UK carpets hiding high levels of dangerous bacteria

You may want to think twice about the three second rule on your carpet. An independent study of carpets covering floors across Britain has revealed dangerously high levels of bacteria nestling between the pile.

More than 2,000 people and their carpets took part in research by Rug Doctor.

High levels of bacteria including Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria and Campylobacter are lying with other hidden dirt including human and pet hair, dust mites, pollen, traces of faeces and skin.

Considering 74 per cent of us think our homes are quite clean, the findings may come as a shock.

A total of 51 per cent of people in the study admitted they still eat food if they dropped it on the carpet.

The list of minging dirt on carpets goes on to include 28 per cent having flooring their pet has been sick on, 25 per cent with pet poo and 30 per cent with sick spatters.

Spokesperson for Rug Doctor, Paul Fildes says: “The findings illustrate that just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not there. A carpet acts like a filter, trapping dirt deep within its pile – so much so that vacuuming alone can never remove it.”