Allergies and Carpets- The Facts

Health professionals sometimes recommend that allergy and asthma patients remove carpet from their homes. But those recommendations are generally based on faulty assumptions. In fact, clean, dry, well-maintained carpet actually improves air quality.

Carpet acts as a trap for airborne particles grounded through natural gravity.

Professional Testing Labs studied the distribution of airborne dust associated with normal activities on hard and soft flooring surfaces. Their findings showed that walking on hard surfaces disturbed more particles. These particles became airborne and entered the breathing zone. In contrast, carpeted surfaces trapped more particles so that walking disturbed fewer particles. Result: less dust in the breathing zone over carpeted floors.

Here are two articles that provide more information on the relationship between carpet and allergy symptoms:

1.) Click here to learn about the Swedish study that showed an increase in allergy cases as carpet use declined.

2.) Click here to read the results of a Solutia study on airborne allergens.

                        
Courtesy of: The Carpet and Rug Institute