How Does Carpet Cleaning Reduce Allergies?
Beat Nasty Allergens with Professional Carpet Cleaners
Carpets can harbor a lot of dirt, dust mites, pollen, and other allergens that can cause reactions in people sensitive to these triggers. That’s why regular carpet cleaning is so important if you suffer from allergies or asthma.
Keep reading to discover how professional carpet cleaning helps eliminate hidden allergens for allergy relief you’ve been desperately searching for!
The Role Carpet Plays in Allergies
Carpets act like sinks and traps for all kinds of particles we track inside on shoes or which make their way indoors through open doors and windows. Things like:
- Pollen
- Dust
- Pet Dander
- Mold and mildew
- Bacteria
When these common allergens build up in carpeting, they put out small particles into the air every time there is activity on them. Vacuuming helps remove some of the particulates, but eventually, carpets get saturated and even diligent vacuuming cannot extract all the dangers lurking below foot.
The Dangers of Wet Carpets
There’s an important distinction to make here between carpets that are just dirty and those that become saturated with moisture and take too long to dry out fully. When it stay damp for over 1-2 days, mold and mildew can start to grow down below the carpet surface where you can’t see it.
This mold puts out airborne spores that are highly allergenic for many. Inhaling mold spores or the VOCs they produce can cause reactions within minutes in those sensitive to them. Symptoms may include:
- Wheezing
- Coughing
- Itchy eyes
- Runny nose
- Headaches
- Rashes
Mold thrives in damp carpets and padding, so if you ever face flooding or a major leak, have restoration specialists extract the moisture immediately. Left too long, mold colonises the hidden areas under the soft flooring and continues releasing spores long after the surface dries out.
The Role of VOCs in Carpet-Related Allergies
VOCs stands for Volatile Organic Compounds – gases put out by certain solids and liquids including things like carpet, padding, paint, varnishes, pesticides, and cleaning solutions. These gases have a direct effect on indoor air quality and some are highly allergenic even in low concentrations.
New carpeted area in particular put out very high levels of VOCs that gradually decrease over the first year. That “new carpet smell” might seem enjoyable at first but really indicates the presence of strong VOCs known to cause reactions in allergy sufferers. Formaldehyde is perhaps the most concerning VOC found in carpet backing and padding.
Proper installation calls for unrolling and airing out new carpets for 3 days before installation but this is rarely done due to time constraints. So those VOCs keep releasing for months indoors. Steam cleaning them can temporarily spike VOC by driving gases out of the pads and backing materials, which is why you should always allow carpets 24 hours to dry out and re-settle before re-entering the area.
Steam Cleaning vs Dry Cleaning Methods
There are pros and cons to both main methods of professional carpet cleaning service – steam and dry compound applications. Here is a quick comparison:
Hot Water Extraction
- Uses hot detergent injection into carpet fibres
- Extracts over 75% of moisture
- Sanitises with high heat
- Spikes VOC temporarily
- Longer dry time required
Dry Carpet Cleaning
- No moisture penetrates pads/backing
- Detergent applied then brushed through fibers
- Extracted with vacuum cleaner
- Low VOC increase
- Very fast drying
Many companies advertise “dry” cleaning but actually use steam or shampooers and just extract most moisture, leaving carpets still quite damp. True dry compound cleaning is better for VOC sensitive individuals since no moisture reaches backings/padding where it can spike VOC release.
However, steam does penetrate better for a deeper clean and has sanitising benefits from the heat. There are also “ecotech” dry cleaners using natural detergents for an environmentally-friendly solution without VOCs.
Which Carpet Cleaning Method is Best To Reduce Allergy Symptoms?
Ideally, combine both methods by:
- Starting with dry compound cleaning
- Allowing 1 day for carpet to fully dry
- Follow up with a hot water extraction method
This gives you the deep sanitisation of steam paired with the low-moisture VOC advantages of dry cleaning. Just be religious about allowing a full day + proper airflow for drying before re-entering rooms. Ensure all residual moisture gets fully wicked out before laying back down any rugs or mats as these can trap moisture underneath.
Tips for Seasonal Carpet Maintenance
Regular Vacuuming
Vacuum high traffic areas daily, less busy rooms twice weekly, and all rooms wall-to-wall weekly including under moveable furniture. Use HEPA filtered models to capture the most allergens.
Professional Cleanings & Equipment
Schedule professional steam cleans every 6 months in high traffic rooms, annually for lesser used rooms. Add dry compound cleaning annually as well for lower VOC introduction.
Stop Outdoor Allergens at Entryways
Use removable entry mats outside and inside all exterior doors. These capture a lot of pollen, mold spores, dust and dander so they don’t get tracked onto carpets. Shake out mats frequently. Consider shoe removal policies indoors as well.
Control Moisture
Use dehumidifiers to keep indoor humidity below 50% to deter mildew growth. Avoid wet cleaning hard flooring which can splash and seep liquid into walls. Report any leaks or flooding immediately and extract excess moisture ASAP.
Air Filters
In addition to vacuuming, use HEPA air filters to capture airborne particulates and keep them from resettling into carpet fibers. Portable room models are fine for single rooms when running, but install high quality pleated media screen into existing HVAC systems for 24/7 air scrubbing.
Additional Tips for Seasonal Allergy Reduction
Address Other Triggers
Carpet cleaning is powerful but combined with other interventions for a compounding effect. Also wash bedding weekly in heated steam, dust often, replace HVAC filters monthly, address any mold growth, install bathroom vent fans, encapsulate crawlspaces prone to moisture, and implement purifiers and dehumidifiers. Use mattress and pillow covers to block dust mite allergies and wash all linens/drapes frequently.
Consider Alternatives
Although good for sound attenuation, carpet may still cause reactions for the highly sensitive. Alternatives like wood, tile, laminate, linoleum, and natural fiber woven rugs are easier to keep clean. Remove carpet from bedrooms first as you sleep there for many hours. Evaluate if old carpet backings contain latex as this worsens issues. Test sensitivity by traveling and note if symptoms decrease away from home.
Log Reactions
Keep a journal of symptoms and try to correlate with possible triggers from cleanings, seasons, guests with pets visiting etc. This helps identify contaminants and times of year most problematic so additional countermeasures can be taken.
Following these carpet cleaning and maintenance best practices will help reduce allergens and asthma triggers for better indoor air all year long. Always allow sufficient drying times after steam or shampoo cleaning and consider alternatives like new wool rugs, hard flooring or laminates if extremely sensitive.
Summary
- Carpets trap and hide many allergen particles until disturbed
- VOCs from carpet materials and cleaning chemicals can also cause reactions
- Wet carpeted floors become breeding ground of mold and spike VOCs as they dry
- Dry cleaning avoids moisture so lower VOC increase
- Steam sanitises better but requires long drying times
- Combine methods and maintain clean carpets to reduce pollutants
- Top allergens come from pollen, house mites, dander and mold
Following the seasonal maintenance schedule and using HEPA vacuums, air filters and professional deep cleaning pairs will help reduce allergy triggers from carpets. But also address other concerns like bedding, humidity and pets to cover all exposure routes. Monitor personal reactions and remove carpeting entirely from bedrooms if necessary.
