Carpets and area rugs have needlessly suffered a bad reputation among the sixty million Americans who live with allergies. It took the Swedish, among others to debunk the idea. A fifteen year study there found that not only was there no link between allergies, asthma attacks and rugs but furthermore allergy incidents increased thirty percent in a period when rug usage decreased by seventy percent. A study closer to home uncovered similar findings. A 2003 study of New Jersey school children suffering from asthma revealed that those with rugs in their bedrooms needed less asthma medication and missed fewer days of school. Numerous other studies have backed these up.
It appears that rather than contributing to attacks, area rugs serve to prevent them by trapping pet dander, pollen dust, and other particulates that allergy sufferers would otherwise inhale. Rugs and carpets serve as filters to trap allergens until they can be vacuumed, bagged, and removed from the house. Vacuuming is the operative word here. In order to reduce allergens, improve air quality, and of course, retain the value of the area rugs, the Carpet and Rug Institute recommends vacuuming high traffic or pet-accessed areas daily, medium traffic areas twice weekly, and lightly trafficked areas once a week. Placing a mat at the door for those entering to wipe their feet will keep even more impurities off the rugs, and best of all, requiring visitors to leave their shoes at the door will insure nothing is tracked in.
At the opposite end of the spectrum are rugs that, rather than trapping allergens, repel them. Natural fiber rugs, such as those made from sisal, jute, or sea grass fall into this category. They have no long fibers so allergens do not stick to them, plus their natural plant fibers resist water so they don't allow mold or mildew to grow, both of which play havoc to allergy-sufferers.
Nylon and polypropylene, although they are synthetic, not natural, are also water resistant, and thus similarly anti-mold and anti-mildew. Wool offers yet another answer to the allergy/area rug question. A natural material, wool acts like a magnet for particles floating in the air. It also has the ability to attract air pollutants like noxious oxides and formaldehyde, and neutralize them on the spot. Rugs made of wool also resist dust mites.
With so many choices to be made, one last question remains - area rug or wall to wall carpet? Area rugs San Diego with its temperate weather and low humidity would be the better choice since they can be removed from the house to be cleaned and thoroughly dried before being put back, whereas wall-to-wall carpeting is steam cleaned and the slight dampness that remains can be enough to start mold growth.
