People tend to spend a significant portion of their time in an office, and most businesses nowadays are equipped with flooring or carpets meant to enhance visual appearance. Although we all know the saying “looks can be deceiving”, not many of us can expect what studies have found – your office carpet is likely to be 4.000 times dirtier than your average toilet seat!
As daunting as this may sound, there is more to keeping a clean office carpet than meets the eye. Most people don’t tend to give their office carpet a second thought, but there are hidden health implications. To explain more about these problems, here are the six dangers of having a dirty office carpet.
1. Unpleasant odors
We’ll start with the basics, and that involves the nasty smells that will make you want to leave the office quicker than your average nine-to-five working day. Because carpets and other materials tend to accumulate bacteria, yeast, dead skin cells, and even mold, numerous odors can create an unpleasant working environment for everyone around you.
What’s worse is that these microorganisms tend to spread and multiply very quickly, and without a proper and thorough cleaning routine, it will become increasingly difficult to remove these smells altogether.
2. Reduce the carpet life
Another common implication of having a dirty carpet is the fact that you’ll be significantly reducing its lifespan. For example, if you work in the construction industry, you will have an extensive accumulation of sand, dirt, dust, stones, and other small things which can ultimately destroy the carpet –and they are not cheap to replace.
An excellent piece of advice is to clean the floor regularly, maybe even daily. If that is not possible, either due to a tight budget or staff shortage, get into the habit of doing it at least once a week. This way, impurities will be removed, while the occasional steaming process can also help, sometimes adding a couple of good years to a carpet’s life.
3. Affect the furniture
This point goes hand-in-hand with the second one, and although it can be viewed as a minor problem, it will ultimately affect the way your business functions and other people’s opinions of how you run your pride and joy.
It shouldn’t surprise you to find out that a dirty carpet will affect the overall appearance of your furniture. That being said, even having a new and sleek furniture set-up on a dirty rug will look out of place; thus, the two will never go well together. Additionally, dirt and dust from one piece of furniture will migrate to another one, and if you want to avoid that, clean your carpet regularly –making sure you remove dust, dirt, sand, or any other impurities by vacuuming often and thoroughly.
4. It will affect your company’s image
Both employees and clients are able to appreciate a work setting and environment which is clean and professional looking. Having a dirty carpet might not be entirely noticeable, but it will depend on the person attending an interview or the client’s attention to details.
Regardless if you fear that someone will realize or not, it’s essential to build an impeccable image for your company. The same goes for increasing your brand awareness –both in the early or late stages of business. For example, when first starting out, you will want to portray a confident image, and appearance is a crucial element. Moreover, once your company and brand are well-known, there will be a quality standard you will need to adhere to –making people understand that your success carries through every aspect of your business. This will also help you prepare for welcoming guests, customers, suppliers, or even proud family members.
5. Make your employees feel uncomfortable
Studies have shown that employees are more productive when they feel like part of something bigger, and having an office environment in which you feel confident and comfortable with is a core aspect of this. In other words, business performance is dependent on motivation –making employees feel comfortable in the office in which they’re spending eight or more hours per day in.
Cleaning your carpet will not only improve appearance but also smell, and when you do it regularly, it can also aid with work productivity –showing staff members that you are actively considering their opinions, beliefs, and emotions.
6. Health problems
Possibly the most crucial motivation for ensuring that your office carpets are cleaned continuously is the health implications associated with a dirty office space. We have already mentioned all the microorganisms that are feeding your carpet and how mold spores are prone to quickly growing and inhabiting your soft and furry rugs.
Because of this, mold spores can cause either mild or even severe allergic symptoms in people –including asthma, breathing difficulties, skin rashes, or other health issues. This is a grave problem for those already suffering from any or all of the previously mentioned conditions, and it is, in fact, a severe liability for your business.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, however, and the simple solution is to employ a team of professionals to sweep, hoover, and steam your carpets regularly. Cleaning service companies can help you clean some carpets inside your organization, improving the overall look and appearance of your office in a matter of minutes. Not only will your employees notice the difference, but so will your clients and suppliers.
Conclusion
There are many dangers of having a dirty office carpet, and you’re possibly still surprised because some of them aren’t quite that obvious or well known. The good news is that you can quickly and efficiently avoid a potential headache associated with these adverse health and motivational implications. Hiring an office cleaning service will very quickly solve your carpet health problems and give you and your employees a cleaner, fresher and healthier environment to work in.
