What Types of Carpet Are Best for People With Allergies

As anyone with an allergy will know, it can lead to a miserable life. A constantly runny nose, sneezing and general discomfort may not be painful, but they sure can be endlessly frustrating.

So if you're buying a new carpet in the near future you should definitely put some work into considering what type of carpet you should have. Pick the wrong one and your allergies could get worse. But if you pick the right one you'll probably notice they get better whenever you're indoors.

Is it actually worth having carpet if you have allergies?

There is a lot of misinformation on the internet concerning carpets. A lot of people think they are bad to have around if you have allergies because the dust particles tend to get trapped in the fibers.

But compared to a hardwood or laminate floor you're actually going to have a better result and less in the way of allergy symptoms if you have a carpet. You see the carpet fibers grab hold of the dust and trap it. This means most of the dust particles will stay in place in the carpet until you vacuum it. It's worth getting an allergy friendly vacuum cleaner if you can, as this will help pick up even more dust particles from the carpet.

Should you have natural or synthetic fibers?

Synthetic ones are actually better than natural fibers because they tend to repel the dust and dirt the carpet has to cope with. It's also a good idea to stick with a shorter pile if you can. Shorter pile carpets are better for areas of the home that have to cope with a lot of traffic anyway, but they're particularly good in homes where the occupants have to cope with various allergies.

How important is it to maintain the condition of the carpet once it has been installed?

It is important to remember that a new clean carpet will only stay that way if you maintain it properly. Any carpet - regardless of what it is made of and how it is constructed - is capable of picking up dust and dirt over time. If you don't take good care of your carpet you won't be able to enjoy a reduction in your allergy symptoms for very long.

Ideally you should vacuum your carpet as soon as it has been laid, so you pick up any dust or dirt that has been deposited on it through transportation and fitting. Once you've done this you can continue to vacuum it every three or four days - perhaps once at the weekend and once midweek for example. This will ensure the amount of dust and dirt that can permeate the carpet is kept to a minimum - therefore helping to keep your allergy symptoms to a minimum too.

So you can see it does pay dividends to make sure you shop around and do your research before choosing a brand new carpet - especially when you suffer from allergies.