Avoiding Dust Allergies During Carpet Cleaning
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Cleaning a
carpet traditionally while suffering from allergies can be a real bummer. Most
specifically, the most common type of allergy that gets in your way during
cleaning is a dust allergy or, to be precise, a dust mite allergy.
People
aren’t actually allergic to dust. As per the Mayo Clinic, what they’re allergic
to are the tiny and practically undetectable bugs. Like spiders and ticks,
they’re eight-legged, but without a microscope, you won’t be able to see them.
They
hide in humid environments and dust, mostly in carpeting and furniture, and
they feed off of your skin cells.
While
all that in and of itself is disgusting, the only way to really protect
yourself against dust mites is to make sure that they don’t have an environment
to thrive in. That means keeping your carpet clean with very regular
maintenance.
Beating the Dust
Typically,
getting rid of dust in a carpet was a matter of beating the carpet, going over
it with a brush, and doing other things that could potentially aggravate your
allergies. Even going over your carpet with some dry vacuuming can run you the
risk of causing a reaction.
Instead,
there are ways to clean the carpet without triggering your allergies. The
safest way is through water vapor. Like steam, vapor is superheated water, yet,
unlike steam, there’s a lot less water. That’s a good thing, because a steam
cleaning system may leave mold and mildew as a result of the moisture you’ve
create with the steam. As WebMD notes, don’t try and shampoo your carpeting,
either. This creates moisture and sticky residue.
Whereas
steam cleaners contain a lot of water, vapor only uses about 5 percent water,
making them more efficient while cutting excess water.
Use a Carpet Sweeper
Whereas
other options leave a lot of dust swirling in the air, or may result in a damp
environment perfect for the breeding and proliferation of bacteria, mold, and
dust mites, a simple and cost-effective carpet
sweeper from a reputable
company like Fuller is a great solution to cut your costs and keep your
allergies from acting up and flaring out against you.
While carpet
cleaners have been largely phased out by vacuum cleaners, there are still
several reasons to use them. For one, you’re less likely to send dust flying
with a sweeper. Then there’s also the fact that it’s much cheaper, and cost is
always a big issue.
If
you lack the extension cable, there are pieces of carpet you may have a hard
time reaching with a regular vacuum, where you might usually need a portable
vacuum cleaner.
Finally,
there’s the noise. Vacuum cleaners are very loud, while sweepers are a softer,
quieter and simpler alternative.
Clean Your Curtains
If
you’re still suffering from the effects of your allergies despite cleaning
often, then take the advice of Gaiam, and clean your curtains and stuffed toys
as well. They may be the cause for your allergy problems, rather than your
carpeting.
Either
way, you’ve got a bunch of options for taking care of dust problems that don’t
involve actually getting into direct contact with the dust.
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