Which is worse for household members that suffer from allergies, carpet vs hardwood?
The answer you get could vary from person to person, for example, ask a carpet salesperson, they’ll tell you hardwood is worse for allergies. Then ask a person that sells hardwood flooring, and they’ll tell you that carpet is worse. Home carpeting is a major disagreement for many, even medical professionals can’t agree on this topic.
What you want home carpeting though, after all, it has many benefits. Installed anywhere in your home, carpet can offer you things that hardwood flooring can’t:
- Indoor Climate Improved: Home carpeting improves the climate, retaining and trapping airborne dust particles until you vacuum. Home carpet provides a level of insulation which assists with up to 10% energy savings.
- Absorbs Sounds: With home carpets, you have a level of sound absorption that minimizes noises that could otherwise be disruptive and disturbing. The acoustics of a room are immediately improved, perfect for a home theater.
- Safer and Warmer: Walking around your home barefoot in the winter isn’t cold with home carpeting, and when you have infants and toddlers in the house, a home carpeted is safer for those falls and tumbles that come with learning to stand and walk. Hardwood floors are hard and unforgiving.
- Comfort and Luxury: A home carpeted offers a level of comfort and luxury.
Does carpet make allergies worse?
Is home carpet bad allergies? Carpet has been considered a major enemy for those with allergies or asthma. Some experts say that home carpeting traps allergens, dust, and pet dander, so removing any and all carpeting is recommended. However, yes, there is a dispute to that claim the past 20 years.
The flooring industry has a different viewpoint on home carpeting, and so does scientific research. In 2008, a professional and published toxicologist released findings that stated home carpeting does not boost the occurrence or severity of allergies or asthma for adults or children. Likewise, any VOC emissions from new home carpet does not trigger allergies or asthma, thus home carpeting is safe.
Then another however from studies in 2018 found the use of home carpeting is linked to increase in allergens, indoor dust, and microorganisms with asthma, and mild cognitive effects.
What was also found, that if a homeowner wants their home carpeted, a low pile carpeting with frequent vacuuming and regular professional cleaning should be safe for any home.
Which carpet is best for allergy sufferers?
If you desire home carpet, for allergies for your family members, a low pile wool is the best home carpeting. Homes with suffers of allergies, asthma, and even eczema sufferers, this naturally hypoallergenic carpeting has properties that absorbs the common airborne contaminants that irritate the breathing of those family member. The cleaning chemicals, cooking fumes, deodorants, and smoke, are improved with a low pile wool carpeting.
How do you get allergens out of carpet?
No matter how careful and clean you may be, dust will build up in your home, it is inevitable. That dust will contain substances to trigger coughing, wheezing, and other symptoms of allergies and asthma, and yes, carpeting will collect that dust.
That doesn’t mean you have to have a home carpet-free though. There are steps you can take that will remove most of those allergens and keep your home comfortable for everyone. The first thing is to make it a routine for daily vacuuming of your carpets and cloth furniture using a HEPA filter on the vacuum cleaner. This is especially important if you have indoor pets of any kind. Next, have quarterly professional steam cleaning with a hot water extraction process.
How long does dog dander stay in carpet?
A house that has contained pets in the past will still have the allergens and dander of those pets long after the pets have been gone. How long? Well, that can vary from house to house and the cleaning technique used to clean the pet
Allergy experts have estimated that to make a home cat dander free can take up to four months. Dog dander is faster because it isn’t sticky like cat dander. However, an allergy sufferer will often find that it can take up to a full year for a house to become completely pet dander free.
Can you get pet dander out of carpet?
Daily vacuuming is the best way to get and keep pet dander out of your home carpeting. Then follow up with quarterly professional steam cleaning for that deep down cleaning. For quick cleaning of pet dander and fur, a handheld lint roller will do the job.
How can I make my carpet allergy free?
As we have stated throughout this piece, daily vacuuming is the best way to keep your carpeting allergen free. With that vacuuming, you need to use HEPA vacuum and vacuum slowly. Also, changing your HVAC filter twice a month, using a HEPA filter there as well will help keep your entire house allergen free. Need help with carpet flooring in Pantego and Arlington, TX? Call 817.861.3737 today.