You have allergies. You can guess the season simply by how you feel.

So when you decide it’s time for a flooring remodel, you think twice about the flooring you’ll install. A quick search online screams headlines at you:

• Carpet Causes Allergies
• Allergy-Proof Your Home By Removing Carpet
• Allergies Bringing You Down? Get Rid of Carpet

But you love carpet. It adds warmth to the bedroom, and is a friendly addition to your media space. The basement always felt cold and damp before you installed carpet.

Do you really need to get rid of carpet flooring if you’re building up allergen resistance? Or are there alternatives?

Allergens – What are they?

According to the CDC, more than 60 million people in the United States experience allergies each year. Allergies are an incurable condition that adults and children alike are faced with, leading ultimately to the 6th leading cause of chronic illness.

Knowing that, it’s no wonder more homeowners are struggling with ways to clean up their indoor environment, finding ways to “allergy-proof” their homes.

An allergy is a reaction within your immune system to a foreign substance in or coming into contact with your body. These substances are called allergens.

Allergens can be eaten, inhaled into your lungs, injected into your body, or simply come in contact by touch. The reaction can cause coughing, sneezing, itchy eyes, a runny nose, and a scratchy throat. In more severe cases, you might find rashes, hives, low blood pressure, breathing trouble, asthma attacks, and even death.

The most common allergens include dust, dust mites, pet dander, pollen, dirt, grass, leaves, mold, mildew, and chemicals. In other words, the things you come in contact with every day.

They can live anywhere: indoor plants, bedding, mattresses, furniture, on pets, stuffed toys, basements, kitchens, and bathrooms. Oh yeah, your flooring too.

It kind of makes sense – what goes up, must come down. Allergens may come into your home in a variety of ways, but a good deal of them eventually settle onto your floors.

That’s why so many people look at flooring options as a way to clean up indoor air quality. It’s a good starting place.

What makes a flooring allergen-resistant?

Allergen-resistant flooring choices are easy to predict.

• They’ll have a smooth surface that’s easy to clean and does not provide a place for allergens to hide.
• Is made from non-porous material that doesn’t absorb moisture, which helps prevent the growth of mold and mildew.
• Is easy to clean with regular sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping.
• Has low to zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are a leading contributor to poor indoor air quality.
• Has antimicrobial properties that inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew.
• Is sealed and finished to help create a barrier against allergens.

All of this may seem to lead to harder surface flooring, yet don’t eliminate carpet yet. Carpet manufacturers have continually been faced with this growing trend. People love carpet; you’ll find it in homes and commercial locations throughout your community. So there must be options … right?

Finding the right hypoallergenic and allergen-resistant carpet

Carpet is a growing industry. The global carpet and rug market sat at $50.29 billion in the US in 2022, and is projected to grow to $106.01 billion by 2030.

Carpet manufacturers understand what people are looking for, so they consistently adjust their products to give them more of what they want. That includes allergen-resistant carpet.

Like anything, if your goal is to install hypoallergenic carpet into your home, you’ll need to do your research first. Become more educated on the topic. Walk into a flooring center with these facts in mind. Then open up and prepare to be further educated by someone who understands carpet. Allergen-resistant carpet is out there – you just have to compromise on what that means to you.

We suggest you start by understanding materials.

Certain carpet fibers enhance hypoallergenic performance. Synthetic fibers like nylon, olefin, and polypropylene are naturally mold and mildew-resistant. That means for rooms where water or high humidity might be an influencer, it’s a great choice.

If you go this route, also be aware you’ll need to select synthetic carpet that’s also low VOC, as this can contribute to indoor air pollution. VOC chemicals are often one of the leading causes of bad smells and allergy issues, so you’ll need a well-versed sales associate to point you in the right direction.

We believe wool is one of the best hypoallergenic carpet solutions. Its natural hypoallergenic properties absorb most allergens inside a home, pulling them down and absorbing them into the fibers. They are also incredibly resistant to bacteria, mold, and mildew, and remains dryer, longer because of its moisture-resistant properties.

Look for carpets that are certified by organizations like the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) or the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) for their Green Label Plus program. These certifications indicate that the carpet has been tested and proven to be low in allergens and emissions.

No matter what carpet you focus on, we suggest tight weaves, and low piles. Carpets with a low pile (short fibers) are easier to clean and less likely to trap dust and allergens. Carpets with a tight weave structure do not trap allergens as easily and are more resistant to dust and dirt penetration.

In both cases, these carpets are easier to clean. Buy a quality vacuum cleaner with a powerful motor and HEPA filtration system, then vacuum regularly depending on your lifestyle. The Carpet and Rug Institute offers a Green Label/Seal of Approval program to alert consumers to vacuums that have undergone testing. This certification means it’s better at picking up debris and keeping it contained until it’s removed from your property.

Love Carpet? You have options!

In some cases, carpet makes sense. It’s a beautiful solution to many rooms in your home. And with a little investigating, you can find a quality carpet that works hard at improving your indoor air quality. It provides you with a base that fits your lifestyle, and provides you with allergen resistance where you need it most.

Want more information? We suggest you stop by today, and see our complete line of carpeting. We’ll show you carpet flooring you’ll be proud to bring inside your home.