What are allergens, and what is allergen removal?
So you get home after a hard day. But you start sneezing, coughing, wheezing; your eyes are itchy, or they’re tearing up. You say you don’t have a cold? Well, then, it sounds like your allergies are acting up. You may want to consider hiring an allergen removal contractor.
Allergies are exaggerated responses in our immunity systems to things that are generally not harmful to us. And allergens cause these reactions. Some of the most common allergens are animal parasites, dust, perfumes, plants, and pollen. Mold and the waste generated by dust mites are two other good examples of common allergens.
Carpets are a serious collector of allergens. It’s too bad that these bothersome substances are attracted to the comfortable surfaces we sometimes choose to cover our hard floors. Dust mites, pet dander, and mold spores collect carpet fibers over time. In fact, carpets may contain over 100 times more allergens than you’d find in hard flooring.
The Carpet and Rug Institute says that carpets keep allergens out of the air because they are attracted to the thick carpet fibers. But this fact is not particularly beneficial to those prone to allergic reactions. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says that while it’s true that carpets can keep a hold on many annoying allergens, movement can cause them to break out into the air. That means carpets are good at containing allergens, but walking on carpets, putting bags down on the floor, moving furniture, or sitting down are all activities that can send the collected allergens flying into the air. Then they hover for hours before settling down again.
But how does allergen removal work? The process generally has three steps.
First, your allergen removal service will want to test the air for specific allergens. In this process, a reading of the air reveals the major trouble-causers. Then the allergen removal contractor can show you a graph of the air as it is full of allergens, and how it is expected to be after purification.
Second, an industrial air filter is used to extract impurities. These filters are nearly 100% efficient. An air pump uses this filter to remove impurities (allergens) from the air and pumps fresh air into the room.
Third, the contractor undertakes the main tasks of allergen removal, like carpet cleaning. At the same time that this is going on, the industrial air filtration process continues unabated.
There are two kinds of carpet cleaning — dry cleaning and wet cleaning.
Dry cleaning uses a low moisture system. It is faster and involves less labor than wet cleaning. Compounds and cleaning solutions are employed to wash out the carpet. This is all done without water. Detergents and emulsifiers break down stains and dirt in the carpet, and dissolve any grease, too. Then an absorbent, biodegradable compound is spread evenly over the whole surface of the carpet, and scrubbed in thoroughly. Dirt and impurities are attracted to this compound. Then the allergen removal service contractor vacuums the carpet, and all the impurities and dirt are sucked up along with the dry compounds they are now stuck to. The carpet is clean and dry, too.
Wet cleaning can be divided into two processes — steam and shampoo treatment.
With steam, a pressurized cleaning tool travels over the whole carpet rinsing out the preconditioner that was first put down. The high temperature of steam (above boiling point) is an efficient way to kill unwanted bacteria and bugs, like dust mites.
With shampoo, water and wet detergents are scrubbed into the carpet. Dirt and grime is attracted to the detergent compound. The compound is allowed to dry. Then vacuuming clears out the detergents along with the dirt, grime, and allergens that had attached to the detergents.
Who should hire an allergen removal service?
People prone to allergic reactions will want to consider hiring an allergen removal service, maybe regularly. Carpeted floors are an added incentive for allergy-prone people to hire this special cleaning service.
You may especially want to consider allergen removal if you have children. They’re more prone to allergens than many adults.
These three fundamental situations can help you determine whether to hire an allergen removal service. The first — dust mites. These incredibly small bugs love warm, moist places like pillows, mattresses and, that’s right, carpets. They themselves aren’t the problem, it’s the waste they produce. The waste that mites generate is a serious allergen. It can also irritate asthma. The second situation — after a flood or a leak. The moisture from these events breads mold, and that can even cause respiratory problems. And the third: pet dander (especially in carpeting). Your home vacuuming unit is not strong enough to clear these allergens from a carpet.
Some other times you may want to consider an allergen removal service are after construction because of the drywall dust, and after duct-cleaning because of the dust and dander released.
What are the benefits and drawbacks to allergen removal?
The professional process of allergen removal can potentially disrupt the peace and tranquility of your home environment. A crew of people and the machines they’d bring into your home could cause you unwanted stress. If you’re not so prone to allergic reactions, and going through with this service is merely precautionary, then you may simply be adding anxiety to your routine.
However, if you’re not prone to frequent allergic reactions, maybe your friends and extended family members are. If they have trouble visiting your home because you have high levels of allergens, then you may want to consider hiring an allergen removal service, for the sake of hospitality.
The bottom line with allergen removal:
Allergens cause allergic reactions in many people. But these substances can be extracted from the living environment; you don’t have to live with allergens in your home. A professional allergen removal service has all the right tools to get rid of the trouble-causing allergens and purify your air.