What is hiding in your Office Carpet?

Carpets as less common than they used to be in the office. They do take extra care but they add warmth, character and can be a great option so not everyone has chosen to give them up. If you have office carpets, then keeping them clean is absolutely essential. Not cleaning your carpets will leave a wide range of unwanted particles and hazards to build up and here we’re looking more closely at exactly what is hiding in the average carpet. Did you know your office could be harboring all these things?

Dirt and Soil

Research shows the average US home accumulates up to 40lbs of dust each year. In businesses with higher footfall, this figure may be even higher. Build-up of dust and particularly dirt and soil is higher in the winter months as more is walked into the building from the wet and sludgy sidewalks. Dust and dirt also find their way in through windows and open vents. While they don’t seem like huge hazards, a significant build-up of either can irritate the respiratory system. They can also exacerbate allergies and provide a perfect home for pests such as bugs and dust mites.

Odors

We’ve recently talked about how unpleasant unwanted workplace odors can be and carpets are great for clinging to smells and stenches. Common odors found in carpets range from food and drink spillage smells to mold and even urine. While urine on your office carpets probably seems unlikely, the other odors can quickly become a problem if the carpet is not cleaned regularly.

Bacteria

Whether in the dust and dirt or coming from your employees and other visitors to the workplace, bacteria quickly and easily finds a home in carpet. Some researchers have found that carpets may have 40,000 times more bacteria than toilet seats. Common bacteria prevalent in unclean carpets including E Coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus.

Hair and Skin Particles

This one can make us feel a bit uncomfortable but it’s a common fact of life that we shed skin and hair regularly. Millions of skin cells leave the human body every single day and hairs are forever falling out. If not cleaned, these build up quickly in carpets and add to the general uncleanliness. It’s also worth remembering that unwanted pests such as fleas and ticks will happily feast upon these shed cells and hairs, adding yet another problem to deal with.

Professional Carpet Cleaning for Businesses

There’s no need to decide it’s time to rip up the office carpets. Instead you can put some best practice in place, including:

• Placing mats in the doorway, to stop outside contaminants getting beyond this step.
• Regular vacuuming
• Act immediately when there’s a food or drink spell
• Invest in professional deep cleaning

Carpets in busy offices need regular cleaning to ensure they remain safe and in top condition. At Penn Jersey we offer commercial carpet cleaning to ensure even high traffic flooring is kept in the best possible condition. Our services ensure carpets are kept as clean as you need, with deep cleaning options as well as regular cleans available. All odors, stains and risk of hazards are removed with ease, and we ensure your carpets do not pose a health risk to anyone in your workplace. Our carpet cleaning services are flexible and fit around your business. Many of our clients invest in contract carpet cleaning but know we’re also available on a reactive basis when needed. Contact us today to discuss your business’ carpets.