10 Interesting Facts About Carpet

As we go about our everyday lives, we don't normally think about the carpet that we're walking on. Whether you're in your home or your office, it's mostly just an afterthought. FactRetriever.com has published a list of 50 interesting facts about carpet that you might not have known.

Here Are 10 Note-Worthy Facts From The List:

• The Norwalk virus or Norovirus (the virus that causes the stomach flu) can survive on an uncleaned carpet for a month or more.
• The five-second rule is a myth: bacteria can live after four weeks on carpet. And, thanks to “microbial adhesion,” germs such as the following are immediately transferred to food: Salmonella typhimurium, Campylobacter, and Salmonella enteritis, a nasty bacterium that causes horrible diarrhea and vomiting.
• Each year, several pounds of soil can accumulate in and under a carpet.
• Bed bugs can live in carpet fibers and wooden floorboards. For their size, they are extremely fast and can crawl more than 100 feet to obtain a blood meal, usually at night from people who are sleeping. Engorgement takes about three to 10 minutes yet people rarely realize they are being bitten.
• A person sheds about 1.5 million skin flakes an hour, most of which becomes embedded in our carpets.
• All carpet should be professionally cleaned a minimum of every 12 to 18 months.
• When properly cleaned and maintained, carpeting may improve the quality of air through trapping allergy-inducing dust and allergens. Most people, however, do not clean their carpets correctly, which can actually exacerbate allergies.
• To remove red wine from a carpet, scrub the stain with club soda or cover the stain with salt to let it absorb the wine. Vacuum the residue. If the stain remains, wipe with a solution of detergent, water, and a few drops of white vinegar.
• Oriental carpets first became highly prized possessions in Europe during the Middle Ages when the crusaders likely returned home with them. The influence was very unilateral, with Europe hardly influencing the design of Oriental carpets.
• The term “carpet” derives from the Latin carpere, “to pluck”, probably because carpets were made from unraveled “plucked” fabric. “Carpet” has the same Latin root as carpe diem, literally “pluck/seize the day.”

Haven't had your carpets cleaned in a while? After knowing what may be inside the fibers of your carpet, you might want to consider having them professionally cleaned!

Carpet & Tile Solutions is here to help. Simply fill out the contact form below, or call (407) 252-7222.