How Carpet Acts as a Filter
Does carpet act as a filter? Carpet acts as a filter by trapping air pollutants such as pollen, fungi, chemicals, bacteria, cigarette smoke, and more within an environment. Carpets filter out the airborne soils and particles that pass through them, and they can be removed with regular vacuuming and regular professional cleaning.
Without that filter, those soils and particles sitting on the floor can potentially cause health worries. Similar to a filter, this means that they need to be cleaned out regularly to avoid health issues.
How Carpets Act as Biggest Air Filter
Carpet Trap Dirt and Pollutants
Carpet as an air filter is effective as its fibers capture pollutants like fungus spores, dirt particles, and pollen. In the case of light carpets, one may notice black lines around the outer edges where the carpet meets the baseboards. These thin lines are evidence of how the air circulation patterns in a home trap pollutants in a carpet.
As the warm air cools and falls along the walls, the edge of the carpet along the wall acts as the first āfilterā of the air as it comes to floor level. The thin, black lines that one can see at the edge of the wall are known as āfiltration lines.ā
Vacuuming can help remove some pollutants and dirt particles, but to properly clean a carpet, one needs to deep-clean it properly, which can be done by hiring a professional carpet cleaning service as they offer the required carpet cleaning equipment.
Regularly Clean Your Carpets
Adequate cleaning of your carpets is essential to ensure their filter function. Since carpets act as a filter, they naturally become saturated with pollutants and contaminants. If they are not cleaned regularly, they will eventually not be able to continue to hold contaminants effectively and act as a filter.
If one does not apply regular cleaning, the carpet will release these contaminants back into the air, which will create an unhealthy environment, as not cleaning a carpet has consequences for oneās indoor air quality. Carpets cannot be easily and cheaply replaced, but they can be maintained and given longevity with regular cleaning.
Vacuum regularly
Vacuuming helps to keep a carpet clean as it lifts dirt out of the deeper fibers to prevent them from clogging up, causing the color and the quality of the carpet to deteriorate gradually. One must note that vacuuming too much can have negative consequences as well, as the constant back and forth of the vacuum cleaner can wear the carpet out more quickly. Vacuuming only once per week or as needed is recommended.
Hire a professional carpet cleaning serviceĀ
Most times, a vacuum cleaner will clean a carpet efficiently, but hiring a professional cleaning service once a year at least is a good idea as most vacuums are not capable of pulling up the dirt entrenched deep within the carpets. A cleaning service will use an industrial-strength machine with stronger suction that will be able to pull up all the dirt.
Tips to Clean Your Carpets Regularly
- Try to Avoid Chemical Cleaners: This tip is especially important for those that have small children or pets in the home. It is advised to avoid synthetic cleaners on the carpet and around the home as they are unhealthy and can damage the carpet on a micro level and will contribute towards their deterioration.
- Remove Stains Immediately: One can do this by using a dash of white vinegar and a bi-carb soda mixture for stains such as:
- Red wine stains
- Coffee stains
- Food stains
- Gum stuck
- Pet stains
- Blood stains
- Place all doormats outside and inside all entrance doors to help trap soil.
- Change or clean air conditioner filters to trap dust particles circulating in the air before they reach the carpet.
- Keep the vacuum well-maintained and clean it out regularly to ensure that it functions properly.
Benefits of using Carpets as a Flooring Type
- Warmth: Carpet provides much more insulation when compared to hard surface flooring materials.
- Health: Does the carpet act as a filter? Yes, it does. Carpet as an air filter is a beneficial flooring option as it can assist those with breathing difficulty and other allergies.
- Comfort: The carpet provides shock absorption because of its flexibility and cushioning, making it more comfortable, more comfortable, and also easier on the body when standing or walking on it over a long period.
- Safety: As carpet provides a soft landing surface which can be helpful, especially in childrenās rooms, there is an increased level of safety with this flooring option.
- Quiet: Hard surfaces cannot absorb sound the way that soft surfaces such as carpets can, meaning that carpets provide a quieter environment.
- Cost-Effective: Carpet can be less expensive when compared to other materials, such as hardwood, and it is generally more cost-effective than hard surface flooring.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Carpets act as a filter
Do Carpets Improve Air Quality?
Carpet improves air quality by trapping particles, dirt, and debris in the carpet, which helps to keep them out of the air that one breathes.
Does Carpet Make a Room Dustier?
By using carpet as a flooring option, one will significantly reduce the risk of indoor fine dust pollution. Other smooth flooring options, such as parquet, laminate, wood, or ceramic tiles, have no dust-binding capacity, meaning that the dust is circulated through the air, while carpets prevent this by trapping the dust in the surface pile.
Professional Carpet Cleaning Services!
Does carpet act as a filter? Indeed it does, which is why you need to ensure that your carpet is regularly and professionally cleaned.
Pacific Modular has refined the commercial carpet cleaning process by using dry extraction, which helps rejuvenate carpet fibers, extending the lifespan of the carpet dramatically when compared to wet extraction or DIY cleaning.
Call us for a free quote today or contact us via our convenient online platform, where our team is ready to offer you professional as well as environmentally friendly carpet cleaning services!