Are you, or is someone in your family suffering from indoor issues? Is your family suffering from allergies, asthma, and frequent headaches? Indoor air pollution in your home may be the prime culprit. Believe it or not, carpet in the home can be the solution to better indoor air quality.

Indoor air pollution can be caused by:

• Dust
• Mold
• Pet hair and dander
• Residue from dust mites
• Volatile organic compounds

These pollutants and allergens are found throughout the home in and on places like mattresses, furniture, carpets, cleaning products, paints and adhesives to name a few. Many homes are designed to save energy by reducing ventilation. But when ventilation goes down, indoor air pollution can actually go up because pollutants are trapped indoors.

When it comes to controlling Indoor Air Quality, carpet is actually a good thing to have. Unlike hard surface flooring, carpeting can filter and hold allergens for removal by proper cleaning instead of letting these pollutants become airborne.

Now that you know these contaminants exist in virtually every indoor residential and commercial environment, what can you to improve the IAQ in your home?

Here are some guidelines that can significantly help:

1. Clean plush furnishings (upholstered chairs, sofas, carpets and bedding) on a regular basis. This will reduce the presence of dust mite allergens that can cause health problems once they become airborne.

2. Control moisture levels with a dehumidifies, air conditioner or heat pump. Dust mites can only live in environments where the relative humidity exceeds 50%.

3. Keep interior surfaces dry. Repair leaks promptly. Mold naturally grows on surfaces that are moist.

4. Open windows when possible to increase air flow. If you are sensitive to outside dust pollen or molds, consider installing an air-to-air heat exchanger with an air cleaner on your home heating and cooling system.

5. Change furnace air filters often with fine filters that trap microscopic dust.

6. Vacuum carpets and floor coverings regularly with an upright, revolving brush vacuum. Concentrate vacuuming near often used furniture. Make sure the vacuum bag is clean and in good condition to keep airborne pollutants to a minimum. The use of a vacuum with micro or HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration designed to significantly decrease the amount of airborne pollutants emitted back into the air is highly recommended.

7. Have your carpets and area rugs professionally cleaned at least once a year with a “Green Seal Certified” dry extraction carpet cleaning system.

Why should carpets be cleaned with “Green Seal Certified” dry extraction?
Unlike typical chemicals used in carpet cleaning, “Green Seal Certified”” dry extraction cleaning compounds are all natural, nontoxic, biodegradable and are 100% safe for people, pets and the environment. They are also safe to use on all types of carpets and rugs, including natural fibers like wool, sisal and jute. Ask your carpet cleaning professional if the products they use to clean your carpets are WoolSafe® approved, USDA BioPreferred™ and Green Seal Certified.

No Wet Carpets
Since dry extraction carpet and rug cleaning inherently incorporates a low-moisture cleaning process, there is no waiting for wet carpet to dry. Rooms are ready for use as soon as the cleaning is complete. And, unlike wet cleaning methods, dry extraction cleaning does not increase humidity levels, so there is no risk of mold and mildew growth or damage to your carpet from shrinkage or split seams.

The Natural Solution to Indoor Pollution

Research studies have shown that one cleaning of carpet by dry extraction reduces:

• Dust mites by 78%
• Dust mite allergen by 75%
• Mold spores by 85%
• Cat allergen by 85%

When it comes to improving Indoor Air Quality, remember that drier is always better.