Not everyone has their carpets cleaned professionally, especially if they live in a rental. The problem is that while a hard floor surface shows up the dirt and dust on it, a carpet does not. At least, it is not nearly as visible. The carpet is also likely to become uniformly dirty so you don’t even notice it until something like the sofa that has been standing on the carpet for a long time, is removed. You can then see a lighter patch of carpet, or a patch where the colours are much more vivid. Only then will you realise just how grubby the rest of it is.

Pet hair and dander

Dirty carpets can certainly become a health hazard, though you may not even realise it. If you have pets inside, their hair and dander will become embedded into the carpet and can cause an allergic reaction, especially to people like children, who get down on the carpet where they are close to the allergens. Even dust and dust mites can be in the carpet and cause allergies to flare up.

Toxic elements from outside

If you wear outside shoes in the house, whatever you have trodden on outside will likely work its way into the carpet, including animal faeces, chemicals such as pesticides that were used in the garden and so on. When a toddler crawls or plays on the carpet, they can easily ingest the germs and bacteria in this foreign matter. It can cause diarrhoea, rash, breathing difficulties and other nasty symptoms, depending on what it is.

So that comfortable, soft carpet you thought was protecting your children from bumps and bruises may not be as good as it looks. Dirty carpets don’t have to stay dirty, of course. It is the easiest thing to pick up the phone and call a professional carpet cleaner to steam clean your carpet. This is the best way to get it properly clean. And if you choose one that cares for the environment they will use a cleaning product that is not likely to harm the children with toxic fumes.

The children
Even the children can cause harm to themselves by leaving food behind furniture where you don’t see it, then finding it a week later and eating it. Imagine the upset stomachs that can cause. Then there are all those tiny bits from building toys that can get lost in the carpet fibres – until your sharp-eyed toddler finds them and decides they look tasty.

Yes, dirty carpets can certainly be a health hazard, so if your carpets haven’t been cleaned for a while it might be time to give that carpet cleaner a call and have them professionally cleaned.

Read more:
Your guide to carpet cleaning options