Having carpets in the home and in the office can greatly benefit the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).  New research shows that if carpets are properly maintained and cleaned on a regular schedule, they can actually improve the IAQ of a building.  The individual carpet fibers act as a trap for airborne particles like dirt, dust, allergens, skin cells, bacteria, mites etc. instead of floating around the air.  Once these particles are trapped in the carpet they are no longer able to be inhaled by those occupying the building so the carpet itself acts as an air filter.

In order for this theory to work, the carpets need to be properly maintained.  Regular vacuuming is one of the most important things to remember when it comes to your carpets.  When done on a regular basis, vacuuming removes dirt and allergy particles preventing allergy attacks.  90-95% of dry soil can be removed from vacuuming alone!  Removing the dry soil keeps your carpets intact longer by removing the large particles that can tear the carpet fibers.  People shed 50 million skin cells a day, dust mites live off of eating these dead cells, so a clean carpet means no dust mites.  If there is no food supply for them, dust mites will not live in your home or office!

Along with regularly vacuuming, carpets should be deep cleaned on a regular basis as well (just less frequently.)  Deep cleaning can kill bacteria and other germs that cause in-office sickness.  If the carpets are clean they can trap more airborne particles, removing them from the “breathing zone”.  This is similar to changing a furnace filter.  A clean carpet also means fewer asthma attacks and allergy symptoms.  Studies show that carpeted bedrooms are associated with fewer missed school days, so what is true for kids’ bedrooms should be true for schools and offices as well.  Carpeting also has the lowest emission of VOCs (volatile organic compound) when it comes to flooring choices.  That is important to keep in mind when remodeling or building new facilities.

The bottom line is that if you properly maintain your carpets, the overall IAQ of the building will be improved.  The health of your employees is higher with a cleaner office and carpets, and sick days will be less frequent.   Investing in a quality vacuum will get you through in between deep cleans, and hiring a professional cleaning crew like Envision Commercial Cleaning will take care of your shampooing and extraction.  Envision specializes in deep cleaning tactics that will take care of any carpet funk in high traffic areas, or spot clean lower traffic areas.  Envision Commercial Cleaning Team can tackle any carpet mess you might have!

Sources:

CRI- carpet-rug.org