Your Carpet Under a Microscope [ Infographic ]

On the outside, your carpet may seem immaculate. But have you ever wondered how things would look like through a magnifying lense?

More often than not, you will immediately discover that a whole new world is thriving right beneath your very feet without you even knowing!

Join Us As We Explore the Secret Life Deep Down Below

The contenders for the crown in this fabric-made kingdom are many, which is why a professional carpet clean every 12 to 18 months is recommended to ensure the good health of your family and pets.

To show you just what you’re up against, carpet cleaners in London created a neat infographic below depicting all the miniscule or downright invisible beasts that may inhabit your rug as we speak.

A detailed info can be found under the infographic.

A small empire ruled by bugs

Where there are carpets, there are also dust mites.

Smaller than a grain of sand, a single one of these spider-like creatures can produce more than 1,000 waste particles in just 80 days by feasting on dead skin cells and pet dander. If inhaled, this waste can trigger a long list of allergies and cause significant respiratory issues in people who suffer from asthma. Other creepy-crawlies that may lurk in your rug might have and need to exterminate fleas or bloodsucking bed bugs.

Thousands of ill-tempered bacteria

Bacteria may be an inseparable part of our lives, but that doesn’t mean that we should be friends with those that could do us harm. Unfortunately, all bacteria in our carpets that we (or our pets) drag in from outside consists of nearly 421,000 different types of dangerous microorganisms.

Among these are E.coli, salmonella, enteritidis, and pneumonic bacteria.

Mould (not of the blue cheese kind)

If your living room suffers from high humidity levels, then you probably have a mould smell problem to worry about.

This elusive fungi usually thrive inside the rug’s fabric and will often remain unnoticed because it doesn’t emit any specific odour. Inhaling the mouldy, particles may result in a variety of health issues, such as chronic sinus infections, asthma, and bronchitis.

A vast sea of human skin flakes

Yes, you’ve read it right. Every person sheds up to 1.5 million dead skin cells each hour.

Eventually, all of it gets filtered by your rug, where it becomes an open buffet for hungry dust mites and bacteria. Add to that the fact that your visitors will also leave their fair share of DNA on your carpet, and you can see just how quickly things can get out of control without a proper clean.

Sneeze-inducing allergens

Your cosy rug will attract lots of pollen and dust, which will usually land there by skillfully gliding past your open windows.

Once they’ve reached their fluffy landing site, these invaders will become entangled in your carpet’s fibres and will waste no time causing sneeze-fests of epic proportions.

Other allergens that are notoriously difficult to remove include pet hair and dander. Thankfully, all of these annoyances can be safely dealt with by using high-quality HEPA filters.

An unsettling bouquet of toxic chemicals

Do you smoke? It turns out that the smell is not the only thing that sticks around.

The cancerogenic toxins contained within cigarette smoke will become absorbed by the fibres, which can adversely affect the health of your children or pets! Some rug manufacturers also tend to treat their products with special chemicals, some of which are also considered to cause cancer.

Old-fashioned, unsightly mud stains

Comfortably clinging to the soles of our shoes or the hems of our pants, these watery samples of Mother Earth tend to make quite a mess once they land on our carpets. Besides being unsightly, these muddy stains can also damage your rug’s fabric – their razor-sharp particles will cut through its fibres each time you accidentally step on what you thought was a clean carpet.

Food and drink spills from last night’s party

Besides recolouring your carpet in wondrous new hues, food crumbs and beverage spills also serve as an abundant source of food for all those bacteria and bugs that we’ve mentioned earlier. So, whatever you do, try to avoid picking up and eating the food once it has fallen on the ground – the 5-second rule is a giant myth and you’ll be sure to regret your decision later!