Research says Carpeting your Floor, Directly Impacts Air Quality

The flooring, ceilings, and walls in your home all play a crucial role when it comes to your indoor air quality or IAQ. However, out of these three, it is your flooring that significantly impacts IAQ.

Carpeting is one of the popular flooring options for homes and even offices today. Aside from providing comfort, it creates a nice aesthetic that takes the look of the interior up a notch. However, it also helps to know how this in-demand flooring choice contributes to the quality of air inside your home.

In the sections below, you will learn two of the various ways carpeting contributes to your home’s IAQ.

1. It Traps Airborne Particles

According to studies, dust and particles do not remain in the air for too long. They actually fall on a horizontal surface.

What’s interesting to note is that when these particles fall on hard or smooth floors, they are easily disturbed. One simple motion can cause these allergens to be redistributed in the air again and again. Consequently, having these particulates circulate inside your home can cause allergic reactions, irritation, hives or rashes, and even respiratory infections.

On the other hand, carpets effectively act as dirt traps. They can capture airborne particles settling on them until they are vacuumed.

2. It Helps Reduce Harmful Compounds in the Air

Another reason that makes carpeting a better choice than other flooring options is that they require fewer chemicals to clean. Chemical agents usually emit volatile organic compounds or VOCs, which are outdoor pollutants.

Fewer cleaning chemicals means fewer VOCs getting trapped inside your home.

Other Considerations

While carpeting helps trap harmful particles in the air, installing it is not enough to achieve good indoor air quality. It helps to remember that what it catches remains on it unless it is vacuumed. Aside from that, carpets can easily hide pollutants from view. Just because you don’t see the first doesn’t mean you need to clean it.

Considering this, you must practice proper and regular cleaning to extract trapped contaminants from your carpets. You may do this on a weekly or daily basis, depending on the foot traffic in each area. Aside from this, it also helps to do spot removal regularly and carpet extraction at least twice a year.

When cleaning your carpet flooring, you may use a detergent to help loosen the dirt and dust particles that have clung to the carpet fibers. However, you should choose environment-friendly products. You’ll want to avoid detergents with a strong fragrance as they usually contain a lot of chemicals. Go for their water-based alternatives.

Finally, make sure to open the windows, run your fans, and keep the HVAC systems on after cleaning for proper ventilation. This effectively removes moisture in your carpet to avoid further problems that can pose health risks to you and your loved ones.

Conclusion

Carpeting impacts indoor air quality in many ways. It helps trap harmful particles and reduce hazardous compounds in the air. With that said, it needs regular cleaning and maintenance to be truly beneficial to your IAQ. You can clean it efficiently by vacuuming regularly, using environment-friendly detergents, and ventilating the room properly. Ultimately, if you are looking to truly enhance your indoor air quality, don’t forget to examine your HVAC system as well.

If you feel that you need HVAC maintenance in Toronto, ON , don’t fret—we have got you covered! You can rely on our team of heating and cooling specialists for services that meet your highest standards. Book an appointment today to let us know what you want and we’ll do our best to help.