What is one household item you should keep at the top of your cleaning checklist? Carpets. Sure your moroccan rug looks exquisite on the living room floor but if you’re not careful, it could become home to a host of icky residents including mold, mildew, fungi and even small pests like dust mites.Dirty carpets are known to hold up to 8 times their weight in bacteria and dirt. If you don’t clean your carpets regularly or don’t hire a cleaning company to do it for you, you could be inviting these three yucky critters to live and thrive in your home:

1. Campylobacter – people living in places with cold climates should beware of this nasty critter. Commonly found in carpets that become damp during winter, the campylobacter can cause a fatal illness known as campylobacteriosis. Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever.

1. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) – Gym buffs listen up! This penicillin-resistant bacteria usually finds its way into your home from the gym or locker room via gym gear that you haven’t washed in a long time. Healthy-looking people could carry the MRSA for hours and even years. Symptoms include red bumps that become more painful and bigger, fever and rashes.

1. Norovirus – Also known as the Norwalk virus, this critter can thrive in filthy carpets for four to eight weeks. What’s worse is that it can become airborne as people walk on the carpet. This virus is common in dusty and arid places like Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

If you still aren’t scared. Here are 3 health problems that should convince you to keep your carpets and rugs a top priority in your cleaning checklist:

Asthma Attacks and Respiratory Issues

Your carpet at home could be aggravating your asthma attacks. The Kuopio Regional Institute of Occupational Health Study found that damp carpets significantly increase the risk of asthma attacks. Similarly, mold spores hiding in your carpet could be the main cause of your respiratory problems. Dirty carpets could give molds the dark and dank environment that they love to live in. When they become airborne, you could inhale mold spores and irritate your respiratory system.

Dust Mite Allergies

Dust mites are tiny critters that cause allergies and skin irritations. These microscopic creatures feed on dead skin cells, fungi and bacteria that could be scattered all over your carpet. Although you may not see them, dust mites can cause sneezing, itchy rashes and a stuffy nose. They’re equally annoying when dead. When inhaled, the carcasses of dead dust mites can inflame the nasal passageways and cause rashes.

Fungal Infection

Parasitic microorganisms like fungi could live and thrive in dirty and damp carpets. People walking all over the carpet can cause fungi and mold spores to become airborne and, when inhaled, cause respiratory problems. Aside from respiratory issues, fungi could infect your body through small cuts and wounds on your foot. This could result in skin diseases like athlete’s foot, ringworm and other nasty fungal infections.On average, people spend 90 percent of their time indoors. This makes it important for us to make sure our work spaces and home are clean and conducive for productivity and rest.If you don’t have time to regularly clean and maintain your carpets and rugs, you could hire a cleaning company that offers carpets cleaning services.Copec Commercial Cleaning Services offers a wide range of cleaning services for the home and commercial spaces. Check us online to know why we are the best carpet cleaner service provider for you.