The average amount of bacteria found in a homeowner’s carpet is 200,000 organisms per square inch.
– Philip Tierno, Jr., Ph.D., New York University Langone Center, Microbiologist
This amount is 4,000 times more than that found on an average homeowner’s toilet seat!
Below is a list of common bacteria that can be found in the home on carpets and furniture:
ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI)
E. coli comes in a variety of different strands with varying effects. While some can be harmless, others can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, and pneumonia. It is found in the intestinal tract of mammals and released through fecal matter. It can be deposited onto you carpet directly from pets, and tracked from outside. A toxin carrying strand causes E.coli infections when ingested, usually through contaminated food or water.
STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (STAPH)
Staph is a bacteria carried by around 25% of the population living in the nose or on the skin of otherwise very healthy people. Staph can range from minor skin irritations to much more extreme conditions. The infection often begins with a little cut, which gets infected by the bacteria. Some types can be treated with antibiotics, while some are resistant. Staph can be spread on the carpet through blood, skin, dirty hands, fingernails, and mucous (sneezing).
SALMONELLOSIS (SALMONELLA)
There are approximately 40,000 cases of salmonella reported each year. Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramping, with infants and young children being the most susceptible to infection. It is most often spread to the carpet through feces of people and animals caught on the bottom of shoes. Salmonella can be also transferred on the carpet through contaminated food and pets.
DUST MITES
It is pretty common to find dust mites in carpet. They feed on invisible flakes of dead skin which we shed everyday. They don’t bite but can cause itching and severe allergic symptoms. Rash, sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, nasal congestion and coughing call all be brought on by dust mites.
How to Kill Bacteria and Mites
Here are some common ways to minimize Bacteria and Dust Mites:
- Vacuum regularly. While doing this alone is not effective in killing bacteria, it can go a long way to remove the skin cells, food particles, and pollen that these bacteria feed on.
- Remove your shoes when entering your home. This will help mitigate how much dirt and bacteria breeding substances get into your carpet.
- Use door mats whenever possible to help collect foreign material at the door.
- At least once a year, get your carpets professionally cleaned with hot water extraction to help remove the bacteria from your floors that begin to collect over time.
Why hot water extraction?
- The hot water used in this process is over 200º and will kill bacteria.
- Effective on removing the dirt, allergens, food and stains that cause bacteria to populate.
- All foreign material and bacteria is extracted away for a thorough clean and rinse.
- In essence, it’s like laundering your carpets. The dirt and soil are flushed away.
- Recognized by all carpet manufacturers as the preferred method of cleaning because of its effectiveness.
To get clean bacteria-free carpets check out the rest of this website and call us: 303-426-8225.
