Be Healthy, Wealthy and Wise with Carpet

Carpet is a great way to decorate because of the textures, colors and patterns available. It looks good, but it also provides a variety of benefits. Carpet insulates, typically resulting in 10% or more in energy savings. Carpet absorbs sound, making a house quieter and more relaxing. And of course carpet is safer, reducing the occurrence of slips and falls and the severity of associated injuries from these accidents. But did you realize that carpet is also an economical and prudent choice for maintenance and health reasons? Little Maintenance Carpet requires less maintenance than hard surface floors such as hardwood, vinyl and tile. Interim care of carpet is accomplished simply by vacuuming. Depending on the number of people and pets, this may be done in as little as 2 or 3 hours a month in the typical household. Aside from prompt attention to spills, this is usually all that is needed between professional cleanings. By contrast, think of all the cleaners, sealers, waxes and polishes needed to keep a hard floor looking good and the amount of time it takes to sweep and mop. Let’s not forget how much it can cost to have a professional restore a scratched, dull marble or wood floor, or to clean, remove stains and seal tile and grout. While it is true that hard surface floors are easier to clean in the event of a liquid spill, properly maintained modern carpeting has protectors such as 3M Scotchgard and DuPont Teflon factory applied which helps them clean-up well. Of course, eventually, this protection wears off, just as the protective finish on a new car does. And just as you need to wax your car to refresh that protection, your carpet should have a protector reapplied periodically. In cases where the protector is maintained, prompt response usually achieves good results in spill removal. Carpet is Good for Your HealthContrary to opinions by well-meaning but ill-informed “experts,” carpet that is properly maintained actually improves indoor air quality. How? Carpet acts as a filter, trapping pollutants such as dust pollen, dander, smoke, and dust mite contamination as air passes through it. Studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that carpet acts as a “sink” for pollutants. This fact caused some experts to contend that carpet contributed to poor indoor air quality and associated ill health effects. But this view misses one key point. As the EPA pointed out, carpet acts as a “sink,” trapping these.