Carpet remains a popular flooring choice for most houses. It offers comfort and warmth. It also comes in many different styles, patterns and colours.
It’s a little known fact that indoor air quality is enhanced by properly maintained carpets and drapes. They actually act as a filter for the air that is constantly moving around your home, removing the airbourne allergens like dust and pollen and trapping them until vacuumed away. However, without proper and regular maintenance carpet can collect large amounts of allergens and eventually allow it back into the air, thereby reducing your home’s indoor air quality. This was not a story made up by carpet manufacturers, by the way.
A test was done at a school in the U.S. where indoor air quality was measured for several weeks before and after carpet was removed and replaced with Linoleum flooring. The tests clearly showed the indoor air quality was better before the carpet was replaced. The conclusion was the filtering effect of the carpet was removing and trapping some of the airbourne particulates. The hard floor obviously had no filtering capacity.
Does this mean you shouldn’t have hard floors in your home? Certainly not! However to achieve the same indoor air quality in your home, your hard floors may require more regular maintenance than your carpeted areas. This goes against the commonly held belief.
Care for Your Carpet
To maintain your carpets correctly we recommend a regular vacuum with a cleaner that has a motorised beating brush (power head) and the best filter you can afford. Some vacuum cleaners pick up the surface dirt and look like they are doing a reasonable job. However they are blowing back into the air any particles small enough to make it through their inadequate filtration system.
In addition to regular vacuuming it is recommended by most carpet manufacturers your carpets are professionally steam cleaned once a year. Not only will this help keep your carpets clean and fresh it will extend the life of your carpet.
Additionally, clean up stains and spills as soon as they occur. If moisture makes it to your carpet’s underlay, it can create the perfect environment for mould growth. When mould spores release into the air, you may notice your allergy symptoms worsen.
Considering New Carpet?
Ask your flooring specialist to recommend the best carpet for allergy sufferers. Some fibres are less allergenic and easier to maintain.
