Commercial carpet is still the floor covering of choice when it comes to office space furnishing, because of its many benefits. Besides the ease of installation and carpet care, warmth, outstanding acoustical value and cost effectiveness carpet can instantly transform any office space into just about any style décor of your choice. Despite all the benefits that carpet provides, many people have begun to question the impact of carpet on indoor air quality. Especially because it is estimated that nasal allergies affect about 50 million people in the United States.
It’s a common misconception that carpet can adversely impact allergy and asthma. Common allergens are constantly moving around in the air you breathe and soft surfaces such as carpets and upholstery actually act as giant filters, trapping allergens, dust, and other contaminants, until they can be properly removed. Studies have shown that more than 99% of pollutants and allergens collected by carpet can be removed with one carpet cleaning. But, in order to remain effective at trapping particulates as they settle from the air, carpets must be properly and regularly cleaned.
What cleaning method is the best for removing allergens and bacteria from commercial carpet?
All commercial cleaning methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Most popular cleaning method when it comes to professional carpet cleaning is certainly steam cleaning or hot-water-extraction method. Steam cleaning is also called deep cleaning because it can remove more than 95 percent of dirt and bacteria from carpeting and it is best for dealing with ground in or difficult stains. However, if your employees are allergic to mold and dust mites maybe this method isn’t the best solution.
Hot-water-extraction method may dampen the carpet and padding beneath the carpet if used by people who lack the proper knowledge, expertise and equipment. For example, if you rent a hot water extraction machine which is not powerful enough to remove all moisture from the carpet, instead of using professional cleaning services, you are risking leaving too much water in the carpet and damaging the floor beneath the padding. Damp materials like carpets, upholstery and wooden floors beneath wet carpets can provide a good place for mold and mildew to grow. Also, if detergent is not removed properly, a chemical detergent residue will make the carpet sticky and carpet fibers will get dirtier much sooner.
On the other hand, the dry extraction method is much more adequate for people who are sensitive to indoor allergens. It is the lowest moisture cleaning method and it is safe to use for all types of carpet. This method sometimes called CRB cleaning involves the use of specialized machines with chemical technologies that permit no-moisture or very low moisture cleaning so there is no chance of over wetting the carpet. Special kind of product is sprayed onto the carpet and then agitated using mechanical brushing action. The amount of product is determined based on manufacturers’ recommendations. This dry or low moisture method leaves carpets clean (without stains, dirt, grit, sand and allergens) and dry, ready to be used right away.
