According to Philip Tierno Jr., Ph.D., a microbiologist and immunologist at New York University Langone Medical Center and the author of The Secret Life of Germs, carpet and area rugs probably contain about 200,000 bacteria per square inch, making it 4,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat. Tierno refers to carpet and area rugs as botanical and zoological parks, noting that hundreds of thousands of different species live there.  Tierno’s explanation is that the average person sheds about 1.5 million skin cells every hour which drop to the rug and serve as food for germs. Add in food particles, pollen and pet dander, and tiny, almost invisible carpetbaggers have a literal free buffet.

Living with a four-legged companion near the beach in a subtropical climate such as Southwest Florida is a recipe for the perfect storm of sand, humidity and warm temperatures. These conditions contribute to flourishing communities of germs and bacteria that are ubiquitous to area rugs and carpets and threaten the health of the adults and young children that crawl and play on them.

After a muggy summer of high humidity that allows bacteria to flourish, even the most expensive vacuum cleaner's suction and rotating beater brush can’t reach the carpet base, which Tierno cautions is likely to house communities of E. coli, salmonella, staphylococcus and other strains of bacteria.

A deeply penetrating, steam cleaning of all carpets is recommended at least once a year, along with covering high-traffic areas with machine-washable area rugs or a flat, woven throw rug like a reversible Indian dhurrie.

Naples Rug Spa is an area rug cleaning and repair specialist located at 4081 Mercantile Ave., Ste. B, in Naples. For more information, call 239-206-1481 or visit NaplesRugSpa.com.