Home safety is a crucial part of everyday living. What you put in your home or how you maintain it should pose the least amount of danger to your family. Most people are aware of the usual dangers in a home such as toxic chemicals, sprays, detergents and cleaning supplies, but some household health hazards can be right under our noses and go unnoticed.
The carpeting in your home can be one of those potential health hazards because it can hold all sorts of dirt, bacteria and allergens. Although carpeting is supposed to bring images of warmth, comfort, and style to our environment, the reality is that carpeting can house dust mites, molds, pet hair, dead skin cells, insect feces, and other particles deep-seated in its fibers if not well maintained and cleaned regularly.
It’s not evident to the naked eye all of the dangerous particles that live deep within the carpeting fibers. A filthy carpet is full of microbes and other irritants that can make us feel ill. While harmless-looking on the surface, carpets can pose significant health risks if they’re not cleaned on a regular basis.
Here’s a list of possible health issues that can affect you and your family by neglecting to get your carpets cleaned on a regular basis.
Respiratory Problems from Filthy Carpets
- Dirty carpets are robust habitats for tiny organisms. Dust mites and molds can thrive in dirty carpets, making them a perfect breeding ground for attracting bacteria and allergens. When these organisms are kicked into the air by people walking on them and then inhaled, it can result in flu-like symptoms and other respiratory problems.
- Health issues can range from simple coughing and runny noses to cold-like symptoms, asthma attacks, and adverse allergic reactions.
Skin Irritations
- Uncleaned and dirty carpets contain irritants that can cause skin irritations. The symptoms for skin irritations may include redness, itchiness or even swelling. Dirty carpets can cause a common but extremely annoying skin condition called athlete’s foot.
- When you walk barefoot on a dirty carpet, bacteria and fungi can come in contact with your feet through cuts, wounds or openings on the skin. This contagious fungal infection can breed in the skin openings and cause chronic itching for a long period of time unless it’s treated properly.
- Skin asthma attacks can also be triggered by dirty carpets and manifest itself as itchy rashes instead of troubled breathing. Both types of asthmas can occur when a person is exposed to asthma-triggering irritants such as the dirt, dust, and pollutants from dirty carpets.
Allergies and Dirty Carpets
- Dirty carpets can cause people with allergies to have increased flare-ups. Pre-existing allergy conditions can significantly worsen due to the amount of dust, pet hairs, fungus and dirt residue. Symptoms such as itchy skin, watery eyes, sneezing, and malaise are the result and common culprits.
More Conditions from Unhealthy Carpets
- Other conditions that someone might experience living in a home with dirty carpets are higher stress levels and a weekend immune system causing a person to be more susceptible to diseases.
Healthier Home
For a cleaner and healthier home, it’s important that you maintain your carpets properly by having them regularly cleaned and sanitized. For the ultimate cleaning, the professionals at Kleen Rite Carpet & Duct Cleaning can provide your home with a healthier environment for you and your family. Kleen Rite services the Southern Ontario region for carpet cleaning, including Burlington, Niagara, Milton and Oakville.