Keeping the grime at bay.

It’s no surprise that in current circumstances, keeping our homes clean is a higher priority for people than it may have been a few months ago.

And whereas before a quick vacuum might have kept us happy, new research suggests that well over half of us don’t really have any idea about how many germs are hidden in our carpets. Given that carpets are a fairly ubiquitous floor covering, that’s quite a lot of germs.

In fact, the survey highlighted that 32% of respondents didn’t realise that allergens and bacteria can survive on carpet, and 47% didn’t know that dust mites and mould found carpet to be a cosy resting place.

Yet, though most of us do it in our own homes, we don’t tend to ask guests to remove their shoes when they enter, nor do we automatically take them off when we visit elsewhere.

And perhaps most surprising of all, 23% of participants in the research said that they believed the 10 second rule even though 13% believed that they had previously become ill from eating something that had been on the carpet.

So, in an effort to clean up our carpets, here are some tops tips that should be fairly easy to accommodate.

1) If your vacuum cleaner gives off an unpleasant smell when you use it, make sure that you empty the container every month as a bare minimum, every few uses if you can, and after every use, if possible.
2) Upend your vacuum every week and remove the hair (cut it if you have to before you pull it off) that has got tangled up in the brush roll. This improves suction efficiency and smooth movement.
3) Check the manual first but if you can, wash the removable filters (very common) and removable brush roll (less common) of your vacuum in warm water. Let them dry for at least 24 hours before use.
4) Make life easier by using the right attachments for the right job because they’ve been designed that way for a reason.
5) If you’ve got an actual carpet cleaner, try to flush it and the hose through with clean water after you’ve used it.
6) Some vacuum cleaners have fabric attachments on the upholstery tool, so if yours does, and it can be, just wash them in a machine or by hand.

Finally, check the wheels on your vacuum cleaner regularly and give them a quick wipe so that you don’t transfer any dirt that’s on them or inadvertently scratch the floor.

ServiceMaster Clean provides exceptional commercial cleaning in the North West, Chester and Ellesmere Port

To discuss your cleaning requirements with our experts, please get in touch.