Allergy Relief
Important Facts If You Suffer From Allergies and Chemically Sensitivities
Find Tips to Improve Indoor Air Quality Here
Your Home Could Be Making You Sick
Are you one of the 60 million Americans that suffer from asthma and/or allergies?
The underlying cause of any allergy is an over-reaction by a sensitive immune system that perceives the allergen as a threat.
Allergy sufferers and asthmatics tend to stay indoors in the spring and summer, when outdoor air is full of pollen and spores. But dust mites and animal dander can cause problems indoors. In fact, the quality of the air inside your home could be worse than the air quality outside!
Soft, porous surfaces like carpet and upholstered furniture trap dirt and allergens from the air. If deep cleaning isn’t done often enough, the build up of dust and allergens won’t take long, which will affect your indoor air quality. Cleaning is one of the main ways to reduce allergens inside your home.
How Distinctive Can Help Reduce Allergies Inside Your Home
1. Deep Cleaning of Carpet, Upholstery & Rugs Using the Hot Water Extraction Method
Carpet manufacturers require the Hot Water Extraction cleaning method to maintain carpet warranties. If this method is performed properly, it will thoroughly rinse and extract the dirt, allergens, dust and other pollutants from your carpet, upholstery and rugs.
Some homeowners may have chosen dry cleaning over this method of cleaning, out of fear of mold and mildew could develop on their furnishings after cleaning with hot water. This cleaning method is less effective and not recommended by carpet manufacturers.
2. Our Thorough Cleaning Method Will Help Your Carpet, Upholstery & Rugs Dry Quickly & Will Not Cause Mold or Mildew
Improper cleaning technique can result in overwetting the carpet, upholstery or rugs, which can take days to dry. Many customers have concerns over mold and mildew growing on their wet or damp furnishings, which could make their allergies worse.
Distinctive’s cleaning method is focused on not overwetting your carpet, upholstery or rugs. We take multiple vacuum passes with our cleaning tool after cleaning in order to extract as much dirt, allergens, dust, etc. as well as cleaning solution. We also set up high-speed fans to help things dry quickly.
3. Our Clean Equipment Exhausts Outside, Rather Than Into Your Home
Rather than using a portable cleaning machine, which will exhaust the dust and allergens being extracted from your furnishings back inside of your home, our equipment exhausts outside. Everything that we extract becomes contained within a tank inside of our truck.
We also use a new, fresh filter at each customer’s home to give us optimal vacuum for extraction so that we leave your carpet, upholstery and rugs as dry as possible. We also do not recycle our cleaning solution or fresh water – we have one tank for each on our truck and they do not mix.
4. Application of Specialized Allergy Relief Product
Distinctive can apply a specialized allergy relief product after cleaning to further help reduce allergies inside your home. This product has been proven effective in denaturing the protein allergens from dust mite droppings, cockroach droppings, dog dander, and cat saliva.
It is a water-based solution that contains a powerful active ingredient derived from naturally occurring extracts found in certain fruit and vegetable seeds. It can provide a residual effect for up to six months, when properly applied.
The treatment is safe for you, your children, your pets and the environment. It is hypoallergenic, non-toxic, virtually odor free and readily biodegradable. It is specially formulated for use around people with allergic illnesses and chemical sensitivities. It does not contain pesticides, perfumes, harmful solvents, or other hazardous ingredients.
5. NO Use of Fragrances, Plus a Green Cleaning Product Upon Request
We will never add fragrances to our cleaning solutions. Some of our products naturally have a slight scent. Usually our cleaning is performed in well ventilated areas, so this is rarely an issue.
If you are extremely sensitive to any smells or chemicals, we ask that you immediately bring this to our attention. We may suggest that you consider leaving your home while we are working to prevent any reaction.
We offer a cleaning solution made of 100% food grade ingredients that can be used upon request. However, if your carpet, upholstery or rugs are heavily soiled, this product may not provide the best results.
Fact or Myth: If You Suffer From Allergies or Asthma, You Should Replace Your Carpet With Hard Surface
Many people think that carpets and allergies are a bad combination. Health professionals sometimes even recommend that allergy and asthma patients remove carpet from their homes.
According to The Carpet & Rug Institute, “not one scientific study affirms a link between the increase of allergies and asthma and the widespread use of carpet in homes. In fact, several studies not only refute a correlation, they even seem to indicate carpet may actually be beneficial to allergy sufferers.”
Their findings go on to say, “A Swedish study found that when carpet use in that country declined by 70 percent, allergies in the general population increased by 30 percent. Another study, encompassing nearly 20,000 people in 18 different countries, found reduced asthma symptoms among people with carpeted bedrooms. Finally, a study of more than 4,600 New Jersey school children found that kids with moderate to severe asthma who had carpet in their bedrooms missed fewer school days and had less need for asthma medication.”
Joe Yarbrough of the Carpet & Rug Institute states, “One explanation could be that carpet acts like a filter, trapping allergens and keeping them out of the air so they can be removed through proper cleaning. Effectively cleaned carpet can maintain indoor air quality, making it a viable choice for families impacted by allergies and asthma.”
Find more information on carpet and allergies and more on The CRI’s website here.
For a healthier indoor environment, the IICRC recommends: Have your carpet cleaned professionally at least once a year by a certified firm to ensure the use of proper extraction procedures, to make certain that the carpet is not overwetted and that the soil is not just redistributed, but removed.
Why Cleaning Your Carpet, Upholstery & Rugs Every 12-18 Months Is So Important To Reduce Allergies
Watch the video below to see all of the dust, dirt, allergens, and more that we extract from carpet, upholstery & rugs everyday
Tips To Improve Indoor Air Quality & Reduce Allergies
Vacuum Regularly
High-traffic or pet areas should be vacuumed daily, medium-traffic areas need to be vacuumed about twice a week and light-traffic areas should be vacuumed weekly. Use a CRI-certified vacuum for optimum soil removal, dust containment and to avoid damage to your carpet.
Locally, we recommend Service All Vacuum for all of your Fort Wayne vacuum needs.
Limit Dirt Intrusion
Keeping as much dirt and grime off your carpet and flooring as possible is ideal. Be proactive and put out a durable entrance mat for guests to wipe off their feet before entering your home. Then require everyone to take off their shoes so less dirt is tracked inside.
Deep Clean Carpet, Upholstery, & Rugs
Once a year, your carpet should be professionally cleaned by hot water extraction (AKA Steam Cleaning). This process extracts deeply embedded dirt that regular vacuuming can’t reach.
If you suffer from particularly bad allergies, consider cleaning your upholstered furniture and area rugs also. Like carpet, these also need regular cleaning. Consider hiring a professional cleaner once a year or as needed.
Locally, we recommend Maid Perfect for all of your general Fort Wayne home cleaning needs.
Clean Your Air Ducts
Your home HVAC system collects and circulates contaminants throughout your home, which can contribute to indoor allergies. Cleaning your air ducts can reduce the amount of the allergens circulating through your ventilation system, which can improve indoor air quality.
Cleaning air ducts benefits everyone, especially the young and the elderly, as well as those with asthma, allergies or other respiratory conditions.
Locally, we recommend Quality Air Duct Cleaning for this service.
Maintain Your Furnace Filter
A clean and maintained furnace filter will keep your air cleaner by increasing circulation and will also reduce heating costs, which will improve the efficiency of your furnace.
Change your filter when it is dirty. This can vary from home to home based on how many people live there, how many pets there are, and how severe your allergies are. In general, change your filter about once a month.
Control Temperature & Humidity
Maintaining a relative humidity of 35–50 % is optimal. When the relative humidity is in this range, there is a greater reduction of mold growth and dust mites. Use a dehumidifier to control the humidity levels in your home.
Keep the windows closed on days with a high-pollen count and use the air conditioning to reduce indoor contaminants.
