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Survey Finds Dirty Carpet Makes a Bad First Impression

A majority of Americans (93%) would form a negative perception of a company or organization if its facility had dirty carpet, according to a new survey from Whittaker Co.

The survey of 2,102 adults, conducted by market research firm The Harris Poll, found that 56% of respondents would look for an alternate facility to patronize after encountering unclean carpet in a public building.

“Whether it’s a retail store, hotel, school, long-term care facility, or another type of building, customers, prospective employees, students, and residents are observant of the way facilities maintain their interiors,” said Joe Bshero, director of technical services at Whittaker. “This research demonstrates just how important it is for facilities to ensure a good first impression by properly maintaining carpet.”

The survey looked at the type of facilities most impacted by carpet neglect. It found:

• 80% of Americans would form a negative perception of a hotel with dirty carpet
• 72% would think adversely about a long-term care facility with dirty carpet 
• 70% would think less of an apartment/condo common area with dirty carpet
• 66% would question the cleanliness of retail stores with dirty carpet
• 64% would think negatively about office buildings with unkempt carpet.

When encountering dirty carpet in a public facility:

• 58% of surveyed Americans would assume the facility is not clean
• 50% would spend less time in the building
• 47% would tell friends or family about the lack of cleanliness in the facility.

Don’t risk people thinking less of your facility. Check out carpet care resources from CMM.