Commercial carpets play host to a world of nasty bacteria that build up at astonishingly fast rates. How frequently your commercial carpets need to be professionally cleaned depends on traffic levels, type of carpeting, exposures and more.
The average residential carpet is crawling with as many as 200,000 germs per square inch—you can multiply that number by 100 when dealing with a commercial establishment thanks to the additional foot traffic and exposures it gets. The average carpet is 4,000 times more contaminated than a toilet… yet toilets are cleaned on a regular basis.
How Often Does Your Business Need Commercial Carpet Cleaning?
Commercial carpets should be cleaned on a very regular basis to avoid a build up of bacteria, mold and debris. Many problems can arise without regular care, including making employees or customers sick because of allergens and other pollutants in the carpet.
The amount of wear and tear your carpets get play a huge role in how often they need to be cleaned. The more foot traffic your carpeting gets, the more cleaning it requires.
Different types of dirt can be more potent than others; this depends on where your business is located and what sort of services you offer. Are any oils brought in from car exhaust or attached factories? What about chemicals used in certain manufacturing plants or surrounding grass? Sand from parking lots and some production facilities can also contribute to the need for more frequent cleaning.
Aside from the nature of your business, it’s important to consider the quality and coloring of carpets as well. Light colored carpets are going to need more frequent cleaning to prevent stubborn stains from developing.
Another thing to consider is the climate your business is located in. For instance, if it’s been raining a lot people are going to bring in moisture and unwanted debris that will flourish a colony of bacteria in your carpets.
Taking all of these things into consideration, commercial carpet cleaning should take place once every couple months to once every 18 months.
Businesses that require more frequent carpet cleaning:
- Daycare facilities
- Nursing homes
- Medical facilities
- Retail stores
- Restaurants
By cleaning carpets regularly you greatly help extend the life span of flooring, ultimately saving time, money and resources. It’s not cheap to rip up carpets and put in all new carpeting. It’s always more affordable to have carpets cleaned on a regular basis.
Tidy Team is happy to assess your business and carpets in order to provide a realistic cleaning schedule.
Common Bacteria Found In Carpets
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: This type of bacteria is especially common in gyms or anywhere sweat has a chance to build up. Even if someone walks in with sweat on his or her shoes it can transmit onto the carpet.
Campylobacter: This strain is particularly potent during the winter. It can actually cause campylobacteriosis, a potentially life threatening disease.
Norovirus: This pesky virus can survive on carpets for 4-6 weeks and becomes airborne when people walk on the carpet and stir it up.
Fungi & Mold: Many types of fungi and mold grow in dirty carpets and can lead to serious allergies and even death.
These are not the only bacteria that thrive in carpeting; Micrococcus, Enterocci and many others can as well.
It isn’t just bacteria that requires carpet cleaning. Harsh stains and wear and tear lead to dull, dingy and ugly looking carpeting that can actually take away from the appearance of your business.
Reduce How Frequently Commercial Carpets Are Cleaned
It’s an investment to have your carpets cleaned and we understand all businesses are looking to save money anywhere they can. That doesn’t mean you should let too much time go between carpet cleanings, but there are a couple things you can do to help reduce how often carpets need to be professionally cleaned.
-Regular vacuuming helps to clean up minor messes and keep carpets looking fresher longer. Still, all the vacuuming in the world won’t remove all germs or stubborn stains.
-Add mats to entry areas and wherever carpeting gets a lot of traffic. You should also add mats anywhere food is prepped or consumed, as well as in break rooms, near water coolers and in elevators. We mention water coolers because when moisture gets into carpets it helps breed more bacteria.
Superior Commercial Carpet Cleaning
Our specially formulated carpet cleaning process extracts dirt and debris like nothing else. Not only do we leave carpets looking and smelling great, but we also have the tools necessary to remove harmful bacteria and allergens. As a result, your business looks better and also provides a safer environment for employees and patrons.