Health Benefits of Professional Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

By Jenn Wood

February in Eastern NC means cold and flu season is in full swing. We all know that hand-washing and disinfecting our household surfaces helps to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria, but many people do not include their soft furnishings in their germ sanitation routine. Pitt-Greene Chem-Dry offers homeowners, office managers, and anyone interested in improving their interior air quality a solution to this oft neglected area of furnishings.

The soft surfaces in your home and office act like giant filters, trapping a variety of dust particles, bacteria, and allergens, and vacuuming alone will not eliminate the accumulated contaminates. These airborne particles are linked to nose, sinus, and breathing problems and can cause numerous other health problems—especially in children and persons with chronic health conditions, such as asthma. Professional grade products must be used to clean and sanitize your home’s carpets and furnishings.

Chem-Dry offers professional carpet cleaning services which can help prevent many serious cold and allergy problems by reducing or eliminating dust mite infestations. Many homeowners are unaware that these microscopic creatures have taken over their carpets. Dust mites are a major source of allergens and Chem-Dry has the tools and products necessary to reduce or eliminate such infestations. 

An additional allergen concern due to the high humidity in eastern North Carolina is the increased risk for mold spores developing under carpets. Moisture from rain and snow is tracked into the home, driven deep into the carpet fibers and can cause mold to grow. Routine carpet cleaning can help prevent the growth of mold in your carpet, but not all carpet care techniques are created equally. Adding large quantities of water to carpets, such as is required of traditional steam cleaning processes can make a potential mold problem worse.

The Chem-Dry Patented Hot Carbonation Extraction Process is a Green-certified process that cleans, sanitizes and deodorizes carpets, upholstered furniture and rugs, all while using 80% less water than steam cleaning. Chem-Dry’s low-moisture cleaning process not only greatly improves drying time (around 3 hours as compared to 24-hours surface dry, 48+ hour residual moisture dry time for steam cleaning), but also removes the potential breeding ground for mold that traditional long-drying treatments can produce.

The company name, ‘Chem-Dry’ is based on the patented use of the chemical carbonation process, and not, as many assume, because of chemicals required to achieve clean carpets. In fact, Chem-Dry uses mostly all-natural, non-toxic, green products which do not contain any harsh chemicals, soaps, detergents, or phosphates. 

Regular cleanings ensure that your carpet is looking and smelling its best year-round. Chem-Dry utilizes a patented P.U.R.T (Pet Urine Removal Treatment) process for removing even the toughest odors from your carpet. Technicians are trained professionals, using superior tools and products that are safe for your family and pets, and which will not damage your carpets or the environment.

Regular vacuuming is important to remove dirt and particles from the surface of your carpet and furnishings, but how often should carpet, upholstered furnishings and area rugs be professionally cleaned? To maintain the health and air quality in your home, you should consider having your carpets cleaned professionally 1 – 2 times per year (4 – 6 times per year if you have pets). 

Upholstered furniture and area rugs should be professionally cleaned annually, more often if you have pets. In addition to maintaining superior air quality, many manufacturers require a professional carpet cleaning every 12-18 months to maintain the carpet warranty.

Pitt-Greene Chem-Dry is a locally owned and operated franchise of Harris Research Institute. Call (252) 758-8353 or visit www.pittgreenechem-dry.com to learn more about sanitizing your carpets and furnishings.