Carpeting and Cloth Furnishings

Carpets and cloth furnishings harbor a diverse population of microbial organisms and allergens. Decontaminating carpets and cloth furnishings is difficult. They should be vacuumed regularly; however, the bacterial and allergen burden is reduced only temporarily. Despite evidence of microbial growth and persistence, there is little evidence that carpets and cloth furnishings influence the rate of HAIs and there are no recommendations against their use in general patient-care areas. Avoiding their use in areas where spills are likely to occur is prudent.^1,2