The following article by House Keeping Channel shows us just how important it is for allergy and ashthma sufferers to have carpet regularly vacuumed and cleaned. But believe it or not the carpet does not necessarily cause or aggravate the allergy.
According to the IICRC’s “You’d Be Floored” survey, one-third (33 percent) of respondents said that someone in their household suffers from indoor allergies. With allergy season fast approaching, the IICRC addresses a common misperception about carpet and allergies. Is the common belief that carpet aggravates allergies a fact or fiction?
“Homeowners, specifically, are often misled into believing that carpet itself aggravates allergies,” said IICRC technical advisor Jeff Bishop.
Soiled CarpetAffects Indoor Air Quality
According to IICRC technical advisor Jeff Bishop: "Carpet often actually improves indoor environmental quality by trapping and holding particles, dust and other soils until routine maintenance and cleaning can remove them. However, if neglected, carpet, like any container, can become filled to the extent that it can hold no more. At that point - when the surface is agitated - it will become a releasing source for particles and dusts that can cause respiratory irritation or trigger allergies, just as can hard surface flooring when soils are allowed to build up."
According to Dr. Andrea Ferro, in a 2001 report from Stanford University:
"The air is filled with tiny particles called particulate matter (PM), which has been linked with allergies, asthma, and heart and lung disease. By examining PM that is 'kicked up' or re-suspended by indoor human activity, [we can] find ways to reduce this pollution ...
"Next to second-hand cigarette smoke and cooking emissions, house dust re-suspended by indoor human activity is the largest source of PM that we breathe.
"Surprisingly, house dust contains many pollutants, including pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), molds, allergens, and lead and other heavy metals. These pollutants are either tracked in with shoes, infiltrated through doors, windows and cracks, or are generated indoors. They then collect on surfaces and are re-suspended with human activity.
"... a variety of indoor human activities re-suspend high concentrations of PM between one and 10 um (microns) in diameter within the breathing zone.
"... studies have shown that PM concentrations measured by a personal monitor (worn on the body) are consistently higher than those measured by a stationary indoor monitor. This phenomenon is called the 'personal cloud.'
"...[Dr. Ferro] set up the filter samplers and real-time instruments in stationary locations outdoors and indoors at a home in Redwood City, California. All instruments were located at breathing height. [Ferro] carried a third identical set of instruments at breathing height while she performed a variety of activities such as dusting, vacuuming, walking, dancing, and folding clothes.
"Using the real-time instruments, [Ferro] found that carpets increased concentrations of PM [significantly] ... over bare floor. Carpets that had not been vacuumed for several weeks increased concentrations by more than two times over carpets that had been vacuumed the previous week. Also, the more vigorous activities re-suspended the highest concentrations of PM. For example, dancing on a carpet increased concentrations more than walking on a carpet. Activities where dust reservoirs were disturbed, such as dry dusting, folding clothes and blankets, and making a bed, released the highest concentrations. Surprisingly, just walking around and sitting on furniture increased concentrations as much as vacuuming."
Bishop explains that scientific studies demonstrate that often just the opposite is true: “In addition to insulating, absorbing sound, and preventing slips and falls and associated injuries, carpet often actually traps airborne allergens that can easily be vacuumed out, whereas other flooring may allow irritants to be stirred up by normal traffic or sweeping and released into the breathing zone,” said Bishop. “It is airborne dust, not carpet, which is the culprit that triggers allergies.”
The “You’d Be Floored” survey also revealed that a majority - eight out of 10 U.S. homeowners (81 percent) - feel that their family’s health is directly related to the cleanliness of their floors. Among households with allergy sufferers, half (50 percent) agree that the type of flooring in the home can contribute to allergic reactions.
Additionally, three out of four homeowners surveyed (77 percent) vacuum their floors at least once per week. Those with children are more likely to vacuum several times per week - 47 percent among those with children and 32 percent among those without. When it comes to restorative cleaning, nearly half the homeowners surveyed (49 percent) “deep clean” their carpet at least every six months, with 39 percent hiring a professional carpet cleaning service. While nearly half of those surveyed (45 percent) “deep clean” other hard surfaces in their home at least every six months, only seven percent hire a professional.
To ensure an effective reduction of allergens in the home, the IICRC recommends that homeowners increase vacuuming frequency and hire professional certified cleaners.
Truth or Myth: Carpet Aggravates Allergies: Created on March 14th, 2008. Last Modified on March 14th, 2008 by the housekeeping channel
