[gwrightson]

I remember a few years ago  that a programme of testing  was embarked apon in Sweden,
these tests took place over a 6 year period , they were to determine the affects and differences of allergy sufferers in relation to carpets   v  laminate  .

 The results were quite suprising to a number of people !!! believe it or not carpeting been much better for sufferers than hard floors,  Having read the reasons  I can see why, explaining to others is a little more difficult    .
I did have a graph  with results on my computer somewhere, alas i cannot find it .
Does any body happen to have same or a link to the site ? where i could download .

Geoff

[davep]

Not got link but graph is on ere

https://m.facebook.com/pages/Dirtbusters-Carpet-Cleaning-Liverpool/275143265881837?id=275143265881837&refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FDirtbusters-Carpet-Cleaning-Liverpool%2F275143265881837&_rdr

[gwrightson]

Thanks dave
but cant find it there 

Geoff

[davep]

Scroll down a bit

[Mike Halliday]

Related article...

http://www.floordaily.net/flooring-news/Article.aspx?article=23595

[Kev Loomes]

Geoff, there are 3 links in this article, hope it helps.

http://clean-pro.co.uk/Carpet_Cleaning_Blog.htm#Hard_Flooring_Worse_for_Allergies

[Andrew Briscoe]

Slightly off topic, but some years ago there was the Allerg-stop network/products.
Are these still available, I remember someone saying the room spray was very good for asthma sufferers, and the missus is having problems at moment, more so at night.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Tell her you've got some special cream for her throat.

I remember the most natural room spray to reduce air Bourne triggers is a dilution of tea tree oil sprayed up in the air and left to settle.

Shaun

[Robin Ray]

I have had Asthma and Allergy's since I was born and I can tell you those studies are a load of rubbish. Its probably likely that a allergy sufferers tend to have more hard floors rather than carpets. Just because they have hard floors it doesn't mean it is the cause of their problems.

[Neil Williams]

I don't think anyone is saying hard floor are a cause of allergy, but that that they don't help in keeping the problem trapped at floor level which carpet will.

[Hilton]

I have had Asthma and Allergy's since I was born and I can tell you those studies are a load of rubbish. Its probably likely that a allergy sufferers tend to have more hard floors rather than carpets. Just because they have hard floors it doesn't mean it is the cause of their problems.

Its not rubbish it was a proper study carried out in Sweden over many years in public buildings..
It proved conclusively that having properly maintained fitted carpets was more beneficial to asthma suffers than hard surfaces......

[Robin Ray]

Rubbish!

Is a bit like saying 90% of people allergic to cats don't own a cat. Obvious, why punish yourself!
The evidence would suggest owning a cat is better for you than not owning a cat. Is that true?

A properly maintained carpet will still hold allergens and even breed allergens even at regular maintenance intervals: eg, your skin cells renew themselves they fall off get trapped by the carpet and dust mites feed of them their poo becomes an allergen which exists in the carpet, pillow, mattress, sofa etc etc.  A properly maintained hard floor will hold ....... no allergens as it flat and impervious. It can also be wiped clean on a daily basis if need be, not every year or two years like carpet.

Why was the study conducted? Who was the study conducted by? http://www.floordaily.net/flooring-news/Article.aspx?article=23595      Shaw Industries, they are not likely to say other wise are they.

The article even contradicts its self: it said....

"After cleaning the carpets, a meaningful reduction in allergens occurred in the carpet and the surrounding air, Shaw said."

If the air quality was improved after cleaning the carpet was obviously impacting on the air quality in the firs place.

Im all for carpets and carpet cleaning but this study makes no sense. Where is the logic?

[Robin Ray]

Some other information;

http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=18&cont=231

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/allergies/in-depth/allergy/art-20049365

http://www.allergystore.com/best-flooring-allergies.htm

im sure there are many more..

[Hilton]

Some other information;

http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=18&cont=231

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/allergies/in-depth/allergy/art-20049365

http://www.allergystore.com/best-flooring-allergies.htm

im sure there are many more..

Your quite right there are, cant be bothered to list them all so just go here:

http://www.canadiancarpet.org/carpet_and_health/air_quality/scientific_studies.php

To me its blindingly obvious that having a hard floor would aggravate air borne allergies especially in children
and I have always recommended sufferers to install carpets and then to keep them maintained.
And I think you are getting confused between maintained and cleaned.

[Robin Ray]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_dust_mite note the sections on Habitat and Eradication

again... http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/childhood-asthma/expert-answers/asthma-triggers/faq-20057785

http://watoxics.org/files/carpet-fact-sheet again note the section on dust mites.

http://watoxics.org/files/carpet-fact-sheet again note the section on controll of house dust mites at home

http://www.thh.nhs.uk/documents/_Patients/PatientLeaflets/paediatrics/allergies/PI018-Dust_Mite_Allergy_A4_May13.pdf  note what the nhs states in section 5

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef646.asp note the section on biology and habit of this article from the university of kentucky

http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/living/682.html note step 5

http://www.sswahs.nsw.gov.au/rpa/allergy/resources/allergy/dustmiteallergy.pdf note the section on carpets

[urlhttp://www.lung.org/healthy-air/home/resources/dust-mites-and-dust.html][/url] note the section on how dust mites can be eliminated

http://www.lung.org/healthy-air/home/resources/dust-mites-and-dust.html an interesting article on the dangers of carpet its self

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Allergies/Pages/Prevention.aspx nhs again

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20307345_3,00.html

Im bored now...

[Hilton]

All that crap above is linked to organisations with a vested interest in allergy products or funding issues.

By the way I know for a fact that you can improve the indoor air quality and hence better quality of life due to allergens ,using my own little great nieces as an example...Once I had finally convinced my niece to rip out the rubbish laminate flooring she had and install a good quality carpet the children's illness's which they seem to have on an endless basis, miraculously disappeared.

[gwrightson]

All that crap above is linked to organisations with a vested interest in allergy products or funding issues.

By the way I know for a fact that you can improve the indoor air quality and hence better quality of life due to allergens ,using my own little great nieces as an example...Once I had finally convinced my niece to rip out the rubbish laminate flooring she had and install a good quality carpet the children's illness's which they seem to have on an endless basis, miraculously disappeared.

got to agree completly, i did exactly same  for my neice, and at this moment persuading a good friend, hence my post.

Geoff

[Kinver_Clean]

A few years ago there was a survey done, again in Sweden, that purported to prove exactly the opposite- that hard floors were the only way to go for allergy sufferers.
It was carried out by a professor of something on behalf of the Hard Flooring institute or something like that.

The professor was the wife of... the president of said institute.

You can't believe a word......

[Robin Ray]

Why would health care organisations have a vendetta against Carpet. How would they profit? What would be their motive other than the health of the people they are giving the advice to?

If you believe that is a conspiracy there is no hope?

From a life's time of experience having allergies and being around people with the same problems I can truthfully say having hard flooring makes a real difference to asthma and allergy's.

Why would I disagree with the studies which say other wise? After all I am a carpet cleaner myself. The fact of the matter is if you create a habitat for allergens to live in your home it will have an detrimental impact on indoor air quality, If you remove that habitat it improves air quality.

[peter maybury]

Robin you are talking through you back side.
This is not a new thing at all. In the 80's I was the buyer for a retail group and as hard floors took off a lot earlier than here in the Scandinavian countries, their manufacturers were marketing a lot in the uk. Back then I was reading medical reports about the increase in bronical and other problems there.
It is basic common sense anybody who has a hard floor can see the dust etc moving around on it. carpets do filter these particles from the air. Over the years I have advised many with allergies to put carpet back down in their bedrooms etc, with an improvement seen in many cases.
In another instance when we had a sign writing business we had a problem with dust contamination on prints with our digital printer and this was alleviated by carpeting the print room.
Obviously manufacturers are going to try and bias research to their favour but common sense and sight can be used.
There were instance in the past of some of the rot proofers and other chemicals used in carpet manufacturing (such as fameldahyde) triggering health issues (allegies, sick building syndrome etc) and other problems but since the discontinuation of these it is no longer an issues.
It is also a fact that carpets are the cheapest to maintain product in the vast majority of commercial applications.
Peter