The average person spends 12-15 hours in their home every day. Although you may not realize it, the flooring chosen for your home can help impact your allergy symptoms, especially during the fall and winter months. Dust mites, which can dwell in carpet or on cloth surfaces in your home, are known to cause allergies/asthma symptoms to almost 90% of people who suffer from allergies. Spending so much time at home with the potential of these dust mites living in your carpeting can worsen your allergy symptoms!
Carpeting might not be the best answer for your home flooring; here are some other types of flooring that can help air quality in your home:
Vinyl floors
The smooth surface of vinyl flooring minimizes the accumulation of dust or other allergens on your floor. If you suffer from allergies and want to install vinyl flooring, be sure to use low-VOC glue to prevent having an allergic reaction to the adhesive.
Cork flooring
Another innovative and environmentally-friendly source of flooring is cork flooring. Cork is not only warm and cushiony beneath your feet, but it also has a distinct surface that prevents dust from being absorbed into it.
Ceramic tile
As one of the most hypoallergenic flooring options, ceramic tile offers a hard, slick surface on your floor, reducing dust, mold, and other allergens. Although this flooring is the number one choice of people who suffer from allergies, ceramic tile is known for being very cold, limiting its installation to certain rooms.
Wood, bamboo, and laminate flooring
Wood, bamboo, and laminate flooring are other hard surface floors that help reduce dust and allergens and are much easier to clean; one dry mop is enough to eliminate any dust or allergens present on your flooring. In addition to wood flooring, try using wooden blinds in your home instead of curtains or drapes.
When making purchase decisions regarding the flooring in your home, it’s important to realize the benefits of using alternate forms of flooring rather than carpeting. These simple substitutions for carpet can help make all the difference in your indoor allergy symptoms!
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