COVID-19. Coronavirus. That is on everyone’s minds right now. As it should be. This is a new virus that has gone viral (literally and digitally) and there are tons of questions being tossed around about it. So how do we keep our loved ones safe during this quarantine? How can we keep our home clean/what products do we use? These among others are running through our minds and we are all looking for some answers. While we aren’t a public health official, we are Hydrostar Carpet Cleaners, we will do our best to inform you of the information we’ve gotten.
The problem with the COVID-19 coronavirus is that it’s a new virus and no one has immunity to it because we have never faced it before. Because it is so infectious, we have to be vigilant about not spreading viruses and practicing good hygiene by how we interact with others. We are now wiping down high-touch surfaces to avoid any risk. The issue is what happens to the virons (the tiny particles that viruses transmit themselves as- they are not cells or spores like bacteria) when they hit a surface. Viruses are not like bacteria; they prefer hard non-porous surfaces. They can survive on a surface for quite some time. In the case of COVID-19, we are unsure how long they can live on any surface, but the recent research is estimating 28 days. Now with porous surfaces, especially natural fibers such as wool in carpets, is that they dry out the virus, given the time and the right conditions, and eventually the virus will die off. Having the virons on the carpet is only part of the equation. The virus has to get into a host, such a human. For COVID-19 to enter the body, the known entry point are mouth, eyes, and nose.
What a lot of people are probably wondering right now is, will cleaning the carpet prevent you from getting the coronavirus? Our answer is, probably not. There are so many other places you can catch the virus, just keeping your home clean is not a guaranteed safe space. Steam cleaning is the suitable technique for killing bacteria and viruses that might be lurking in a carpet.
The temperature necessary to kill viruses outside the body is approximately 60°C. During steam cleaning, the temperatures get a lot hotter than that, reaching at least 66°C and well over boiling point. These high temperatures are what makes steam cleaning suitable for delicate fabrics and others. Giving your carpets a good, deep steam cleaning will indeed eliminate any active virus spores lingering.
Being self-quarantined in your home all day for weeks, can really start to put run down your carpets. Don’t let your carpets get dingy or faded due to high traffic. Call Hydrostar Carpet Cleaning to get your home looking and feeling like new. Don’t wait, keep your family safe during these hard times and give us a call to receive a free estimate at 865-406-7536.
