New Carpet Illness

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New carpets are a well-known cause of environmental illness.

Synthetic carpets release poisonous gassed for quite a while after they have been installed.

If you are considering the installation of new carpets, I advise against it.

If you are stuck with new carpets, here are some things you can try to reduce the damage.

I suggest you ventilate your home as much as possible - keep windows open as much as you can (weather permitting). If you have central heating/air conditioning, the system should have a fresh air intake. Make sure it is open to the max and leave the fan running 24/7.

If you have any extraction fans (eg from the bathroom or kitchen) that exhaust to the outside, leave them on 24/7. Note that many kitchen fans do not vent to the outside (crazy I know, but common - go figure) - so check this before bothering to leave it on all the time.

Get an activated carbon filter for your home. Hardware stores often sell HEPA filters with integrated activated carbon filters. The HEPA filter does nothing against the gasses, it is the carbon filter you are looking for.

Important Note: I don't want to scare you but you have to know: new carpets can seriously destroy your health.


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Comments

ALLERGY TO SYNTHETIC CARPETS

Hi

I think I might have taken allergy to all my synthetic carpets in my flat since I moved in over two years ago. It started a month after I moved in as it started off as a normal cold and then a cough which was very long-term like one year and a half then it calmed down for a few months before starting up again. It went away for a while again and now its back (October 2009).

I have had many tests done like chest x-rays, blood tests for diseases like anaemia, etc but they all came back negative. I even had blood tests to see for allergies but carpet fibres weren't included. does anybody think i should go back to my GP and get that done? This is the only thing i can think of now that i am suffering from as it ruins my lifestyle - i can't enjoy myself properly without coughing and spluttering.

Chemical sensitivity

Hi Sandra,

Sorry to hear about your health problems.

The problem with new carpets is usually the chemicals they release, not the fibers.

After two years, the chemicals should be long gone.

The problem could be that the chemicals you were originally exposed to have sensitized you to other substances, such as dust, mold, certain types of food etc.

Of course it is possible that your symptoms are not allergy-related, and it could be a coincidence that they started when you moved into your apartment.

If it is allergy-related, take extra care to keep the dust down and look for mold problems in potentially damp areas like in the bathroom and under the kitchen sink.

Also consider getting tested for a variety of food allergies.

Hope you're able to sort things out.

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