Indoor Air Quality – What About My Carpet?
For whatever reason the question of whether my carpeting was bad for my indoor air quality came to my mind today. Probably because I looked around and realized it was time to vacuum…again. The question moved me to do some research and, quite honestly, what I found surprised me.
I have been under the impression that, because it has been said forever, hardwoods or hard surfaces are better choices for those who suffer from asthma and allergies. I used some logic and decided that those were mostly likely better choices for indoor air quality as well. What I found in my research is that it is not necessarily the case. The dust, allergens, pet dander, dust mites, and other pollutants flying around in our indoor air actually fall down and settle in the carpeting. That sounds like it would be bad, right? Not so. The carpeting actually traps them and keeps them from flying around in the air. Good because it’s not in the breathing atmosphere, bad because it is still present. However, rather than flying around in the air it is trapped and ready to be vacuumed up and gotten rid of. So, all those irritants, that on hard surfaces could be kicked up and floating around in the air, settle and can be cleaned if carpeting is used.
The fact of the matter is that carpets are now made with synthetic fibers where none of the bacteria, fungi, or dust mites can actually grow. Also, new carpeting is now made so that the VOC emissions, which can range from 3 to 40, mostly fall under 10. So, the VOC issue is negligible.
Of course, that brings up the subject of diligent cleaning. We seem to get on that subject quite often. Yes, regular cleaning/vacuuming is an absolute must. Some even suggest daily or at least three times a week.
I suppose it comes down to a matter of preference, carpet vs. hard surfaces, as do most things. No matter what we choose there will be pros and cons. And, diligence in cleaning is imperative. It is nice to know that carpeting is no longer being vilified in the battle for clean indoor air.
As always please contact us today if we can do anything to help you improve your indoor breathing atmosphere.
Sources: http://www.human.cornell.edu/dea/outreach/upload/FPM-Notes_Vol1_Number2.pdf, http://www.carpet-rug.org/Carpet-for-the-Home/Indoor-Air-Quality.aspx, http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/carpet-indoor-air-quality-zb0z11zhol.aspx
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