Carpets help make a house a home – they are cosy and comfortable, especially on a cold winter’s morning, and despite there now being so many flooring options out there, carpets are still a popular choice, especially in bedrooms.
However, there are unwanted guests that can also come with carpets – however being aware of the creatures that can live in the carpets and how to tackle them if they do show up helps you to stay on top of these things – here are some common carpet residents…
Carpet Beetle Larvae – Also known as the affectionately named, woolly bears these are actually not something that you want to find in the carpet despite the cute nickname! The adults don’t cause any problems however their larvae feed on natural fibres – this includes silk, wool and leather, so if you happen to have nice wool carpets, they would be a feat for the larvae of the carpet beetles.
Things to look for are the insects themselves, their larvae or the shed skins in the carpets.
Clothes Moths – These are another common household pest that can be particularly damaging to your carpets as well as your wardrobe. Like the carpet beetles, the adult moths are harmless, however it is their larvae that are problematic.
The female moths will lay their eggs in places that will provide food for their young, and like the carpet beetles they favour natural fibres.
They can often be hard to find and often it is the damage that people notice, such as the holes in fabrics. Cleaning and hoovering on a regular basis, particularly underneath furniture and in wardrobes helps to prevent them from becoming established in your home.
Dust Mites – A creature that you won’t see as it is simply too small, but you are guaranteed to have in your home are dust mites. These tiny arachnids feed on dead skin cells that you naturally shed all the time. They particularly love the warm, so a bedroom is a favourite place for them. The biggest issue that they cause are allergic ones- they can also be a problem for people who suffer from asthma as they can make breathing worse if you are sensitive to them.
Carpets are attractive to them as they provide a good home, and a carpet attracts dust and skin particles ensuring that they have a constant food source as well as warmth.
You will never be able to eradicate them, but hoovering regularly particularly in the bedroom can help to reduce their effects.
Its certainly not on the extreme side of infestations to have any of these creatures in your home and they are all very common. However, it is a good idea to try and minimise how many are in your house as they can of course cause damage and in the case of dust mites worsen allergies and asthma.
Your carpet may well look clean, however it can still have creatures living in it, so having a thorough cleaning routine is important. This doesn’t have to be difficult either – here are some tips to help you…
Vacuum on a Regular Basis – Regular vacuuming of the carpets, at least once or twice a week (more if you have bad allergies or pets in your home) helps to keep carpet pests at bay.
Include Areas that are Hidden -The nooks and crannies are the places that most creatures will hide, so these are the places it is particularly important to get into when you are cleaning your carpets. Under furniture and in corners are places to pay particular attention to.
Clean up Mess Quickly – If there are spillages such as dropped food and drinks, deal with this as soon as possible and make sure that the carpet dries fully to prevent damp.
Ventilate – Keeping the house well-ventilated doesn’t just prevent mould and damp but also reduces humidity making it less favourable for creatures like dust mites to thrive in the carpets.
It can also be a good idea to have a professional carpet cleaner come and do all of your carpets from time to time as this way you can get into the bits that it is not possible to do yourself and remove deeply embedded dirt and dust from inside the carpet as well as removing stains.
If the carpet is particularly old, as well as being infested with creatures that live in it, the best thing to do in this case is to replace it with a new one. This is something that can be affordable when you go to a company like this pay weekly carpets provider and means that you don’t have to worry about getting to grips with the bugs in the carpet or potentially end up spending more on pest control and cleaning.