If your family members have ongoing allergies and/or allergy-triggered asthma, one of the main culprits could be the carpet in your home, which can harbor several different types of allergens. Carpets not only contain dust, pet dander, and other nasty allergens, they also contain chemicals that trigger allergic reactions.
Dust that gets trapped in carpets is enough to cause potential health problems. Most of the time, even the best vacuum cleaners can’t get all the dust out of carpets, and unless you have a vacuum with a HEPA filter, most of the dust that’s sucked up just goes back into the carpet. Carpet shampoo doesn’t reduce dust much either, and wet carpets can breed other allergens like mold and mildew. The accumulation of all that dust on the carpet creates a home for millions of dust mites, which are a leading cause of allergies and asthma.
If you have pets in the home, that’s another allergen that accumulates in your carpet: pet dander. Like dust and dust mites, pet dander gets trapped deep in carpet fibers and accumulates over time. So if someone in your house is sensitive to dander, the buildup could be another main source of allergens.
In addition to dust and dander, carpets contain a host of other potential allergens and toxins, including all the chemicals and other contaminants that find their way under your shoes. These can trigger allergies for all ages, and if babies and young children are exposed to them, they can be sensitized to the agents, which could cause them to develop asthma and allergies later in life.
Carpets not only store all the nasty allergens you come in contact with, but they’re already treated with chemicals that can cause asthma and allergies. Carpets are treated with these chemicals to prevent things like moth damage and staining, but these chemicals are bad for the environment, cause health problems for many carpet workers, and trigger allergies for many homeowners. In fact, they release a toxic gas into the air, both from new and old carpets. So if you think buying new rugs could solve your problems, you might want to reconsider.
There is a solution, you can install a type of flooring that does not trap these health hazards, and you have a wide variety of options. You can install one of many different types of natural wood flooring, cork flooring, bamboo flooring, Pergo, or other laminates. Linoleum flooring or tile flooring are other options you might also consider, especially for bathroom and kitchen areas, as wood does not do well in wet areas. Note: Vinyl may seem like a good option, but it actually contains harmful chemicals.
The options are wide and the price range is wide too, so there is something to suit almost every budget. Additionally, many of these types of flooring, particularly hardwood flooring, are highly desired and can add to the value of your home.
So if you or your family suffer from allergies or asthma and have carpets, then you might want to seriously consider getting rid of those allergen traps.