Ten Facts about Carpets Carpets have a long and interesting history and reports suggest that use of carpets could date back to thousands of years before Christ. Early carpets were portable and used to insulate the cold floors and walls of the home. It was a decorative item too, but fairly plain in style. Since carpets were woven by hand and took a great deal of time to make, they were regarded as a luxury item, primarily made and used by the wealthy. Today carpets are a common and popular choice of flooring in many homes, available in hundreds of colours, styles and materials. Here are ten interesting, weird and slightly grim facts about carpets. Historical facts 1. To sweep under the carpet is a popular expression, meaning to ignore an issue or problem. The first recorded use of the phrase in this context was in 1963. 2. The famed Pazyryk carpet is the worlds oldest surviving carpet. It was excavated from the grave of a Scythian prince by Archaeologists in 1949. The carpet is believed to be over 2,000 years old and survived because it lay frozen under the ice of Siberian Mountains. 3. A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by important politicians and heads of states. In recent years, the privilege has been extended to celebrities and VIPs at formal events. The first reference to a red carpet is found in the ancient play Agamemnon (458 B.C) by Aeschylus. Fun facts 4. The most expensive carpet sold at auction was an antique silk Isfahan rug from Central Persia. Dated at circa 1600, the hand-woven, decorative carpet sold for $4,450,000 in 2008. 5. The longest carpet in the world is the Qasr al-Alam carpet in Iran. It was completed in 2007 and measures an enormous 5,625 square feet. It was designed by Iranian artist Ali Khaliqi and was woven by 1,200 women over 16 months. 6. The longest red carpet in the world measured 5149 metres and was found in the city of Haarlem, Netherlands. The record was attempted as part of an annual shopping event, on 16 June 2011. 7. The first commercially successful vacuum cleaner was invented by a janitor named James Spangler in 1907. The Hoover received its name because the president of the company was Spanglers cousin-in-law William Hoover. Grim facts 8. According to a scientific survey published in 2003 by Nicholas Bakalar, the stomach flu virus commonly known as Norovirus can survive on a dirty carpet for longer than a month. 9. Every year, we bring in large amounts of soil on our feet which become trapped in and under carpet. 10. It is believed that, when regularly cleaned and maintained, carpets may improve the quality of air in a room by trapping allergens and dust. However, many people do not clean their carpets correctly and carpets which have been steam cleaned only exacerbates allergies. These final, rather grim facts highlight the importance of proper carpet maintenance and deep cleaning. Regular vacuuming along with a annual cleaning by Ecodry Carpet Cleanings unique dry carpet cleaning system will ensure your carpets are thoroughly cleaned and free of germs and allergens...
Posted on: Fri, 20 Jun 2014 06:15:38 +0000
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