As we know, rug cleaning can improve the appearance of your rug and also extend its lifetime. A clean, fresh rug can also improve the appearance of your home and make it more welcoming. But the most valuable benefit, that most people over look, is the health benefits of a clean rug. The American Lung Association states that, if members of household suffer from breathing issues like snoring or asthma, it’s crucial you also vacuum your rug regularly. You’d be surprised how much dirt and dust a wool rug can hold before it even looks dirty!
Beyond vacuuming regularly, having your rug professionally cleaned at least once a year is important. This ensures your rug gets a proper deep clean. Unfortunately a vacuum alone can’t remove all the debris hidden in your rug. Dirt, dust, mites, moths, bugs and mildew can all build up in your rug, which not only threatens the health of asthmatics, but the young (who are the ones most often in close contact with your rug), the elderly, and those with immune conditions are also at risks. This is why it is so important to get your rug professionally cleaned at least yearly, and twice a year for rugs that are heavily used. So today we are going to look at the 3 health benefits to rug cleaning.
1: Eliminate Trapped Pollutants with Rug Cleaning
A dirty rug can retain an incredible amount of indoor air pollutants. This includes a variety of things including:
- Pet dander
- Cockroach allergens
- Lead
- Particle pollutions
- Dirt
- Dust
- Moth larvae
These pollutants are bad enough, but they also provide a platform for toxic gasses to adhere to including formaldehyde from furniture. This can be trapped in the carpet, affecting your health. These toxic gasses can be release through normal, everyday activities, as well as vacuuming and walking. This can cause the gasses to further contaminate the home. Professional rug cleaners, Like Woods Rug Laundry, have specialised cleaning fluids and machines to remove deeply trapped pollutants that cannot be reached by home vacuum cleaners.
2: Clear Out Dust Mite Infestations
More homes than you think have dust mite infestations. In fact, your house might currently have a dust mite infestation right now and you’d never even know about it. Dust mites are microscopic creatures and, while they themselves aren’t allergens, they leave behind faeces and body fragments which are. And, because these particles are microscopic, they are easily inhaled whenever you disturb the fibres of your rug. This can exacerbate allergies, as well as affect the health of your young children, any elderly relatives or friends, and anyone with autoimmune conditions.
Professional rug cleaners, like Woods Rug Laundry, utilise special steam cleaning techniques that expose your rug to high temperatures. These temperatures are impossible to achieve with home steam cleaning. And while these are safe temperatures for your rug, they are too high for dust mites to tolerate, killing them off. Then it is just a matter of performing a regular deep clean of the rug, rinse, and then place it in specialised rooms to dry.
3: Prevent Mould Growth and Dry Rot with Rug Cleaning
Do you live in a high humidity zone? Or do you have a lot of pot plants around your home? Rugs in humid zones, or rugs that have pot plants near them – or, worse, on them! – are at a higher risk of mould growth. This is because they are in constant contact with moisture. When your rug is in humid weather moisture also frequently gets tracked into the home and can sink deep into the rug if you don’t dry and vacuum immediately. Which, when living in a tropical zone, would quickly become an exhausting task. Whether it is from humidity or pot plants, or from liquid spills (including pet urine) that are left unattended, mould growth and dry rot are the worst conditions for your rug.
Rugs that are near pot plants or have pot plants on them are even more vulnerable to mould growth and even dry rot. When watering plants, there is always the chance of spilling water on the rug, or the saucer under the pot plant overflowing.
Mould Growth
One of the most dangerous health risks to everyone in your home is the growth of mould. Spores from mould are easily inhaled, causing a myriad of health issues. It is especially dangerous to the young, old, and immune-compromised. However, some mould issues can be treated by professional rug cleaners, like Woods Rug Laundry.
Dry Rot
The spills and moisture from watering pot plants seeps into your rug, usually unnoticed, until the rug is literally rotting away from the water damage. Ironically, this is what is known as dry rot. Dry rot cannot be fixed or repaired. Your rug and fibres are literally rotting away, making it impossible to repair, let alone wash. However, if you bring your rug into a professional cleaner as soon as you notice moisture in your rug, they can use specialised, high powered drying tools to eliminate moisture to prevent the growth of moisture or the beginning of dry rot.
If your rug is in need of some tender love and care, contact the team at Woods Rug Laundry today! Please contact us and we can help you protect your beloved rug.