Healthcare and Carpet, Asthma, Allergy Facts

Clearing the Air About Carpet and Health.

~The Facts about Carpet and Asthma and Allergy for Healthcare Administrators and Facility Managers

This is the 8th in a series of 18 articles designed to share some of the Carpet and Rug Institute’s (CRI) best online assets – a collection of downloadable fact sheets. Developed as easy-to-use, one-page position statements, the CRI Fact Sheets cover four main carpet-related topic areas: Indoor Air Quality, Asthma and Allergy, Cleaning Products, and Environmental Sustainability.

Each of these topics is addressed from the perspective of various market segments: carpet dealers and consumers; architects, designers and builders; school administrators and facility managers, and healthcare administrators and facility managers. There are also separate fact sheets explaining CRI’s Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality and Seal of Approval carpet cleaning standards – 18 fact sheets in all.

The fact sheet on asthma and allergy facts for Healthcare Administrators and Facility Managers begins,

“Despite the perception, here is the reality when it comes to carpet and asthma and allergy symptoms: Research shows that carpet is better at controlling allergens and better at reducing symptoms than other flooring alternatives. The facts are there. Now we need a healthy dose of the truth.” It continues:

What You Should Know About Indoor Air Quality for Healthcare Administrators and Facility Managers 

• There is no scientific study linking the rise of allergy and asthma to the use of carpet. Indeed, several studies actually disprove any correlation.

• A 15-year Swedish study found no link between carpet usage and the incidence of allergy or asthma. In fact, when carpet usage in Sweden decreased by 70 percent, allergy reactions in the general population increased by 30 percent.

• Also, an 18-nation study of nearly 20,000 people found a statistical relationship between carpeted bedrooms and reduced asthma symptoms and bronchial responsiveness.

• A possible explanation: carpet acts like a filter, trapping allergens away from the breathing zone so they can be removed through proper vacuuming and deep cleaning extraction. For best results removing pollutants trapped in carpet, use CRI Seal of Approval vacuums and CRI Seal of Approval cleaning products and systems. Find out more at carpet-rug.org.

• Since properly maintained carpets do not exacerbate allergy and asthma –and may even reduce symptoms –you should feel comfortable recommending carpet for healthcare facilities.

CRI wants to be known not just as the science-based source of information about carpet, but as the first stop for any and all questions about this useful floor covering.

Click on this link to see the complete list of Carpet and Rug Institute Downloadable Fact Sheets.

Next – The facts about cleaning products for retailers and consumers.

~Bethany