A new carpet should make your home a more comfortable place, but you may instead start experiencing difficulties with your skin, eyes or breathing. This may mean you are experiencing an allergic reaction, and you will need to take steps to mitigate both causes and symptoms.
What Causes a New Carpet Allergy?
There are many volatile organic compounds in carpet that may trigger an allergic reaction, particularly when it is new and they have not had time to fade. They can be released by traffic across the surface, a process known as off-gassing. Common chemicals include phenylcyclohexene, formaldehyde, acetone, benzene, xylene and toluene. Pollen, dust mites, mould, mildew and pet dander can all also contribute.
What Are the Symptoms?
Signs that you may have a new carpet allergy include itching, rashes and dermatitis on your skin, red or irritated eyes, difficulty breathing, coughing, tightness in your chest, headaches or fatigue.
How Can You Mitigate the Impact?
Medication such as antihistamines, corticosteroids or inhalers may alleviate symptoms. You can also minimise contact with the carpet, including by wearing gloves when cleaning. Professional carpet cleaning Hereford from experts such as those at //octokleen.co.uk/ can help remove allergens such as dust, pet dander and pollen. For most people, the symptoms will fade with time as off-gassing comes to an end, but there is no guarantee of how long this will take.
New carpet allergies can cause a lot of discomfort, but they do not have to ruin your experience of your new carpet. You just need to take mitigating steps until the symptoms fade.
