Having been in the carpet cleaning industry for years, we have had time to study bacteria and the affects carpet cleaning has on destroying bacterial infestations. You may ask, “What bacteria are you referring to”? Every home has bacterial growth, the whole world is a huge ball of bacteria and living organisms…some good some bad! Bacteria are microscopic single-celled organisms that live all around us. There are several different types of bacteria such as spherical, rod shaped and spiral. E. Coli for example can cause disease that spreads by drinking and eating contaminated food or water causing severe illness. This bacteria can be spread by unsafe food preparation, rotting or decaying food from leaking trash containing meat, dairy products or rotting produce as well. My point, trash bag leakage is very common and can leak on kitchen floors, carpet or any surface in your home. Contaminated waste can then soil your carpet leaving bacteria behind to grow if left untreated.

Salmonella is another form of bacteria found in kitchens and bathrooms and can be spread easily from person to person. Simple things such as not washing your hands and handling food can spread Salmonella. Walking from an area containing Salmonella to a carpeted surface can spread the bacteria easily. Unfortunately, spreading bacteria is super easy to do and most don’t even realize its happening. Your pets can also have a huge bacterial footprint in your home as well. Most do not realize that shedding dogs/cats leave a trail of dander throughout your home causing odors. That’s exactly what odor is…bacterial growth! So when you smell pet odor, bacterial growth is causing the odor, especially for urine and feces.

Pet odor is one of the main reasons bacterial infestations start in a home and can be very hazardous to your health! The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirms pet waste can spread bacteria such a E. Coli and Salmonella. Your pet’s feces is full of E. Coli and other harmful bacteria such as fecal coliform which can cause severe intestinal illness. Either way, living in these conditions is not healthy for anyone and needs to be cleaned properly…especially your carpet! Here at Aqualux, Pet Urine & Odor Remediation is our specialty, so we understand bacteria and what needs to be done to destroy it! Does carpet cleaning reduce and destroy harmful bacteria? The answer is YES IT DOES!!

Depending on which method of carpet cleaning used, Hot Water Extraction (ie:steam cleaning) is proven to be the winner in cleaning, sanitizing and destroying pet odor

Here’s Why: Extraction is one of the key components in destroying bacteria. If your not extracting anything, then your not removing soil/contamination leaving all the bacteria behind. With Hot Water Extraction, vacuum blower systems are used to extract the soil (pet urine & feces) into a waste tank and disposed of at a later time. Typically, 20 plus inches of lift are used when the wand head is suctioned to the carpet. This suction is enough to pull urine, feces, fleas, dust mites, dander and allergens from the carpet without blinking an “eye”! So, extraction methods are something to look for in a carpet cleaning.

  1. Heat also plays a significant role in a carpet cleaning as well. Now with Pet Urine & Odor Remediation practices, heat is used at different temperatures causing different results. Your technician will determine what heat setting is best for the situation. Either way, heat destroys bacteria! That is why you boil water in the “wild” before you drink it! Any water borne pathogens that cause illness are destroyed through heat distillation, making the water safe to drink. Same applies in carpet cleaning, but used in a different way.

  2. Also used in destroying bacteria are Anti-Bacterial Solutions and Digestive Properties. These products are used to destroy bacteria and sanitize the carpet from urine and feces. Kinda like a doctor gives antibiotics for an infection, these properties are used to destroy the infection in your carpet causing the odor.

  3. Lastly, agitation is used for bacteria and soil removal. Just like a washing machine agitates your clothes to remove soil, we do the same in working the carpet to remove bacteria and soil. The more the carpet is worked and manipulated, the more soil will be removed. This practice works, but must be done in a way that does not damage the carpet. As mentioned above, this is a basic overview of how carpet cleaning removes soil and bacteria from carpet, upholstery and hard surfaces. Please understand, Pet Urine & Odor Remediation practices are sometimes done in different ways to achieve different results. But, Hot Water Extraction (ie:steam cleaning) if used, does a fantastic job in cleaning and sanitizing carpet for bacterial infestations and odor problems.