Do your allergies or asthma get triggered every time you walk into your home? You know your home is clean, but you still react? If you’ve eliminated all other possibilities, then the culprit is most likely your carpet. Unfortunately, your carpet can be the perfect home for allergens like pollen, dust, and mold. These allergens are invisible so they can be building up without your knowledge. Even with vacuuming a few times a week, if not daily, it still might not get rid of all of the allergens. Most of the time, they end up woven deep into the fibers of a carpet, making it nearly impossible to get rid of them with regular vacuuming.
What carpets should you consider?
- Stick with synthetic materials because they’re great for repelling dust, pollen, and other allergens.
- Olefin and nylon carpets are excellent at resisting mildew, moisture, and dirt.
- Always have a carpet pad that’s synthetic as well as be free from chemicals and vapors.
What carpets should you avoid?
- Avoid anything organic. Organic materials can be a breeding ground for allergens, especially mold.
How should your carpets be installed?
- Make sure the carpet is unrolled and fully aired out in a well-ventilated area.
- Keep the room itself well ventilated. Open as many windows as possible and use fans to get rid of any dust in the room. As an extra precaution, run the vacuum with a fine filter to make sure there’s nothing left over.
- If possible, during the installation and right afterward, stay away from the room if not the house itself. This time will be perfect for running any errands. While there are precautions set in place, the allergens will still be flying freely during the installation.
- Even with the specialized carpet, you still need to vacuum regularly. While the allergens won’t weave themselves into the carpet, they can still lay on the surface and be an irritant.
Are there alternatives?
Sometimes no matter what you do, a carpet won’t work with your allergies. The best option is to keep it out of your house. Some great alternatives would be:
- Epoxy
- Hardwood
- Vinyl
- Laminate
While the allergens still get on these types of floors, they tend to be strictly on the surface, which you can mop up without any lasting effects.
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