1. The term “carpet” derives from the Latin carpere, “to pluck,” probably because carpets were made from unraveled “plucked” fabric. “Carpet” has the same Latin root as carpe diem, literally “pluck/seize the day.”
2. The oldest surviving carpet is the celebrated Pazyryk carpet, which is over 2,000 years old. It was found in the 1940s in a Scythian tomb in southern Siberia.
3. Microbiologists have identified air blown from a running vacuum cleaner as one of the five places in the home that has the highest numbers of germs. Other places include dish sponges, washing machines, bathroom toilets during a flush, and kitchen trash cans.
4. The term “carpet bagger” is a derogatory reference to Northerners who sought to take political and economic advantage of the South’s defeat after the Civil War. The name refers to the travel bag made from carpet that many Northerners used to carry their possessions.
5. The phrase “to sweep under the carpet” in its figurative sense was first recorded in 1963.
6. To make a carpet brighter, sprinkle salt onto the carpet and let it stand for an hour before vacuuming it up. Salt is also effective in removing muddy footprints.
7. All carpet should be professionally cleaned a minimum of every 12 to 18 months.
8. The popular song “Magic Carpet Ride” by the Canadian band Steppenwolf peaked at #3 in the US and became the band’s second hit, behind “Born to Be Wild.” It has been interpreted as representing the hippy movement of the late 1960s.
9. When properly cleaned and maintained, carpeting may improve the quality of air through trapping allergy-inducing dust and allergens. Most people, however, do not clean their carpets correctly, which can actually exacerbate allergies.
10. The vacuum cleaner is based on Edmund Heming’s 1699 invention of a street-sweeping machine.
11. When Melville Bissell invented the carpet sweeper, “Bisselling” (rather than “vacuuming”) carpets became a popular term.
12. Vacuum cleaners in the early 20th century were large, powered by coal, and required three people to operate them. Other early vacuums cleaners had to be parked outside a building and had long hoses that went through the windows. Yet another early version of the vacuum was installed in the house cellar and connected to a network of pipes that led to each room in the house.
13. Early Hoover vacuum cleaners were hard to sell because potential customers refused to believe (and were even insulted by the suggestion) that they could have that much dirt in their carpets.
14. Club soda is effective in getting up fresh stains in carpet. Just pour some on the spot, let it set for a few seconds, and then sponge it up.
15. To remove candle wax from a carpet, place a brown paper bag over the spot and put a hot iron over it. The wax will be absorbed into the bag.
16. To remove red wine from a carpet, scrub the stain with club soda or cover the stain with salt to let it absorb the wine. Vacuum the residue. If the stain remains, wipe with a solution of detergent, water, and a few drops of white vinegar.
17. Red carpets traditionally marked the ceremonial and formal routes of leaders and politicians. The first reference to a “red carpet” is Agamemnon (458 B.C.) by Aeschylus.
18. To raise depressions in the carpet left by heavy furniture, hold a steam iron close enough for steam to reach the carpet, but don’t let the iron touch the carpet. Lift fibers by scraping them with edge of a coin or spoon.**
**Random Carpets Facts courtesy of www.randomhistory.com.
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