Can Carpet Cause Respiratory Problems? People who have carpets and mats on floors generally assume their house to be completely clean due to the fresh and tidy appearance of the space. However, it’s advised to rather not fall for the clean appearance and double-check everything as carpets are known to invite health concerns.

Carpets can easily trap harmful pollutants such as pet dander, cockroach allergens, dust mites, mold spores, lead, dust, dirt, etc. Additionally, air suspended toxic gas particulates stick to tiny particles and finally settle on the carpet surface.

Such health hazards might not be visible through naked eyes, but it is quite common for carpets to store all types of bacteria, allergens, and dirt. Contact with all such hazards results in negative health consequences. These allergies and infections can eventually lead to issues in the respiratory tract.

So, can carpet cause respiratory problems? Here we’ve mentioned three main health hazards that are a direct outcome of dirty carpets.

Weaker Immune System

The immune system can fight off unwanted bacteria and toxins to ensure that the body is in perfect shape. However, a dirty environment leads to high-stress levels and also affects immunity. With dirt on the carpet, you become prone to harmful bacteria with the immune system going on an overdriven mood, which leads to susceptible diseases.

Mycotoxins are among the dangerous microbes which thrive inside dirty carpets. These consist of different mold types. Mycotoxin exposure weakens the immune system and results in various health issues like allergies, respiratory problems, and stomach infections.

Respiratory Allergies

Molds can be most commonly be seen in a dirty environment like carpets. Additionally, dirty carpets also attract allergens and bacteria. With its accidental inhalation, mold causes flu-like symptoms with other respiratory problems.

The dust mites thrive mostly on fungi and bacteria and it makes dirty carpets a perfect breeding ground. After dying the carcass of dust mites lie on the carpet fibers and lead to eye and nose irritation and rashes.

Dirty carpets can also result in asthma attacks. Asthma patients typically have a negative reaction when they’re exposed to environmental bacteria triggers and toxins available in carpets.

Mental Anguish

In addition to various health troubles through physical illnesses resulting from dirty carpet, mental health also gets affected. Getting rid of flea infestation in the house or taking care of a sick child is a lot of stress. Clean carpets not only help you in staying healthy but they also help you in staying happy as well.

So, what would be the best way to protect yourself and the family against a dirty carpet’s health risks?

Conventional cleaning and vacuuming can help! However, with dirty carpets, you also mean dirty vacuum. For prevention of spreading any carpet issues, it’s best to ensure that you’re using a vacuum with a HEPA protection filter. It must be frequently cleaned and you must change full bags regularly.

How the Carpet Leads to Allergies and Respiratory Issues?

When you’re not able to stop sneezing or itching whenever you’re in your home, that beautiful and plush carpet might also invite health troubles.

Carpeting makes the room feel cozy. However, it also houses allergens that get lifted in the air, whenever it gets walked on. It can happen also in the cleanest of the houses. The microscopic irritants living on the carpet come from outside and inside of the house.

Mold, animal dander, and dust are the main culprits behind the irritation. Pollutants such as pollen also come in the shoe bottom and also through open house windows.

Padding, carpet fiber, and the glue for holding them together also result in an allergic reaction in a few people. If you’re not able to figure out the reason behind running nose or eyes getting itchy, your carpet is most probably causing it.

Common Symptoms

Common allergens exist in our environment and they easily find their way into the carpet through the foot and eventually get trapped in there. Similar to everything else, allergens are subjected to the pull of gravity. If you’ve got carpet, it can cause allergens to get trapped beneath your feet. Some allergens are:

• Pollen
• Pet Dander
• Microscopic parts of insects
• Dust
• Mold
• Dust Mites

If you’re sensitive or allergic to any such substances, you can catch eczema, contact dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, or allergic asthma. Common symptoms experienced are:

• Watery and itchy eyes
• Runny and itchy nose
• Sneezing
• Irritated and sore throat
• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Pressure in the chest area
• Hives
• Trouble breathing
• Keeping the Carpets Clean

Tiny particles like dust mites and molds inflame the lungs and also gives runny nose or red eyes when you’re suffering from allergies. The buildup of such things in carpets easily triggers allergy attacks while making day-to-day life a little bit unpleasant.

When you’re frequently waking up with allergy or drainage-like symptoms, the carpets must be among the highest priority places to look for to eliminate harmful dust mites and bacteria.

You can also experience skin irritation and sneezing because of mold and ragweed with the onset of fall. The American College of Asthma, Immunology and Allergy warns that such irritants might also build up in the carpet and that such symptoms also flare up in quick hours after you vacuum.

The Right Carpet Cleaning Measures

As dirty carpets are known to house bacteria dirt and other harm-causing particles, it is vital to ensure regular cleaning. Ideally, it’s best to vacuum the carpets minimum of once per week. However, carpets that are used to lots of foot traffic would require more frequent cleaning.

According to some experts, it’s best to daily vacuum clean carpets with high footfall. Meanwhile, the ones in light to medium traffic areas can get vacuumed once or twice a week.

In some cases, vacuuming still doesn’t cut in terms of eliminating deep-seated dirt in the fibers of the carpet. In such instances, it’s best to let a professional carpet cleaning company step in.

Simple measures to clean aren’t enough for ensuring that the carpets are hosts to toxins and pollutants. Thus, you must also professionally clean the carpets in 12 to 18 months for protection against bacteria and allergens. This ensures that the house is as healthy and clean as possible!

Can Carpet Cause Respiratory Problems? – Conclusion

Carpets do a lot more than only beautifying the floors and surrounding space, and without the right maintenance, these can also cause respiratory problems! While buying a new carpet you must ensure that you’re getting one that has fewer VOC emissions.