No matter how clean you assume your carpeted floors to be or how diligently you work to keep them clean, you could pluck up a few fibers, put them under a microscope and probably find a whole list of hairy, scary allergens. Three of the most common allergens found in carpeted flooring and the padding beneath include:
- Dust mites. These microscopic allergens can be found just about anywhere in the house, but they love the warm and sometimes moist environment that carpet provides. Dust mites can be more of a bother in the bedroom because you spend so much time in contact with them while you sleep.
- Pet allergens. Pet allergens can be anything from dander to hair that comes from the coat of an animal with fur. Even if you have no pets in the house, these allergens can be carried in from the outdoors on your clothing, shoes and skin.
- Indoor mold. Indoor mold comes in many forms, from the dangerous stachybotrys to the less-threatening Alternaria. Mold needs access to moisture to grow, which makes a damp carpet ideal. Mold allergens are one of the biggest reasons you have to ensure your carpet is appropriately dried after cleaning and removed if it is so oversaturated that it cannot be fully dried in a short time frame.
Of course, you could always try to combat these indoor allergens by eliminating the carpeting you have in your home. But if you are like most homeowners, you enjoy the comfy softness of carpet, so finding a different solution is a much more desirable option. Cleaning your carpets regularly with an anti-allergen cleaner can help.
Anti-allergen carpet cleaning solutions come in a few different forms, but all versions are designed to do the same thing: reduce the level of allergens in the carpet. Some of these carpet-cleaning products contain compounds like tannic acid and cleaning particles, which offer the dual capability of neutralizing many types of allergens and cleaning carpet fibers at the same time.
If you pick up an anti-allergen carpet cleaning solution, in some cases, it is merely sprinkled on the floor and then vacuumed away after it has been allowed to settle into the carpet. However, many forms of carpet cleaners that are meant for use with carpet shampooing systems also have anti-allergen qualities.
