Our pets are part of the family. It’s hard imagining them anywhere else but by our side. That means they lounge on the carpets, run across the hardwood floors, and slide on the luxury vinyl when coming in from outside.

Pets may bring a lot of love to our lives, but they also bring a lot of germs and bacteria into our homes as well. Each time they come in from the outside, the bring in allergens, waste, and other grime with them. Not only can it damage our flooring, but it can also impact our health as well.

What does your pet track in and leave on your floors?

Saliva – a dog can have as many as 20 species of bacteria in his mouth

Pet Waste – There are 23 million fecal bacteria in a single gram of pet waste

Fleas and Ticks – each year we spend in excess of $9 billion controlling fleas

Dander – pet dander is always lurking in your carpets, which affects up to 10 percent of the population in the form of allergies

Dirt – dirt carries many different varieties of bacteria, with one square foot of carpets holding up to a full pound of dirt without the proper cleaning

And once your flooring is impacted, it can affect you in many ways:

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Skin infections
• Stomach illnesses
• Respiratory illnesses

What should you do to combat these potentially harmful things?

Add doormats to every entrance to absorb water and help clean dirty paws before your pet enters your home

Bathe your pet regularly

Clean all pet messes up as quickly as possible. If they continue to return to the same spot, talk with a carpet cleaning professional to treat older accidents and get rid of strong odor problems.

Have your carpets professionally cleaned according to manufacturers guidelines on a regular basis.

Replace your flooring as it begins to show signs of wear.