How much thought have you put into the cushioned fibers that cradle your bare feet and keep the upstairs noise level down? You walk on them every day in your home, at work, at the gym, at the bank, and many other daily errands. But how much do you really know about carpets? Here are some facts about carpets:
Carpet Facts
- The figure of speech ‘to sweep [it] under the carpet’ was first recorded in 1963.
- The popular song ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ by Steppenwolf was the band’s second #1 hit following ‘Born to be Wild.’
- The difference between a carpet and a rug is only a matter of size. A rug is anything smaller than 40 square feet. Anything larger is a carpet.
- The oldest surviving carpet is over 2,000 years old and was found in a southern Siberian tomb.
- The first reference to ‘the red carpet’ in Agamemnon (458 B.C.) by Aeschylus.
- The largest carpet in the world is 5,625 square feet. It’s the Qasr al-Alam carpet in Iran and was completed in 2007.
- The ‘Vase Carpet,’ the highest-priced carpet ever sold, came from Southeast Asia. It was a mid-century sold by Sotheby’s for $33.7 million in 2013.
- The first woven carpet in the United States was introduced in 1971 by William Sprague with the first woven carpet mill in Philadelphia. New England had the same technology but in the early 1800s.
- Hoover had a difficult time selling its first vacuums because people refused to believe that their carpets could collect so much dirt that they needed to be sucked out rather than just swept away.
- Most carpet manufacturers recommend their products zbe professionally cleaned at least once a year.
To finish off the list of interesting facts: when your carpet is properly maintained, it can act as an air purifier by collecting dust and allergens. Whether you vacuum or sweep your carpets or rugs, keeping them clean is important. We at Spotless Carpet Cleaners want to be a part of that process – to help keep your fibers clean and your family healthy. Contact us today to find out what carpet cleaning solutions we have to offer.
