Carpets are a pretty wonderful invention. They are what stop us from having hard, cold and noisy floors in every room of our homes. Yet, for all the great benefits that carpets provide in terms of cushioning, noise reduction, and warmth, they are not without some potential problems.

One of the biggest problems associated with carpets is that they are undeniable dust-magnets. Not only do carpets get dusty very easily, but once dust is trapped inside them, they are very reluctant to part with it. Keeping your carpet clean is essential, because the less often you attend to its cleaning, the more difficult it will subsequently become to clean. When large amounts of dust and dirt are allowed to accumulate in the carpet, it can put your health at risk, and that’s never a good thing.

You should aim to clean your carpet daily if possible, and at least once a week get a professional clean to ensure that your carpet is maintained in peak perfection. This not only prolongs the life of your carpet, but also your own life and that of your family.

If you have pets or children (and especially if you have both), this need for regular cleaning becomes heightened in importance. Love them all you want, but there’s no denying that kids and pets introduce a lot of extra challenges to the matter of keeping a clean and healthy household.

Let’s start with pets…

All of the most commonly kept pet species have a tendency to wander around in all kinds of indoor and outdoor environments without a great deal of regard to being careful about what they are stepping in. In fact, certain individual animals seem to take an especial delight in stepping in things that you really wish they wouldn’t.

This introduces health risks through the possible addition of pathogenic germs, parasitic organisms, and foul odours. Nobody’s criticising your pet here, these are just facts. No matter how well bred and well-trained Prince Rupert von Leopold III is, he’s out there stepping in all kinds of revolting filth, and so is his dog!

Then we come to kids…

Here it’s not just about the contaminants they can introduce to the carpet (and they certainly do that as well), but also about the extra risks that can happen to them as a result of carpets that are not well maintained. While pets typically have strong immune systems and can tolerate the introduction of huge numbers of pathogens, humans are much more vulnerable and can easily become ill with only slight exposure to some pathogens.

Children get down close to the carpet surface, play on it, crawl around on it, and even put their mouths on it. You wouldn’t even be surprised to see your kid chewing the carpet, would you? So, being that up close and personal with the carpet, kids are at an increased level of risk for carpet related injuries and illnesses.

By properly maintaining your carpet and keeping it clean, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of your carpet for longer before you need to replace it. You will also be taking an important step to protecting the health of your family, so it’s more than just a good idea – it’s a necessity.