Carpet Cleaning and the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Protect others and protect yourself

With the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) becoming a much talked about subject in recent weeks  many are looking for new measures they can adopt to protect themselves and others from contracting or spreading the disease. We have received many phone calls recently wanting to know if cleaning the carpet in a home or office would be a viable measure one can take to prevent or remove germs that may be associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the answer I give is yes.

Use the right products

Just like any Germ; bacteria, virus, fungi or airborne disease, the best defense for preventing illness from the coronavirus is to avoid being exposed along with cleaning and disinfecting your work and living space. Maintaining a clean and sanitary surrounding at all times is essential for preventing the virus from spreading to you, your loved ones, family and friends.

When our company is called out for the specific reason of eliminating germs from a home or office, our go to method is the use of an EPA approved disinfectant such as MediClean® or Sporicidin® as our prespray in combination with deep steam cleaning the carpet with our truck mounted carpet cleaning systems. 

"Sporicidin is fast acting and goes to work in as little as two minutes, has carpet cleaning, deodorizing & decontamination claims on the label and recommends it be applied as you would a pre-spray, followed with hot water extraction and rapid drying", says American Air & Water, Inc. - Sporicidin representative.

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

Although at the time of this writing there is currently no vaccine to prevent or cure the coronavirus disease, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) states “Current evidence suggests that novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings.” They also state “For soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floors, rugs, and drapes, remove visible contamination if present and clean with appropriate cleaners”.

So along with cleaning and sanitizing your hard surface items, cleaning your carpet is definitely recommended by the CDC. 

It is important to note there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted from soft surfaces like fabric or carpet to humans but it is certainly a good preventative measure to ensure any hard or soft surface be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized with hot water and a good disinfectant. 

Use the right cleaning system

A professional carpet cleaning company when requested to clean for the purposes of eliminating germs and bacteria from the carpet fibers would follow a process similar to the one we use below;

1. Prespray all carpeted areas using a hydro-force sprayer with a disinfectant antimicrobial cleaning agent
2. Thoroughly brush in the product working it deep into the carpet fibers using a floor machine with a floating carpet brush
3. Then extract the carpet with a truck mounted steam cleaning system using a neutral pH rinsing solution at a temperature between 180-200 degrees
4. Force dry the carpet with a Dri-Eaz® Studebaker AirPath Carpet Dryer to speed up the dry time

This method of cleaning is a great way to make sure germs and bacteria along with dirt and stains are broken down at the molecular level and then safely removed from the carpet fibers through the cleaning solution and rinsing process, which flushes the carpet fibers thoroughly. The dirty solution is pulled through a vacuum hose and deposited into a receiving tank in the companies' van outside the home where it is then properly disposed of.

Other precautionary steps

If you are planning on having your carpet cleaned and sanitized by a professional carpet cleaning company you may want to also check if they perform any of these following services using the same antimicrobial products mentioned earlier. Many companies are capable of offering these multiple services all in one appointment which will greatly enhance the cleanliness of your home or business;

1. Have your upholstery such as sofas, sectionals, loveseats, chairs, ottomans cleaned
2. Have each member of the household’s mattresses cleaned and sanitized
3. Deep steam clean and sanitize your kitchen and bathroom floor tiles
4. Have your HVAC air duct system cleaned, filter changed, and have the company fog the system with an EPA approved disinfectant using a (ULV) wet fogger

Please Note:
Disinfectant & Disinfecting refers to using chemicals to kill germs. This process does not ensure the removal of the coronavirus (COVID-19) but by killing germs associated with bacteria, virus, and fungi can further lower the risk of spreading infection.

Call or Contact us

We hope you have found this article helpful and if you have any questions regarding the products mentioned or the cleaning process we have discussed please feel free to give us a call or leave a comment below and we will be sure to get back with you.

If you are in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area and would like any of the deep cleaning services mentioned in this article please give us a call to schedule your cleaning, we will be very happy to help.

Carpet Renovations, Inc. | Cleaning Services | Serving the Greater Tulsa Area | (918) 437-1956