Allergies can be a real nuisance and can significantly impact our daily lives. One common culprit of allergy symptoms is the presence of allergens trapped in our carpets. Dust mites, pet dander, pollen, and other allergens can easily become embedded in carpet fibers, causing allergic reactions in susceptible individuals. That’s where professional carpet cleaning comes in. In this blog post, we will explore how professional carpet cleaning can help with allergy relief.
1. Removal of Allergens
One of the primary benefits of professional carpet cleaning is the thorough removal of allergens from your carpets. Professional cleaning techniques, such as hot water extraction or steam cleaning, use high temperatures and powerful suction to eliminate dust mites, pollen, pet dander, and other allergens that may be trapped deep within the carpet fibers. Regular vacuuming only removes a portion of these allergens, whereas professional carpet cleaning can provide a more thorough and effective removal, thus reducing allergen exposure and relieving allergy symptoms.
2. Elimination of Dust Mites
Dust mites are microscopic creatures that thrive in humid environments, such as carpets. Their waste products and body fragments can trigger allergies in susceptible individuals. Professional carpet cleaning can help eliminate these dust mites and their allergenic residues, reducing the risk of allergic reactions. The high temperatures and powerful suction used in professional cleaning methods effectively kill and extract dust mites, providing long-lasting relief from allergy symptoms.
3. Prevention of Mold and Mildew
Mold and mildew are significant allergens that can grow in carpets, especially in damp or humid environments. These fungi release spores that can trigger allergies and respiratory issues. Professional carpet cleaning not only removes existing mold and mildew but also helps prevent their growth. The thorough extraction of moisture during the cleaning process helps create a drier and less favorable environment for mold and mildew, reducing the risk of their development and the associated allergy symptoms.
4. Improved Indoor Air Quality
The quality of indoor air has a direct impact on our respiratory health and allergies. Carpets, with their ability to trap allergens, can impact indoor air quality. Professional carpet cleaning plays a vital role in improving indoor air quality by removing allergens and other contaminants from the carpet fibers. As a result, the air in your home becomes cleaner and healthier, reducing the risk of allergic reactions and providing relief for allergy sufferers.
5. Prevention of Allergen Resurfacing
Regular vacuuming and DIY carpet cleaning methods may only remove surface-level dirt and allergens, leaving behind residues that can resurface and trigger allergies later on. Professional carpet cleaning addresses this concern by deep cleaning the carpet fibers and effectively removing the allergenic substances that may have settled deep within. By preventing allergen resurfacing, professional carpet cleaning can provide long-term relief from allergy symptoms.
6. Enhanced Overall Cleanliness
Professional carpet cleaning not only focuses on the removal of allergens but also results in a cleaner and fresher carpet overall. Stubborn stains, odors, and dirt buildup can be effectively tackled by professional cleaning methods, leaving your carpet looking and feeling revitalized. This enhanced cleanliness not only contributes to a healthier indoor environment but also improves the aesthetics of your home.
7. Expertise and Professional Techniques
Attempting to clean your carpets yourself may not yield the same results as professional carpet cleaning. Expert carpet cleaners possess the knowledge, skills, and equipment necessary to effectively remove allergens and deep-clean your carpets. They are familiar with different carpet types and the appropriate cleaning techniques to apply. By relying on professionals, you can have peace of mind knowing that your carpets are thoroughly cleaned and allergen-free.
Summary
Professional carpet cleaning can be a game-changer for allergy relief. With its ability to remove allergens, eliminate dust mites, prevent mold and mildew growth, and improve indoor air quality, professional carpet cleaning offers significant benefits for allergy sufferers. By investing in professional cleaning services, you can experience long-lasting relief from allergy symptoms and create a healthier and more comfortable living environment.
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Locally owned and operated, Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center is the area’s premier carpet, rug, and upholstery cleaner since 1948! Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center specializes in rug cleaning, carpet cleaning, carpet repairs, carpet re-stretching, carpet and rug alterations, tile and grout cleaning, drapery cleaning, upholstery cleaning, furniture cleaning, and much more. We use only the most reliable and up-to-date cleaning machines and technologies to give you superior quality cleaning and reduce drying times. Get a free estimate on cleaning services and 20% off when you use our cash and carry cleaning service! Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you!
How Carpet Can Affect The Health Of Those In The Home
Carpets can be a great addition to a home, but it can also adversely affect the health of those who live in the home. This is because of the dirt and bacteria that accumulate in them over time, as well as a host of allergens that can get stirred up when they are dirty.
Airborne Particles
Airborne particles are small insoluble particulates, ranging from a few nanometers (1 nm) to a few millimeters (0.1 mm). These can penetrate deep into the respiratory tract and even into the bloodstream, where they can cause significant effects on the body’s ability to regenerate. Airborne dust is produced by a variety of sources, including soil being lifted up by weather, volcanic eruptions, and pollution. These dusts are transported through the atmosphere and can affect visibility. As these particles enter the lungs, they can trigger a number of health problems, such as coughing, sneezing, and trouble breathing. This can be particularly difficult for those who have asthma or other pre-existing conditions.
Allergens
Despite carpet’s insulating ability, it also collects and holds dust, pollen, mold, pet dander, and other allergens. These allergens then circulate in the air when you walk or vacuum and can irritate your respiratory system. In addition, carpets are very absorbent of sound waves which can make it difficult for people with respiratory issues to breathe easily and may increase symptoms. Choosing carpets with thicker fibers and a good quality pad can help reduce noise levels in your home. Moreover, many carpets release toxic chemicals into the air which are harmful to your health. Those chemicals include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and formaldehyde, which are both known to cause adverse health effects.
Chemicals
Some carpet cleaning chemicals and some new carpets, as well as the adhesives used to affix them to your floor, contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which emit gases and chemicals that can have adverse health effects. These chemicals include formaldehyde, xylene and benzene, which are known carcinogens. Optical brighteners are also present in many carpet-cleaning products and can be harmful. Some can even make your carpet look yellow, which can be an irritant to eyes and respiratory tracts. There are a number of other ways to help prevent exposure to these pollutants and protect the people in your home. For example, try to choose hard-surface floors or rugs that can be removed and cleaned outside; use vacuums that have a HEPA filter; and avoid using adhesives with phthalates.
Dust Mites
Dust mites are microscopic insects that live in mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture and carpet. They feed on flakes of dead skin that people and animals shed. They can trigger allergy symptoms such as sneezing, itching, runny nose and nasal congestion. In severe cases, dust mite allergies can cause asthma and eczema. The best way to reduce the number of mites in your home is to reduce the places where they can gather. Vacuum your furniture and floors often. You can also wash throw rugs in hot water weekly to kill them. This is especially important if you have concrete floors that remain damp and provide a warm environment for mites.
Mold
Mold is a fungi that can grow on many different types of surfaces, including floors, walls, appliances, carpet, and furniture. It can also grow in damp areas in homes, such as basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and crawl spaces. If a home has a lot of mold, the spores can be harmful to those with allergies or respiratory conditions. They can also cause asthma, sinus infections, and bronchitis. To be safe, you should dry water damaged materials within 24-48 hours and clean up any mold you find immediately. This is especially important for areas where children will be playing.
If you take care of your carpets properly, you’ll be rewarded with many years of beautiful flooring. Part of good carpet care includes getting your floors professionally cleaned about once per year. How do you know which professional carpet cleaner is the right one for you?
Here are five things to look for when choosing a professional carpet cleaner:
What kind of certification do they have? Did you know that NASA has created a series of tests for carpet cleaners? If your carpet cleaner is a true professional, they’ll be ranked by The Carpet and Rug Institute, a national independent lab that rates and ranks carpet cleaning companies. They use NASA’s guidelines to vet professional carpet cleaners. That’s a certification that—dare we say it—is out of this world.
What kind of tools do they use? Your professional carpet cleaner should have a variety of carpet cleaning tools available. The best tool around is a hot extraction wand, which agitates the carpets before cleaning, then sucks the dirt, grime and stains out before your eyes. Steam cleaners are a nice option, but they can soak your carpets. That takes forever to dry. A dry carpet cleaner may also be an option. This type of carpet cleaning gets your carpet wet, then buffs the stains out with a pad to soak up the moisture. Neither of these alternatives is as effective as a hot extraction wand, however. Be sure to ask your potential cleaner what kind of tools they use.
Which carpet cleaning products do they use? Chemicals, soap and detergent are less than ideal choices for cleaning carpets—at least in less careful hands. Harsh chemicals can leave your carpets looking nice for a short period of time, but they may also make your carpets feel stiff and crunchy. Similarly, if soap and detergent are used, you need to find out how the carpet cleaner plans to remove the detergent from the floors. If they don’t, it will leave a film on your carpet than neither looks nor feels good.
Do you like their customer support? How is the customer service when you call the carpet cleaning company? Are they pleasant? Do they answer your questions, or do they make you feel silly for asking? Customer support might not be the top priority when it comes to clean carpets, but a truly great company will value your business, and that should be obvious when you interact with them. When choosing between two good options, pick the one that demonstrates they care more about their customers.
What have previous customers said about them? Finally, check your carpet cleaner’s reviews. Look for an overall pattern—while there might be some disgruntled customers or a spate of five-star reviews with no other information, you should take it on a holistic level. If the average review indicates satisfaction, you can feel safe entrusting your carpets to these cleaners.
As a homeowner, you have many options when it comes to installing new flooring. You can choose hardwood floors, tile floors or carpet, but it’s up to you to figure out which material is right for you and your household. What do we mean by “the right material”? Some may see one type of flooring material as safer, more attractive or easier to keep clean over another. In the case of carpet, it’s unfortunately common to see its fibers as allergen trappers.
With this in mind, is there a link between carpet flooring and allergies? Read on for some facts from a professional carpet cleaning company in South Amboy, NJ.
The studies
In the past, people with asthma or severe allergies have been told to remove all carpet in their home to get relief. But is it true that carpet fibers can make these respiratory issues worse, or even cause them in the first place? Here’s where various studies come in. The past couple decades have seen studies challenging the claim that carpeting is a problem for allergy sufferers. Some studies are scientific, while others received funding from the flooring industry. Some studies actually suggest carpeting actually helps alleviate allergy symptoms.
Between the year 2000 and 2010, several reputable scientific studies—including the European Community Respiratory Health Survey and the German Allergy and Asthma Society—contradicted views that carpeting materials pose problems for those living with asthma or allergies. Findings came from studies that measured the volume of allergens in rooms with bare floors and again in rooms with carpeting. The central result of some studies was that wall-to-wall carpeting minimizes risk of allergens, while bare floors encourage more airborne particles.
Carpet holds particles: Good or bad?
Many people didn’t read the studies and sit there shocked staring at the findings. You don’t have to be a researcher to understand that carpet fibers have the ability to hold common allergens like dust, dirt, hair, pet dander, pollen and more. The thing about some of the studies is that instead of this being a drawback, it highlights it as an advantage, especially for very sensitive allergy sufferers. The agreement is that carpet holds onto the allergens, which prevents the particles from getting kicked up into the air. They are trapped in the fibers and get sucked up during the next vacuuming session.
The fact of the matter
Regardless of studies and views, the fact of the matter is that cleaning your floors is essential. If you want hard flooring, be sure to clean and maintain it properly with vacuuming, sweeping and damp washing from time to time. If you have carpeting, regular, thorough vacuuming and the occasional shampooing is the key to removing allergens from your home. You’ll breathe more easily and feel better overall. Another step to consider is going to a local flooring installer or even a doctor for advice on the best flooring material options for allergy sufferers like yourself.
A professional carpet cleaning company in South Amboy, NJ can get your carpets fresh and clean in no time. Call Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center today to book your appointment!
There are few substances as detrimental to carpeting as cat urine. This ammonia-rich, highly odorous fluid is the bane of cat owners everywhere. If you have a cat, or have recently had a furry friend visiting your abode or place of business, you may be left wondering how you can effectively remove urine without ruining the rest of your carpeting.
Because cat urine is so corrosive, it can actually degrade the quality of your carpeting over time. Cat urine is exceptionally difficult to remove, and requires lots of professional attention and care to remove effectively, especially from higher quality carpet types.
Working with a carpet cleaning company in Amboy, NJ is the best way to ensure that you’re able to remove any cat urine odors and stains from your carpet safely and effectively. In the meantime, however, there are a few steps that you can take that will minimize the likelihood that your carpeting is destroyed completely by the offending substance.
Here are just a few commonsense steps that you can take to remove cat urine from your carpeting:
Remove the urine: First, you’ll need to remove as much of the urine as you possibly can. Put on a pair of gloves, and use paper towels to blot the area dry. This should absorb any leftover urine, and allow you to begin cleaning the urine that seeped into the carpeting fibers themselves.
Use an enzyme cleaner: Enzyme cleaners are specially formulated with bacteria or enzymes that eat animal waste proteins. This means that enzyme cleaners are adept at breaking down substances that cause bad odors and stains. Saturate the affected area with an enzyme cleaner, and follow the directions on the bottle to break down the remaining urine.
Rent an extract-vac: Using a wet extraction vacuum can help you suck up any remaining urine and soil that may be left inside your carpet fibers. Always use cool water when using an extraction vacuum, however—heat may actually cause the odors to bond to the fabric.
Sprinkle some baking soda: Sprinkle baking soda or a baking soda-based deodorizer on the affected area once it dries. After letting it sit for a while, vacuum the soda up. Baking soda is an excellent tool for absorbing bad odors, and doing this will help you remove any residual smells.
Prevent future accidents: Once a cat begins peeing outside of its litter box, it’s time to evaluate why. Consider retraining them to pee in their box, spaying or neutering them or taking them to a behavioral specialist. If the problem persists, consult with your veterinarian.
For more than half a century, Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center has been a trusted carpet cleaning company in Amboy, NJ. We’re proud to provide our clients with quality carpet cleaning solutions that they can rely on. To learn more about our comprehensive carpet cleaning services, or to schedule an appointment for cat urine removal at your home or business, reach out to one of our friendly, knowledgeable representatives today.
Fabric Protection Warranty Plan
Allergies can be a real nuisance and can significantly impact our daily lives. One common culprit of allergy symptoms is the presence of allergens trapped in our carpets. Dust mites, pet dander, pollen, and other allergens can easily become embedded in carpet fibers, causing allergic reactions in susceptible individuals. That’s where professional carpet cleaning comes in. In this blog post, we will explore how professional carpet cleaning can help with allergy relief.