What You Need to Know About Carpet Cleaning & Covid-19
Coronavirus or Covid-19, as it’s also known, has changed a lot of how we live our lives since it came along, affecting everything from how we shop to when we can go out. All the imposed restrictions have one single aim and that’s to control the spread of the virus and in this blog, we look at the facts surrounding carpets and how carpet cleaning can help provide another barrier against it.
By reading to the end, you’ll better understand more about how Covid-19 spreads, how long it is able to live in the pile of your carpet and what you can do to minimise it. We’ll start by looking at the virus itself and what science currently understands.
How Covid-19 Spreads
Coronaviruses (yes, there is more than one strain) are spread when droplets leave the nose or mouth of an infected person. When exhaling or coughing, these droplets typically spread onto surfaces over the surrounding area up to a distance of 2 metres – hence the 2 metre rule that we’ve all had drummed into us over the last 12 months.
Surviving up to 72 hours on smooth and hard surfaces, these droplets then end up being touched by others who tbecome infected when they next touch their mouth, nose or eyes. But what about carpets? How long can it live on carpet pile and does carpet cleaning help to control it?
“Can Covid-19 Survive on Carpets?”
Whilst carpet doesn’t get touched by hands that often – unless talking about small children – it still needs to be considered, as yes, carpet can house the live virus and result in more infections. When people sneeze, cough or even talk whilst over carpet, saliva droplets can find their way from the mouth onto the floor and remain there.
What this means is that if it occurs within a workplace, it could lead to a large infected area beneath everyone’s feet. In reality, everyone leaving your workplace could realistically be doing so with Covid-19 virus on the soles of their feet – a worrying fact, we think you’ll agree!
“So, How Long Does It Survive on Carpets?
Well, there are a few variables at play when answering that question, with temperature, humidity and how porous your carpet is having an effect. The fact is that the exact period of survival in carpet is still as yet unknown for Coronavirus, but we can get some clues from similar infectious viruses.
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) are very similar in nature and they can live in carpet piles from anywhere between 2 hours to 9 days! This is even the case when you give your carpet a good vacuuming on a regular basis – so we’re starting to see that carpet cleaning might not be a bad idea!
Appearances Can Be Deceiving
Whichever way you look at it, carpets harbour germs. In fact, an average carpet contains as much as 29 million bacteria per Sq ft, regardless of how clean and well looked-after it might look. Due to the fibrous nature of carpets, they act as a filter for all the dust, dirt and germs that we carry and that sit in the air.
However, like any kind of filter imaginable, anything that acts as a filter will collect grime and bacteria by definition. Unfortunately, even the most powerful vacuum cleaners in existence are unable to draw this out, which is another reason why regular carpet cleaning has always been a wise move – even before Covid-19 reared its head.
Professional Carpet Cleaning Helps
Specialist carpet cleaning companies are able to implement proven conditions that are entirely inhospitable to the Covid-19 virus. Steam cleaning in particular is known to be the best method for eliminating the virus from carpet piles and this is due, in part, to the high temperatures that the process involves, which is indeed why it’s the preferred method for the NHS.
Whilst current knowledge of the Coronavirus is most likely to change with time and methods to control it may also be refined, steaming cleaning offered by carpet cleaning companies is by far the best way to ensure that your carpets don’t represent a source of contamination. Getting it done on a periodic basis also provides peace of mind that you’re doing everything you can – particularly when talking about carpets in commercial, educational and healthcare-related buildings.
At Oziclean, We’ve Got You Covered
Based in Stevenage in Hertfordshire, the Oziclean team has years of experience in all kinds of domestic and commercial cleaning. Carpet cleaning is something we have particular expertise in, so you can rest assured that we have both the equipment and the knowledge to ensure that your carpets are free of dirt, dust, bacteria and perhaps most importantly in the current climate, the Coronavirus.
Adhering to all UK government guidelines in relation to PPE and social distancing, our team can come to your premises and get the job done quickly and efficiently, meaning less disruption to your day. If you would like to know more about us and why we’re known as the best carpet cleaning company in the Home Counties, visit us online at oziclean.co.uk
Alternatively, if you’d like to speak to a member of our friendly team for advice or to book a convenient time slot for a clean, call us for free on 0800 772 0648 where we’re waiting to take your call. Thanks for reading to the end. We hope it has provided some clarity on what is a very important subject.
