Many people suffer from allergies. There are a lot of reasons why someone would install hardwood flooring in their home. They are beautiful, easy to clean, and never go out of style. But there is another reason to love wood flooring. It’s much healthier—especially if you are one of the 20 million adults and 6.1 million children who suffer from allergic rhinitis. [1]
Developing adult-onset allergies — from seasonal allergies to food allergies — is possible no matter how old you are. It is common for allergies to get worse from one year to the next.
How do Allergies Develop?
Our immune systems are always protecting us from viruses and bacteria. Sometimes, our immune system will mistake things like pollen, pet dander, mold, and dust, among other things, for harmful substances. To fight off the invading substance, our immune system releases histamine. This causes inflammation in the body. We see this in the form of itchy, watery eyes, runny noses, sneezes, and asthma attacks.
Carpeting vs. Hardwood Flooring For Allergies
“Carpeting can be a reservoir for allergy-causing substances (allergens) that trigger asthma. Having carpeting in the bedroom can be especially problematic because it exposes you to carpet dust throughout the night. Hard-surface flooring such as vinyl, tile, or wood is much easier to keep free of dust mites, pollen, pet dander, and other allergens.”[2]
Hardwood floors are the perfect alternative. Unlike carpeting, wood floors don’t have fibers that trap and retain allergens such as mold, dander, dust, molds, and pollen. They also don’t harbor microorganisms or pesticides. This can reassure you that your children can play safely on your hardwood floors.
Wood Floors are Easy to Care For.
Allergens accumulate on our floors, but it is easy to properly care for and clean your hardwood floors, minimizing allergens. By contrast, vacuuming your carpeting is essential, but it also stirs up the allergens that you are trying to eliminate.
Old Wood Floors
Be aware that if your floors are old, they may have cracks and gaps. Dust and dirt can accumulate in these cracks making it more challenging to maintain your floors to keep them allergen-free. Another concern with old wood floors is that there might be areas where the finish has worn away. These areas are a surface on which dust can easily cling. If you have older wood floors that require some attention, it is important to have a floor care specialist like Dave’s Floor Sanding take a look at your flooring to see how they could help.
The economic impact of allergies is staggering: $24.8 billion for allergic rhinitis, $13.5 billion for acute bronchitis, $94.5 billion for asthma morbidity, and $10.8 billion for asthma mortality.[3] Having hardwood floors rather than carpeting is one thing we can do to eliminate allergens where they live.
If you live in Minnesota and would like to see how hardwood floors can help your family reduce allergens, contact us for a free estimate.
[1] “AAFA.” Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, www.aafa.org/allergy-facts/.
[2] James T C Li, M.D. “Asthma Triggers: Are Hard Flooring Surfaces Better than Carpet?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 25 Apr. 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/childhood-asthma/expert-answers/asthma-triggers/faq-20057785.
[3] Mudarri, David H. “Valuing the Economic Costs of Allergic Rhinitis, Acute Bronchitis, and Asthma from Exposure to Indoor Dampness and Mold in the US.” Journal of Environmental and Public Health, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4903120/.