In as much as homeowners pay much attention to the health of their homes with regard to the internal environment, few consider the part played by carpets in improving the quality of air in homes. Carpets are known to make our living spaces warm and comfortable, but they are also major sources of indoor air pollution. If one wants to make sure their home is a healthy environment to live in, then they must learn how carpets affect the quality of the air inside the house. This article explores how carpets influence indoor air quality, pollutants typically found in carpets, the effects of poor indoor air quality, and how to properly maintain your carpet for the sake of IAQ.
Carpets are a large filter in your home, collecting dust, dirt, and other particles from the surrounding environment. This may seem like a good thing, but it`s not; eventually, the carpet absorbs such pollutants, thus reducing indoor air quality. If these particles are disturbed by foot traffic, vacuuming, or other normal activities, they will be released into the air, which will significantly reduce the quality of air in the building.
Carpets are also very good at holding water, so they become a good home for mold and mildew. Mold can grow in the carpet fibers, especially when the climate is humid, releasing allergens and mycotoxins into the room. These pollutants cause respiratory problems and worsen cases of allergies and asthma.
Also, carpets release some VOCs from their fibers, backings, installation tapes, and other materials used in installation. VOCs are substances that can evaporate and become aerosols in the air, thus causing IAQ. VOCs are known to cause several health issues, especially when exposed to high concentrations for a long time, including headaches, dizziness, and respiratory problems.
Carpets are known to accumulate a wide variety of pollutants that are mostly not easily identifiable. Here are some common contaminants that may be lurking in your carpets:
Indoor air pollution resulting from contaminated carpets has serious health consequences. Short-term effects could be headache, dizziness, fatigue, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Chronic exposure results in even more hazardous effects, including respiratory illnesses, heart problems, and even cancer. People with conditions such as asthma, allergies, or COPD are especially at risk from bad-quality air indoors. The vulnerable population is also affected due to their fragile health since children, as well as the elderly, are more likely to fall sick easily due to low immunity and sensitivity to pollutants.
People spend a considerable amount of time inside buildings, and carpets are one of the most important factors affecting IAQ as both a filter and a source of contamination. Some of the general care steps include vacuuming with HEPA filters, professional carpet cleaning, and maintaining low relative humidity levels so that your carpets do not contribute to compromise the quality of the air you breathe in your home. Therefore, by embracing these best practices, you will be able to have the comfort of having carpets at home without affecting the health of everyone in the house.
Towson residents have reason to smile because Feet Up Carpet Cleaning of Towson offers professional carpet cleaning services for a clean and healthy home. Our team of professional cleaners has adopted modern methods of cleaning your carpet, which remove dirt, allergens, and pollutants in the air. Call us today at 443-608-5358 to make an appointment to clean and enjoy the fresh air in your home.
Cleanliness of carpets is very important especially in order to enhance the quality of air to be inhaled indoors. Here are some best practices to help you keep your carpets clean and reduce indoor air pollution:
Carpets need to be vacuumed frequently, as it is one of the best practices for removing dust, dirt, and other particles. Utilize a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter because it will collect the finest particles and not return them to the environment. It is recommended to vacuum the heavily used zones at least twice a week and the less frequently used zones once a week.
Daily cleaning is essential, and vacuuming is an effective way of cleaning the carpets, but vacuuming alone cannot clean the carpet to its deepest part. This is especially because professional carpet cleaning services like Feet Up Carpet Cleaning of Towson utilize sophisticated tools and procedures to clean the carpets. Professional cleaning can get rid of mold spores, bacteria, and other pollutants that a vacuum cleaner cannot. It is advised to hire a professional cleaner at least once a year for better air quality.
It is important to keep the humidity level in your home at a level that does not allow mold and mildew to grow on carpets. Indoor relative humidity should be maintained at around 30-50%. Employ dehumidifiers in humid areas like the basements and ventilate the house well, especially the rooms that contain moisture producers such as the bathroom and the kitchen. Any leaks should be mopped to avoid moisture penetration into the carpets.
When choosing carpets and cleaning products, one should select those that are categorized as low-VOC. Low-VOC carpets and cleaners release a small amount of volatile organic compounds, hence decreasing the likelihood of indoor air pollution. Also, carpets made from natural fibers like wool or jute have lower VOC emission rates than carpets made of synthetic fibers.
