Do Carpets Actually Cause Allergies?

This is a common recommendation by medical professionals but is correct? Did you know that there was a 1996 Swedish study that found no link between carpet usage and the incidence of allergy or asthma? In fact, even when carpet usage in Sweden decreased by 70 percent, allergy reactions in the general population increased by 30 percent.

A 2002 article from the Journal Allergy and Clinical immunology stated: Carpet may even be helpful to people with asthma: an 18-nation study of nearly 20,000 people found a statistical relationship between carpeted bedrooms and reduced asthma symptoms and bronchial responsiveness. 

Carpet acts like a filter, trapping allergens away from the breathing zone so they can be removed through proper vacuuming and deep cleaning extraction. Carpet and Rug Institute posted an article on studies that have measured the distribution of airborne dust associated with normal activities on smooth surfaces and carpeted floors. The findings show that walking on hard surfaces disturbs more particles, which become airborne and enter the breathing zone (ten to fifty times the amount). In contrast, carpeted surfaces trap more particles so that walking disturbs fewer particles, resulting in fewer particles in the breathing zone. 

Unfortunately, we underestimate the allergy relieving benefits of properly maintained carpet: a 24-hour working air filter. That’s right. I think there is a misperception about carpet because people find it harder to deep clean it themselves. When you think about it, carpet is far easier and less expensive to ‘maintain’ than hard surface when you factor in the consumer’s time. But when carpet cleaning is neglected, the consumer has “created a nightmare. So, don’t make the mistake and waste thousands for hardwood as the solution to relieve your allergies. Instead, regularly clean your carpet to restore the natural filtering process of your carpet. Invest in a HEPA filtered vacuum to remove trapped pollutants until your next maintenance carpet cleaning. Lastly hire a certified professional every 6-8 months routinely deep clean your carpets.