Saudi Arabian carpets signal when time to be washed

The 12,000 carpets at the Prophet’s Mosque in Saudi Arabia have technology in place that alerts staff when it is time for them to be washed.

The Prophet’s Mosque in Saudi Arabia has 12,000 carpets that cover an area of 98,000 square metres. The administration of the mosque is faced with the challenge of keeping all of those carpets clean. The solution is radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. An RFID tag in each carpet sends out information to a central data gathering system. The data transmitted includes when the carpet was manufactured, how often it is used, its location and when a wash is required. As well as automating the cleaning schedule, the system alerts the mosque management when the carpet is old and may need replacing.

The mosque carpets are made from a mixture of acrylic and soft wool. The Prophet's Mosque is visited by millions of people each year, so the carpets need to be durable. Homes and commercial premises here in the UK that see considerably fewer people entering them can also enjoy the benefits of soft wool and acrylic mixture carpets, which are very durable.

High-quality carpets in Chester and North Wales properties last a long time, provided they are cleaned regularly and taken care of. This means frequent vacuuming and a deep-pile wash at least once a year. In homes or offices with a few carpets, it is easy to schedule in cleaning times when needed.