properly dry your carpets after the cleaning process by drying and cleaning your carpets. This reduces your chances of developing mould and mildew.
Maintaining your carpets in a clean and dry state is essential for maintaining healthy air quality.
Improves Indoor Air Quality
Your home’s air quality can be compromised due to dirty carpets. Every time someone walks across a carpet, dust and allergens are released into the air.
Professional cleaning has the ability to remove trapped particles in your carpets and assist with both air circulation and cleanliness within your home.
The importance of having clean air is especially relevant to children, elderly relatives, those who suffer from asthma, those with allergies, and pet owners.
Clean carpets are also conducive to creating a more enjoyable and healthier environment in your home!
Removes Bad Odours Caused by Allergens
Carpets often have odours caused by dust, moisture, bacteria, and pet dander. Vacuuming and using some type of home cleaning solution may remove stains but will not remove odours.
Carpets are thoroughly cleaned by a professional carpet cleaner, which removes the odour-causing particles from the deep parts of the fibres on the carpet so that the carpets are fresh and clean again.
How Often Should Carpets Be Professionally Cleaned?
Your cleaning schedule will depend on how often you clean your house and the condition of your house.
The recommendation is:
12 months for average homes
6 months for homes with pets/children
3-6 months for allergy sufferers
More for heavy-traffic homes
Regularly cleaning will help to keep you from allowing the accumulation of allergens in your home over time!
Signs Your Carpet May Be Holding Allergens
Here are some common signs your carpet may need professional cleaning:
Frequent Sneezing Indoors
If allergy symptoms become worse at home, carpets may be trapping allergens.
Dust Builds Up Quickly
Heavy dust buildup often means carpets need deep cleaning.
Bad Smells
Odours from pets, moisture, or dirt may mean allergens are trapped inside.
Carpet Looks Dull
Dirty carpets may lose their original colour and softness.
It Has Been Over a Year.
Even clean-looking carpets should be professionally cleaned regularly.
Tips to Reduce Allergens Between Cleanings
These habits, in combination with having your carpets professionally cleaned, can help lower allergens:
Vacuum carpets on a regular basis.
Take your shoes off when inside.
Clean up spills as soon as they occur.
Keep your pets groomed regularly.
Use an air filtration system if possible.
Open your windows whenever the temperature allows for fresh air.
These easy-to-follow tips can help maintain cleaner carpets between professional cleanings.
Final Thoughts
Although carpets look clean on the outside, they contain common allergens every day that accumulate in and on the carpets, including dust mites, pollen from plants, animal dander, and bacteria, which can create a lower quality of indoor air and cause family members to suffer from symptoms of their allergies.
When you have your carpets professionally cleaned by trained professionals, they can be completely cleaned of these allergens more effectively than if you just vacuumed, resulting in improved air quality, elimination of odours, and a cleaner and healthier home environment.
Cactus Carpet Cleaning offers you carpet cleaning services that are specifically designed to help remove allergens from your carpets as well as to keep your carpet looking and smelling fresh and in healthy condition for your family.