Doctors put couches in their office to make their patients feel comfortable while they wait for their appointment. However, these couches are just like any item with upholstery and may end up getting dirty without professional cleaning. Unfortunately, the sanitation problems common with many sofas could trigger health issues with patients that could worsen their conditions.
Couches Are Dirty Places
A reasonable waiting room couch should be comfortable, inviting, and clean. However, a large number of people — including doctors — never get their couches cleaned.
This problem is bad enough for a homeowner but could be even worse for doctors. Simply put, a large number of people will come to a doctor’s office every day and will leave behind debris, such as hair, dead skin cells, and much more. They could also stain the couch by dropping food or drinks on its surface. Unfortunately, all of this debris may trigger serious health problems.
Sofas May Trigger Sickness
A dirty sofa may not seem stained or dirt-infested after a quick visual inspection, but lingering debris and contaminants could make a couch a very unhealthy resting spot. For example, dead skin, hair follicles, and other debris could trigger allergic reactions in some patients. Even worse, mold growing in the couch — yes, this can happen — could cause other types of respiratory attacks.
The worst part about this issue is that these attacks may occur in the doctor’s office without an obvious trigger. As a result, the doctor may misunderstand what is happening and diagnose a patient improperly.
Beyond this danger, dirty couch cushions also provide unhealthy pests with a great living environment
Cushions Provide a Home for Many Pests
Doctors who think that their offices have no pests are mistaken. The unfortunate truth is that a vast number of buildings have some pest infestation, such as cockroaches, mice, fleas, carpet beetles, and more. Unfortunately, many of these pests will find the couch an irresistible place to live, especially as patient debris may provide a food source.
As a result, sofas provide a soft and protected area for pests to make a home. Unfortunately, these pests are not only disgusting but could be unhealthy for a doctor’s patients if they unintentionally interact with them.
For example, fleas could hitch a ride to an office on one patient and leave with another. Similarly, ticks, lice, bed bugs, and other vermin could use a couch as a temporary resting spot before moving on to a new home. As a result, doctors need to take immediate steps to clean their waiting room couches.
Professional Cleaning Helps With These Issues
The dangers of these issues make couch cleaning important for any medical office. For example, office staff could vacuum the surface of their sofas to remove dirt and other debris. Just as importantly, doctors could add disinfecting agents, such as baking soda, to the surface to eliminate mold, mildew, and different types of health problems.
When a doctor performs these steps, they improve the appearance of their sofas and make them more sanitary for their patients.
Just as importantly, professional cleaning can improve the smell of a couch and make it a healthier place to sit before an appointment. And don’t forget that these steps also remove dangerous allergens while keeping pests away from the couch interior.
So if you are worried that your waiting room couches need cleaning right away, please contact us at Northwest Commercial Carpet & Floor Cleaning, Inc., to learn more. Our experts can not only clean all of your upholstery and couches but also clean any of the marble or carpet floors in your office.