The simple answer is yes, pests and allergens can live in your carpets. In fact, with all the daily foot traffic, you never know what might be hiding in your carpets. This is why it’s vital to have a professional carpet cleaning in Tampa. Keep reading to find out more about the pests and allergens that lurk in your carpets.
Can Pests and Allergens Live In My Carpets?
You should be regularly vacuuming your carpeting to help keep it clean, but regular vacuuming can’t eliminate everything that might be hiding there.
Microbiologists have done research about what lives in carpets—and an average carpet can hold around 200,000 bacteria per square inch.
Fleas
Unfortunately, your pet might bring fleas into your home. There are over 2000 species of fleas, and many of them are small, fast, and difficult to spot. You might only notice them through bites or when you brush your pet.
These pests can live many years, although they usually die after a few months. If you let them stay on your carpet, you might end up with many more of these bugs hiding out of sight.
Dust Mites
Dust mites are tiny organisms that live in warm, humid places, and they love soft furniture like pillows, mattresses, and carpets. When you step on your carpet or vacuum it, you might throw these mites up into the air, where they’ll float around. Unfortunately, it’s also possible to inhale them, which is why they can trigger allergies.
Regardless of how clean you try to keep your home, you can’t completely eradicate dust mites. However, you can control how prevalent they are in your home and how quickly they breed. So be sure to vacuum often, wash your bedding in hot water, and professionally clean your carpets regularly.
Pet Hair and Skin Cells
Your pet doesn’t only shed hair, they shed dead skin cells too. Microscopic insects like dust mites will feed off these, though, allowing them to continue thriving on your carpet.
If you leave pet hair and dander on your carpet, not only will your allergies and air quality worsen, but pests like dust mites will multiply. They also tend to end up deep in your carpet fibers, becoming harder to remove.
Pollen
This is another allergen that tends to irritate people. Pollen can drift through the windows and doors during certain seasons and leave you struggling to manage your allergies. You can try to ease your allergies by vacuuming, but still, pollen can sit in carpets for a while and end up troubling you even months later.
Bacteria
It’s inevitable to have bacteria in your home. However, they tend to really thrive on your carpet. Some common types of bacteria include Salmonella and E. Coli, and they can be brought in by your pets or even by your shoes.
Don’t forget about other forms of bacteria, like mold and mildew. These tend to thrive in a warm, wet environment, and while your carpet shouldn’t be wet, you still might be dealing with it growing where you can’t see.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, there are a high number of pests and allergens that can live in your carpets. From dust mites to bed bugs to dander and pollen, you need to ensure that you have your carpet cleaned to prevent these pests from accumulating. Call us today, so we can help you give your carpet an effective deep clean so you can enjoy a cleaner and fresher home again!