Good indoor air quality (IAQ) can be hard to maintain. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), about 30 percent of non-industrial buildings in the United States have poor indoor air quality. This is a serious issue as indoor air contaminants can not only result in eye and nose irritation, but they can also cause allergic reactions like sinus congestion, respiratory infections, difficulty in breathing, hives or rashes. Research has shown that inadequate cleaning is one of the main contributors to poor IAQ and out of the three major surfaces which are ceilings, flooring and walls, flooring affects IAQ the most. Dirty carpeting is especially bad for IAQ.

However, proper vacuuming and cleaning can remove contaminants from carpets to promote good indoor air quality.

How Carpet Affects IAQ

When dust and other contaminants in the air land on uncarpeted floor, they are easily redistributed all over the room when people walk across the floor. With carpet, contaminants are trapped in the carpet fibers when they land on the floor. This hence reduces the amount of contaminants in the air. Research has proven that the air above carpeted floors has fewer dust particles and allergens than that above uncarpeted floors.

Carpet can help to improve indoor air quality by trapping dust and dirt until they are vacuumed away. However, if the carpet is not vacuumed and cleaned frequently, the dust and dirt will accumulate until the carpet can no longer trap them.

Carpet Cleaning

The best technique for maintaining IAQ is to vacuum the carpet at least once a week to remove allergens and pollutants before they are re-released into the air and to perform extraction cleaning once every few months. It is important to use a vacuum with string suction and an efficient air filter bag. Otherwise, vacuuming the carpet may release dust particles into the air instead.

Spot removals should be done the moment the carpet is stained. Detergent can be used to effectively remove dust particles trapped in the carpet fibers. After cleaning, it is important to thoroughly remove all cleaning agents from the carpet as moisture will damage it. Keeping windows open and fans running will help all the moisture to evaporate.

In addition to keeping the carpet clean, it is also good to keep the humidity levels in the room below 51 percent as it makes the environment less ideal for dust mites.

Removing Dirt at the Door

An efficient way to keep floors clean is to remove as much dirt as possible before people step into the room. This can be done with the use of entrance mats in doorways. These mats work the best when they are placed two to five steps away from the doorway.

On top of that, high traffic areas such as hallways, stairways, elevators and eating areas should be cleaned more regularly to prevent the accumulation of dirt.

At Reilly’s Oriental Rug Cleaning, we use advanced cleaning equipment and solutions to effectively remove all contaminants and allergens from your carpets. Engage our services and never worry about indoor air quality again! We can meet all your commercial or residential property cleaning needs at competitive prices. Contact us at 201-445-0800 or email us on Info@RugClean.net today!