By Diana, Contributing Writer
We are a carpet free home for several reasons. The main one is due to my severe dust allergies. However, there are numerous reasons to get rid of carpet in your home. Most of which relate to the health of you and your family.
5 Reasons to Get Rid of Carpet
1. Hidden Mold and Fungus
In many homes, carpet can be found near entries, in bathrooms, or even in laundry areas. If any moisture builds up then mold can grow. Even steam cleaning isn’t going to save you from it. You will most likely need an expert to come in and clean it. To prevent it in the first place…use a solution of vinegar, alcohol, water, and carpet cleaning solution frequently.
2. Bacteria and Dust Particles
If you have carpet, you have a vacuum cleaner, and according to studies all vacuum cleaners (even the most expensive ones with HEPA filters) release some bacteria and dust particles. Knowing that bacteria can stay viable for up to 2 months in a vacuum cleaner is pretty gross. So you could be showering your entire house with bacteria and dust every time you vacuum. Yummy!
3. Carcinogens
Most carpet is made with carcinogens and volatile organic compounds. So by placing them in your home you are increasing your risk of experiencing cancer, irritated skin, headaches, respiratory problems, coughs, fatigue, irritated eyes, irritated nose and throat.
4. Skin Cells
A carpet can hold up to 8 times it’s weight in dust and other skin particles. So the dog, the cat, the dirty shoes, the dirty kids, the food spills, the general dead skin and dust, dust mites, cleaning solutions, are all sitting in your carpet potentially making you sick. I know this was a factor for me. Once ours was removed I could breathe so much easier.
5. Replacement Costs
Carpet doesn’t last as long as hard surface flooring such as cork, bamboo, tile, or hardwood. So you need to replace it more frequently, add to our enormous pile of garbage from generations of wastefulness, and continue the cycle as it gets stained and worn. Not a great cycle. So if you do replace it, try to find a location to recycle it.
I know it’s not too profound but if your family has any member already struggling with health issues this is really something you should consider. I know it made a dramatic difference for me, especially at night when I was sleeping in the formerly carpet filled room. Suddenly, I was breathing better and not waking up as stuffy nosed!
Do You Still Have Carpet in Your Home? Have You Replaced it With Something Else?
References:
6 Surprising Sources of Toxins in your home.
Toxins in Our Homes: Carpeting, Carpet Cleaners, and Vacuums
Great post, I have an inner hatred for carpet ever since the carpet in my childhood home gave me horrible allergies. My home is now all wood, and there’s no allergies! I hope to never have carpet again. Plus, it’s so hard to clean!
I hope to find some time to read your blog 🙂
[…] that involve making home improvements, such as upgrading your stove, sealing your air ducts, or replacing carpet with hardwood or natural flooring. The best news is that you don’t have to stress about which […]
I Agree that is better to avoid carpets on bedrooms due to all the allergens and microorganisms that it retains. However i think that if you buy a good carpet it gives a great glowing look to your home or living room. But if you are going to buy a carpet you have to be willing to give it regular maintenance, vacuuming and hiring professional cleaning otherwise avoid it.
Oh my gosh!! God Bless you. My husband and i put in new carpet because we wanted to delay the cost of hardwood floors. We should’ve just put them in before we moved in!!! Now, 3 yrs later, we need to replace HVAC and other repairs but we are all getting sick more often, we don’t have any pets. I try to vacuum at least 2x a week. I keep telling my husband that even when we walk on the carpet, dust and other bacteria gets kicked up in the air we breathe. He thinks i am crazy. We live in Kansas, lots of allergies!!!
I have to get rid of my carpet due to allergies, I have to start shots. But can’t afford to change my flooring. What do I do.I really need and want to take my carpet out, the doctor said start in bedroom first. But I’m on a fixed income. I have paid for cleaning but,that really didn’t last.
Great post. I hate carpet. Replacing it with bamboo flooring as we speak. When you do your research and understand the health hazards (and just grossness) associated with it, you’ll get rid of carpet asap. I don’t mind a nice area rug for some areas of the home over hardwoods or tile, but wall-to-wall carpet is just disgusting to me.