Carpet Cleaning for Allergies

Many allergy sufferers find themselves experiencing severe allergy symptoms when inside their own homes due to poor indoor air quality. Poor indoor air quality can be the result of mold, fungus, mildew, dust, dust mites, chemicals or pollens that have been tracked in from the outdoors taking up residence in the home. One of the most likely places for these allergens to live is in carpets, where they can settle and become trapped.

Carpets and Allergies

• Some people with extremely severe allergies or asthma may be encouraged by their doctors to remove any carpeting in the home because it is such a cause for concern due to its soft, absorbent nature. However, according to the E-Journal of Flooring Sciences, carpets that are cleaned and maintained properly are just as safe for allergy and asthma sufferers as no carpet at all.

  Carpets in the homes of those who suffer from allergies have to be cleaned more than those in the homes of others.

Benefits

• Carpet cleaning can remove the allergens that irritate people with allergies and asthma. They can even prevent the development of allergies. For example, people who are exposed to moldy carpets for prolonged periods of time can develop allergies and become more sensitive to mold in their environment. By cleaning the carpet, this onset of allergies can be prevented.

  Aside from benefits for allergy and asthma sufferers, a thorough cleaning can help a carpet last longer, look beautiful and remove any odors that become trapped in it.

Types of Cleaning

• Carpets can be cleaned by yourself or professionally. Vacuuming can be done twice a week for allergy sufferers, but a vacuum cleaner with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air filter, or HEPA filter, should be used as it will capture all of the tiny particles released by the vacuum.

  Deep cleaning on carpets is done at most homeowners' discretion, but allergy sufferers may need deep carpet cleaning more frequently. Steam cleaning and vapor steam cleaners can be used to deep clean carpets, removing any particulate matter from the deep-down fibers that is impossible to remove with standard vacuuming. Professional carpet cleaners can be used in order to have carpets cleaned with these devices or they can be rented.

Chemicals

• Steam and vapor steam are the best ways to clean carpets for allergy sufferers because they use super-hot water to kill mold and fungi and to remove other allergens effectively. Using cleaning chemicals or powdered carpet cleaners designed to pull up particles can settle deep into the carpets and be difficult to remove. They can also release chemicals into the surrounding air, further aggravating allergies.

Warning

• Allergy sufferers should be diligent when cleaning their carpets as to not disturb the allergens and release them into the air, making the situation worse. If a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner is unavailable, a professional carpet cleaning service should be used in order to ensure that the cleaning process itself does not make the situation worse.