What does your carpet have to do with indoor air quality? Well you’d be surprised how much of an effect your carpet can have on the air quality in your home.
Daily activities like walking and vacuuming can disrupt the dirt and allergens that have collected on your carpet and released toxic airborne pollutants that can have an affect on your health. Carpets retain allergens, particle pollution, gas, chemicals, dander, and dust. All these pollutants create toxic airborne gases that get caught in the fabric of your carpet. The toxic airborne gases are released into the air when disturbed by daily activities, such as walking or vacuuming.
Some affects that these pollutants can have on you are:
- Sneezing
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Throat irritation
- Skin irritation
- Recurrent headaches
- Itchy, irritated eyes
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
Solutions
It can seem a bit scary to learn that your carpet can have such a great impact on the air quality in your home, but there are simple solutions and precautions you can take to maintain the cleanliness of your carpet and thus improve the quality of the air in your home!
Vacuum on a Regular Basis
Contaminants can get trapped in the carpet causing allergies. Cleaning the carpet removes these allergens that then helps improve the air quality. When a carpet is clogged with dirt and debris it can prevent air flow, especially near walls. This stunted air flow can cause the rooms in your home to become stuffy. Dust and allergens that have accumulated by not deep cleaning your carpet can also circulate in the air through daily disturbances. The American Lung Association recommends vacuuming your home at least 3 times a week and getting your carpets cleaned annually to prevent these pollutants from building up and helping your space have quality airflow and prevent allergies especially for particularly sensitive family members. Regular cleanings help prevent dust and debris build up and thus helps the air in your space circulate well and stay clean.
Professional Carpet Cleanings
Getting your carpets cleaned on a regular basis is one of the best ways to improve greatly improves the air quality in your space. It may seem surprising that carpets could have such a great effect on the air in your space, but clean carpets can drastically change the quality and flow of air in your home.
Have a professional carpet cleaning company come at least once a year to professionally clean your carpet to remove buildup of dust, allergens, and dirt.
Promptly Deal with Spills and Stains
Cleaning spills as soon as they happen and ensuring that your carpet stays dry is another simple way to improve the air quality in your home. By making sure any spills are promptly dried, you are preventing the growth of mold and mildew in your home which has an affect on the air quality.
Cleaning up a stain as soon as you notice also prevents bacteria from developing into an issue and helps maintain the integrity of your carpet to ensure that it is clean.
Conclusion
Carpets impact the air quality of your home. By maintaining a clean carpet with regular vacuuming, professional cleanings, and dealing with minor issues as they occur your carpet will stay clean and the air in your home will improve as well.