Do you know where the word “carpet” came from? The term derives from the Latin work carpere, or “to pluck,” probably because at that time carpets were made from unraveled, or “plucked,” fabric. 

Check out the following carpet trivia, courtesy of U.S. Products:

• In the early 1900s, it was difficult to convince consumers to purchase vacuum cleaners because homeowners were insulted when they were told how much soil could be in their carpets.
• What’s the difference between a rug and a carpet? Many in the floor covering industry say it’s all about size: smaller than 40 square feet and it’s a rug, larger and it’s a carpet.
• Although it is not known when the first carpets were produced, they were likely being made more than 2,000 years ago by nomads in Central Asia, who used them to insulate their tents.
• When properly cleaned and maintained, carpeting improves indoor air quality by trapping dust and allergens.
• Bed bugs can live in carpet fibers and have been known to crawl more than 100 feet in carpeting to obtain a meal…of blood.
• The Norwalk virus (or norovirus) can survive in carpeting for a month or more, but usually can be eliminated with effective, hot-water carpet extraction.
• All carpets should be professionally cleaned a minimum of every 6 to 18 months.
• We shed about 1.5 million skin flakes per hour… much of which ends up in carpeting.