Asthma, Allergies and the benefits of Wooden Floors
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Asthma, Allergies and the benefits of Wooden Floors
When it comes to choosing a new floor covering for a room, most of us opt for traditional carpets. But although carpet can look great—unless you have a momentary lapse in good taste and pick the psychedelic colour swirl option—never underestimate the suitability of wooden flooring, particularly if you or other family members suffer from allergies.
Allergies to dust, pollen and pet hair are a relatively modern phenomenon. Stone Age man was more likely to be eaten by a sabre-toothed tiger than suffer an asthma attack whilst chasing a woolly mammoth. Indeed, some experts have even described allergies as a 21st Century epidemic because the prevalence of allergic disease has risen so sharply in recent decades. But irrespective of what causes allergies, there is no doubt that making a few simple alterations to your home can significantly reduce the symptoms of asthma and other allergic reactions, so here are a few recommendations from GJP Floor Sanding Brighton:
Carpets attract dust, pet hair, and all kinds of other nasty microbes. You might not think it to look at your nice cream Berber, but lurking beneath the fibres are a whole host of allergens, and no matter how fastidious you are with the vacuum cleaner, it is impossible to prevent pet hair and the like from accumulating over time. By contrast, wooden flooring is far easier to keep clean, and therefore a lot more hygienic, particularly when you share your home with pets.
Imagine the bacteria your pet cat leaves all over the carpets each time he uses his litter tray and then goes for a wander. The same also applies to dogs—you may take your shoes off when you come inside, but he doesn’t! Carpets are a breeding ground for unmentionable things, and even if you scrupulously vacuum or clean regularly, you are never going to win the war of attrition unless you cover everything in plastic and stick crime scene tape over the door to prevent unauthorised entry.
Wooden floors are considerably more hygienic. You can damp mop them as often as you like and whereas the average parasite considers your shag pile carpet the Ritz, wooden floors do not harbour allergen causing dust mites, pollen or pet hair and your family will enjoy living in a much healthier environment.
And if Fluffy has a little toilet accident, there is no need to panic—some damage limitation with a wet mop will soon remove all evidence of the misdemeanour. Unlike if you have carpets. Whereas the pungent aroma of cat pee is extremely difficult to remove from carpets, particularly if Fluffy is very cunning and sneaks behind the TV, wooden floors do not trap odours in the same unpleasant way.