If there aren’t stains on your carpet, you might not think it’s that dirty…but guess again. According to research, your carpet holds approximately 200,000 bacteria per square inch. Pretty gross, right? Fortunately, professional carpet cleaning can help combat this bacteria that might be making you and other residents inside your home sick. 

What Exactly is in Your Carpet? 

While we mentioned that there’s a ton of bacteria inside your carpet, it’s important to know what you’re up against. Some of the most harmful bacteria living in your carpet include: 

• Staphylococcus, which is the leading cause of skin infections. This type of bacteria can also cause soft tissue infections such as furuncles. While not common, this type of bacteria can infect a person’s bloodstream and cause serious infections. 
• Salmonella commonly causes different types of infections, including but not limited to infections in the bones, joints, blood, and even urine. In some severe cases, salmonella strains can infect a person’s brain and cause severe diseases and complications. 
• E. coli, while normally harmless, can cause respiratory illnesses, urinary tract infections, and pneumonia. 

These are just a few common examples of the types of harmful bacteria that could be in your carpet, so if you’re experiencing skin infections or constant UTIs, your carpet may be the cause. 

Other Types of Harmful Contaminants

The bacteria listed above is not an exhaustive list of what can be found in your carpet. Because your carpet gets a lot of foot traffic, it can easily fill up with dirt, grime, and pet dander. In addition to these, your carpet can soak up different air pollutants, both from cigarette smoke and any other germs that may be circulating through your dirty ventilation system. 

Unfortunately, your carpet can absorb all of this. However, when your carpet gets too full of these different contaminants, it can no longer hold any pollutants. When this occurs, these pollutants can filter throughout your house, trigger allergies, and make you sick. 

Dust Mites

Carpets can also provide a hospitable environment for dust mites. Dust mites are microscopic pests that can live on carpets, couches, and even beds. While dust mites don’t bite or burrow into our bodies, they do feast on dead skin cells. Like other types of pests, dust mites leave droppings, which can trigger allergies and asthma. 

Traditional vacuuming only causes these contaminants to spread throughout the house. Professional carpet cleaning helps to remove these dust mites and other allergens from the source, so you can be confident that they’re removed. 

Contact California Steam Clean Today

If you’ve been getting sick, your carpets may be to blame. Even if you haven’t gotten sick, having a clean carpet is an effective method of prevention. The professionals at California Steam Clean use safe and effective methods to professionally clean your carpet. When you’re in the market for carpet cleaning, our technicians can help. Call today at (707) 755-7190.