A mum was left horrified after she decided to rip up the carpet in her son’s bedroom to make space for the delivery of his new bed only to find herself faced with an unknown substance
The mum decided to rip up the carpet in her son’s bedroom but wasn’t prepared for what she found inside (stock image)(Image: imageBROKER/Andy Dean via Getty Images)
A mum was shocked after pulling up a carpet in her son’s bedroom and discovering an unexpected substance. Carpets can quickly become unhygienic if not maintained regularly, as they can trap bacteria, dirt, dust mites, allergens, and even mould.
Debris from footwear, pets, skin, and other sources can build up in carpets, concocting an ideal environment for germs to breed if they’re not adequately cleaned. However, regular and thorough cleaning can help address these issues.
One mum experienced a “disgusting day” after she removed her son’s ten year old carpet and noticed a pile of dried, sand-like material dropping from the underlay. In footage posted on social media, she said: “I’ve had the most disgusting day – please don’t tell me this is dead skin cells.”
The mum, who posts online as Ashton of @diy_av_home, revealed she had been decorating her daughter’s bedroom when her son “decided to break his bed again”, causing her to “pause” work on her daughter’s room to address her son’s. Since her son required a new bed, she seized the chance to replace the flooring, given the room was already being cleared out.
She described the “upstairs carpets” as “absolutely desperate to get changed” and said she felt like “superwoman” after dismantling his room. Removing his bed did provoke some strong feelings of sadness though, as he’d owned it since he was “very small”.
The footage then captured Ashton tearing up the carpet. Providing commentary via narration, she went on: “One thing I do love doing is ripping carpets up now. This is only the second time I’ve had to do it but I actually find it really satisfying.”
The video then switched to show Ashton holding the underlay as an enormous quantity of a sand-like material poured out from it, accumulating on the exposed floor beneath. She said: “This was the bit I was not prepared for. What on earth is this that’s coming out of the underlay?”
She added: “At first I thought it was some sort of sand – there was just so much to it that I thought, ‘this is not dead skin skills, is it?’ I was absolutely horrified at the thought of that.”
Continuing, she explained: “But from what I’ve Googled, apparently, it’s not. Apparently it’s just bits of dirt that’s worked its way through the carpet.”
In the caption accompanying her video, Ashton provided further detail: “Eurghhh what on earth is this? Please tell me this is normal? Absolutely disgusted at this. Carpet fitters please tell me this is ok and we are not just a disgusting family for living like this.”
Content cannot be displayed without consent
She clarified: “To be fair, these carpets are probably 10 years old as I believe they were put down when the house was built and the previous owner never changed them. So that’s 10 years worth of dirt and not just our dirt.”
In the comments section, fellow TikTok users shared their thoughts. One person said: “Why would you or anyone want carpeted floors? I’d much rather have hardwood or laminate it if fits the budget better and a rug in some places.”
Ashton replied: “After seeing this I do agree. Carpets, especially in bedrooms, are common in the UK I think. I think it just keeps the room warmer.”
Another claimed: “It isn’t dirt, it’s the latex that makes up the backing (carpet fitter here lol).” A third said: “Don’t worry it looks like the underlay or carpet backing has disintegrated.”
Another agreed: “It is the backing of the carpet. It dries out and turns to powder.”
