Carpet and Asthma: What’s The Deal?

For years, we were told not to have carpet. We were told that wood flooring, tile, or linoleum was better for managing asthma symptoms. There’s a good reason for this. However, new evidence suggests that carpeting may not be as harmful to asthmatics as previously thought. Here’s what to know about the relationship between carpet and asthma.

The traditional advice on carpets and asthma

Common belief holds that carpets are harmful for allergies and asthma. This is because carpet may harbor pollutants such as dust mites, pollen, animal dander, and other allergens. These particles can easily become airborne and be inhaled, especially during vacuuming.

The remedy often suggested is a different type of flooring. Ideal flooring includes wood, tile, and linoleum. There is a good reason we are told that hard floors are ideal for asthmatics: they can be easily mopped clean. This can keep the air free and clear of potential allergens and asthma triggers.

This is what they always say. By they, I mean almost everyone. The American Lung Association says it, AllergyLiving.com says it, and nearly every credible allergy and asthma organization says it. So, it’s got to be true, right?^1,2

The not-so traditional advice on carpets and asthma

I've always been one to question traditional advice. Just because everyone else is saying something doesn't necessarily make it true. In fact, if everyone is thinking the same thing, then something is probably wrong. It’s moments like these that get me thinking: Does this make sense? Are hard floors really ideal for asthmatics?

Personally, I have always had carpet in my homes. The type of carpet I use is low shag. I have never had an issue with this, and my kids haven’t either. Plus, when you sweep wood, tile, and linoleum floors, dust becomes airborne. Dust and debris accumulate no matter what kind of flooring you have.

My hypothesis is that low-shag carpet is fine for people with asthma. So, I set off to investigate this theory in the wide world of Google.

What the carpet sellers say about carpet and asthma

I initially got the idea from a blog post on Johnson Memorial Health's website. The blogger cited 3 sources that noted studies showing some carpets, when cleaned properly, were just fine for asthma.³

One of the sources, Medscape, is a very credible source in my book. The article, "Properly cleaned carpeting okay for people with asthma," discussed a 2012 study. It concluded that effective carpet cleaning significantly reduced allergen levels in carpets and carpeted rooms.⁴

Is this research trustworthy?

Still, this is just one study, conducted in a controlled setting. There is no indication of the type of carpet studied, so there is definitely room for further research. However, it shows that getting rid of carpet may not always be necessary, provided the carpet is regularly cleaned.

Studies like this are valuable because they challenge common beliefs. Despite that, people who sell rugs and carpets use them to the fullest extent. CarpetYourLife.com and TheSpruce.com are examples of such sites. This makes sense, after all, as they are trying to sell their products. But are their claims that carpets are safe for asthmatics actually true?^5,6

Turning to literature on carpets and asthma

Studies are great, but the best studies are reviews of multiple studies or reviews of all accumulated literature on a particular subject. Based on a preponderance of the evidence, they usually come to the best conclusions.

A review of studies about carpet and asthma was published in The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in February 2018. The review included relevant literature on the subject from the 1980s to 2018.⁷

The authors noted a few key facts:

• Solid floors are easier and less expensive to clean. Carpet is harder to clean and more expensive, so many people delay cleaning for far longer than necessary. To me, this is a key finding. It shows that, even with good cleaning, most people don't do it often enough to keep carpets allergen-free.
• They confirm that carpets may emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds may trigger allergy and asthma symptoms. However, this effect is less common in newer carpets, and all new flooring may emit VOCs.
• Overall, the evidence shows that carpet increases airborne pollutant levels more than hard floors do.
• Earlier studies show that pollutants (like allergens) can be harbored in carpet fibers, but these pollutants are only harmful when aerosolized in large amounts.
• Data from newer studies confirm older findings that carpets may harbor pollutants, which may trigger allergy and asthma symptoms.⁷

Potential problems with these studies

The authors noted potential problems with this data. This transparency is good because it shows a lack of bias; it shows the intent is not to simply follow traditional advice.

The problem noted is that most of the literature reviewed failed to specify the type of carpet used or how well-ventilated the rooms were. Despite this significant flaw, they decided that the evidence was insufficient to overturn past recommendations. The authors wrote:⁷

“To reduce the burden of disease, the avoidance of widespread use of carpets should be among the factors considered. For this reason, use of carpeted floors in schools and kindergartens should also be avoided, at least until more scientific knowledge is provided."

Fine. I can agree with this conclusion.

My final thoughts on carpet and asthma

Personally, this review of literature fails to change my mind, but neither do the few studies claiming to prove that well-cleaned carpet is fine for asthma. As the authors note, I would like to see more evidence. I would also like to see more studies comparing low-shag carpet flooring with hard flooring. Is one truly better than the other? We still don’t know.

Lacking further evidence, I think the decision to install or remove carpet should be made on an individual basis. In my case, since carpet has never bothered me, I have no intention of making any changes based solely on conventional wisdom.