Think You’re Allergic to Berber Carpet?

Are you having second thoughts about buying a new Berber carpet? Have you heard stories that Berber carpets can trigger allergies? If someone in your family suffers from any allergies, research all your flooring options before purchasing any type of floor. When it comes to allergic reactions to flooring material, knowledge is your best friend.

Berber carpet for example is a family of carpets that has a weave characteristic. Berber is named after the Berber tribe of Africa that pioneered this type of weave used in Berber carpets. While the Berber tribe used wool or camel hair for their fabric, modern times have seen synthetic fibers used in the manufacture of Berber carpets.

Some of the man-made fibers used to manufacture the Berber carpets can produce VOC’s (Volatile organic compounds) that in turn can trigger allergies. The allergic reactions to Berber carpets are likely to be the result of either the fiber used to manufacture the carpet or the chemicals emanating from the carpet pad.

Materials Used to Manufacture Berber Carpets

Berber carpets were originally manufactured from natural wool, and those carpets are usually non-allergenic. They can safely be used in any home. If you suffer from a contact allergy to wool – the contact period with Berber carpet is fairly short not to trigger an allergic response. Other materials used to manufacture Berber carpets are olefins, polyester, PET and other synthetic blends. If your heart is set on natural fibers then apart from Berber carpet many other types of natural flooring are also available.

Avoiding Allergic Reactions to Berber Carpets

• Choosing the right material – Berber carpets made from wool or nylon are safe as far as allergies are concerned. The cheaper materials and synthetic blends may, however, not be as reliable. The key lies in VOCs. When buying a non-wool or non-nylon Berber carpet it is better to seek a low VOC carpet.
• Leaving the room unoccupied immediately after installation – Berber carpets made from cheaper fibers or those that use cheap carpet padding are likely to emit chemicals like VOCs and formaldehyde for some time after installation. It is best to leave the room unoccupied and ventilated after installation if a chemical smell can be detected.
• Avoiding harsh cleaning agents– Berber carpets should not be cleaned with chemical bleaches and other strong cleaning agents. Because of the unique weave of the carpet it is very difficult to remove traces of chemical cleaning agents from the carpet – these residual chemical cleaning agents in turn may trigger allergic responses from the Berber carpets.
• Regular cleaning – Berber carpets do tend to accumulate dust. The advantage is that because of the unique weave they accumulate the dust and other particles closer to the floor and do not allow them to escape easily. In fact carpets can help improve air quality by keeping allergens closer to the floor. Regularly cleaning the carpet ensures that the trapped allergens are eliminated. The problem arises if the carpet is not cleaned – it may then become full of dust, dust mites, mold and mildew.
• Buying formaldehyde free carpet pads – carpet pads, particularly those of poor quality, are likely to contain formaldehyde. The formaldehyde is emitted over time and may cause respiratory problems. Therefore you need to make sure that the carpet pad is formaldehyde free.

Is hardwood flooring better?

Hardwood flooring does not trap pollen or dust like a carpet does and to that extent they are better than carpets. At the end of the day it is a matter of individual taste. There may be people who dislike dust particles floating in the air as would happen with a hard floor while others may not like particles settled in the carpet.

Many people are not allergic to Berber carpets, but it is important to purchase good quality carpets from reputable sources. Also, closely follow the care and maintenance instructions for carpet. This prolongs the life of your carpet, reduces the possibility of any allergic reactions, and improves the air quality in general. If Berber carpet is not what you are looking for there are many other carpet styles that you can choose from.

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