Over 40% of the UK population is affected by allergies. Each year the numbers are increasing by 5% with as many as half of all those affected being children.
*It’s the change in our micro-environments over the past couple of decades that have caused more health concerns than any other time in the past 150 years.
We spend on average a third of our life in our bedroom – just think about all the time you spend breathing in the same contaminated, stale air.
House dust mites are present in all houses in the UK and are the most prevalent of all indoor allergens, causing allergic reactions in 85% of asthmatic children, but why is it only now that this problem is brought to our attention, and not before?
This is due mainly to the 1970’s energy crisis. Ever since then buildings, both at home and at the office have continued to be designed to save energy. Most buildings today have central heating systems and double glazed windows to seal in the warmth.
The three main things we need to do: Ventilate all bedrooms, especially children’s bedrooms to reduce humidity and prevent Mites from breeding.
Mechanical Removal. Eradication of dead skin and mite faeces by vacuum cleaning with HEPA filtration machines.
Periodic Professional Cleaning to dispose of all the unwanted pollutants that are held in your soft furnishings.
Your home furnishings, such as carpets and upholstery fabrics, are a major benefit to you as they act like filters and help reduce the amount of particles in the air, however if they are not professionally cleaned on a regular basis (6-12 months) they may become a source of allergies.
*Information sourced from Allergy UK
Allergens are only harmful to you when they become airborne. Airborne allergen settles on all surfaces but whilst hard surfaces, including floors, allow the allergens to become easily airborne through the slightest draught or vibration, carpet retains the allergen deep in the pile. It has been found, for example, that the velocity of air over a carpet surface is required to be ten times greater than that over a smooth surface if the same number of particles is to be released into the air. Wall to wall carpet prevents the allergic material from being released into the atmosphere by holding the fine allergen particles in the pile and improves the quality of life of allergic persons. This has been confirmed by research, which showed that measurements of the level of dust mite allergen in the room air above the surface of carpets, even those containing high levels of dust mite allergen, failed to detect the presence of allergen. How Can The Allergens Be Removed?
The very fine allergen particles and minute flakes of skin, which comprise the food source of the mite, are easily removed from carpet by introducing a proper cleaning regime. A carpet cleaned regularly, in a well-ventilated environment, will not contain enough allergen to affect most people. What Type Of Cleaning Is Most Effective?
Hot water extraction cleaning, also referred to as steam cleaning, has been found to be particularly efficient at removing a high proportion of allergen and completely killing the dust mite population. **Information sourced from the Carpet Foundation
In the 1970’s in Sweden there were intensive discussions with some claiming that carpet was a serious breeding place for allergens. Not surprisingly, due to the bad press carpet sales began to fall.
In fact, from 1975 to 1990 the carpet share of the floorcoverings market fell from 40% to 2% as hard floor sales grew by 50% and carpet usage fell by 77%. And what happened to the incidence of asthma in Sweden during this 15-year period? Well, as carpet usage declined dramatically, allergy cases in Sweden increased by 300%.
The Filter To Your HomeThe capacity for carpet to absorb airborne pollutants and to hold these makes it a significant contributor to good indoor air quality.You must think of carpet as being a filter that traps all the airborne particles in your home. The filter, however, can only function effectively if it’s kept clean. Once the filter becomes full, it will not absorb the allergens sufficiently. Therefore, a regular professional cleaning regime should be introduced to maintain the effectiveness of your home’s filter, and to keep you and your family healthy. **Information sourced from the Carpet Foundation