What Allergens Are Lurking Around Wreaking Havoc in Your Carpet and Furniture?
Different Pollens, pet dander and dust are all allergens that most people know lurk in the air throughout their home. Fewer people realize that some of the most damaging allergens are not floating in the air at all. Some of the worst offenders for allergy sufferers are found lurking deep within carpets, rugs and upholstered furniture.
Carpet and upholstered furniture play an important role in making your home comfortable, but they can also act like filters that pull allergens, dirt and microscopic contaminants from the air and trap them within their fibers. After years of collecting these contaminants your carpets and furniture have the potential to cause allergy symptoms and respiratory discomfort for your family, as well as contribute to poor indoor air quality in your home.
Reasons Carpets and Upholstery Attract Allergens
Particles that enter your home each day settle into carpet and upholstery fibers quite naturally. Common indoor allergens like dust, pollen, pet dander, bacteria and other contaminants that collect on your floors and furniture can remain trapped inside for months or more.
When you walk across a room, sit on your couch or adjust a cushion some of these trapped particles are stirred up and become airborne again. Vacuuming helps remove surface debris from your carpets and furniture, but it typically won’t remove the allergens that have settled deeply into carpet and upholstery fibers over the years.
Spills, humidity and everyday living can also introduce moisture into your carpet and furniture. This provides the perfect opportunity for mold, mildew and dust mites to settle it and grow indoors.
Top 5 Allergens That Hide in Your Carpet & Furniture
Pet Dander
Even if you don’t allow your pets on furniture or in certain rooms of your home they will still leave behind pet dander.
Pet dander refers to the tiny flakes of skin and hair that animals naturally shed. These microscopic particles float through the air and can settle into carpets, rugs and furniture throughout your home. Pet dander that has collected in your carpets and upholstery can cause allergy sufferers to experience sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes and more.
Dust / Dust Mites
Household dust is a very common allergen that is found in every home. Dust itself is made up of many ingredients including dust mites.
Dust mites are microscopic creatures that feed off the dead skin cells that humans and pets shed every day. Dust mites love to hide deep within carpet fibers, mattresses and upholstered furniture because warm, humid environments are ideal for them to thrive. While you can’t see the mites with the naked eye, their waste and other particles that get stirred into the air can cause allergy symptoms like:
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- Coughing
- Itchy eyes
- Asthma Attacks
Pollen
When allergy season rolls around many homeowners think of pollen as an outdoor problem. While outdoor pollen can cause a host of issues for allergy sufferers, did you know that pollen in your home can have the same effect?
Pollen makes its way inside on shoes, clothing, pets and simply by walking in through the door. Indoors, pollen can settle into carpets and furniture. Once trapped inside, pollen can continue to cause allergy symptoms for your family long after the trees and flowers are pollinating outdoors.
Mold & Mildew
One of the number one enemy to indoor air quality is moisture.
Leftover spills that aren’t properly cleaned, humidity, leaking pipes and water intrusion can cause mold and mildew to grow indoors. In several instances you may find mold developing inside your carpet fibers and even the padding underneath.
Mold can cause allergy symptoms, respiratory irritation and asthma attacks. It also leads to musty smells and can make your indoor air quality worse. ThoroClean provides mold inspection and testing services for concerned homeowners.
Bacteria & Germs
Believe it or not, bacteria and germs are commonly found hiding in carpet and furniture.
Frequent traffic across carpet and on furniture means your carpet and upholstered furniture picks up all kinds of bacteria and other unwanted microorganisms. While many types of bacteria are harmless, the dirt and grime that gets tracked into your home on shoes and pets will eventually begin to accumulate. Professional carpet and upholstery cleaning kills bacteria throughout your home and removes unwanted contaminants.
Symptoms Your Indoor Air Quality Could Be Affected by Allergens
If left untreated your carpets and furniture can make your indoor air quality worse. Some common symptoms that often appear when your indoor air quality is affected by allergens include:
- Frequent sneezing
- Persistent coughing
- Nasal congestion
- Itchy or watery eyes
- Dry skin or skin irritation
- Increased asthma symptoms
- Respiratory irritation
Children, elderly individuals and people with asthma or allergies are usually more sensitive to allergens. These individuals may experience these symptoms more frequently than others in your household.
Ways that Professional Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Improves Your Indoor Air Quality
Professional carpet and upholstery cleaning do a lot more than your average vacuum. Instead of just moving dirt around like a vacuum, professional carpet cleaning equipment extracts dirt, dust mites, pet dander and other allergens that have been trapped deep within the fibers.
Regular carpet and upholstery cleaning can improve your indoor air quality, help your carpets and furniture last longer and keep your family living in a cleaner home.
How Frequently Should You Have Your Carpet & Upholstery Professionally Cleaned?
Most homes should take advantage of professional carpet cleaning every six months to a year. Homes with pets, children, allergy sufferers or high traffic areas may benefit from professional carpet cleaning every three to six months.
Contact ThoroClean Today for Professional Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Services
The appearance and cleanliness of your carpets and furniture have a big impact on your home. However, did you know that dirty carpets and furniture can also affect the air that you and your family breathe every day?
Microscopic allergens like dust, pollen, pet dander, mold spores and more can get trapped deep within carpet fibers and upholstery. Once trapped, these allergens can irritate allergy sufferers, cause respiratory problems and decrease your indoor air quality.
At ThoroClean our professional carpet and upholstery cleaning services are specially designed to remove the dirt and allergens that are lurking deep within your carpet and upholstery fibers. Our team of professional carpet cleaners help homeowners across Albuquerque breathe easier in their homes.
Give ThoroClean a call at 505-883-0437 so you breathe easier.