Seasonal Allergies: Your Carpets and Ducts Could be to Blame

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, characterized by sneezing, coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, your dirty carpets and ductwork could be a major culprit. You’re not alone: more than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, which also happens to be the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in this country, says the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

An allergy is when your immune system reacts to an allergen, or foreign substance. Often times, this is something you have inhaled into your lungs, which leads to coughing, sneezing, itchy eyes, scratchy throat and runny nose. In the more severe cases, it causes hives, rashes, low blood pressure, breathing difficulties, asthma attacks and even death.

Many allergens are in the air we breathe. The ductwork throughout our homes can be a breeding ground for dust mites, dirt and debris, made worse by the constant circulation of that air throughout the house. Those allergens also get stuck in the carpet, which happens to be the largest filter of allergens ranging from dust mites to mold to pet dander. Air duct cleaning and carpet cleaning can help your symptoms immensely.

Ducts

Acting essentially as the lungs of the home, your air ducts have a very important job, pushing hot and cold air through vents to increase occupants’ comfort. But many allergens hitch along for the ride, dispersing throughout your home and making you sick. For those prone to allergies or asthma, getting ductwork cleaned regularly can make all the difference.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests having the air ducts cleaned if:

  • You see mold inside sheet metal ducts or on other parts of your heating and cooling system.
  • Your ducts have been infested with vermin such as rodents or insects.
  • Your ducts are clogged with large amounts of dust and debris which are being released into the home via the supply registers.
  • You notice visual clues, like signs of mold and excessive dust around air vents.
  • Your home is more than 10 years old and the ducts have never been cleaned.
  • You notice allergy symptoms when you turn on your heating and cooling system.
  • You have asthma that’s not well controlled despite taking medicine.

Carpets

If you have carpeting throughout your home, you have an extra challenge on your hands when it comes to cleaning. But all the vacuuming in the world can’t get all the allergens out of your carpet. This means carpet can harbor dust mites, pet dander, pollen, mold, ground in dirt and other irritating substances for years. Meanwhile, you’re breathing those in every single day.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors, where they are consistently exposed to airborne particles and indoor allergens that may result in respiratory symptoms. Dirty carpets can contribute to that poor indoor air quality.

If you suffer from allergies, you need to be diligent in caring for your carpet. That includes:

  • Vacuuming at least once a week, with a vacuum featuring a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.
  • Reducing the humidity levels in your home so mold and dust mites cannot get out of control.
  • Steam clean your carpets several times a year. Note: not all carpet cleaners use true steam cleaning methods. 1st Class Carpet does. Water must be applied at a constant 200 degrees Fahrenheit and provide a consistent suction to be effective.
  • Keep windows closed during allergy season and on days where the pollen levels are very high.
  • Wash throw rugs in hot water on a regular basis.
  • Deep clean other soft fabrics in your home, including upholstery and drapery.
  • Install an air-filtration system that features a HEPA filter.

Contact 1st Class Carpet Cleaning & Restoration Services

To learn more about how our carpet cleaning and duct cleaning services can help alleviate your allergies, or to schedule an appointment, contact us at (248) 491-3088.

I have used 1st Class for both a commercial building and our home. Both experiences were great! I thought our carpet at home was past the point of no return, but they did an amazing job. Pet stains and heavy traffic areas look so great. They are super responsive and timely. A great local small business! I would highly recommend.
Lori G.
1702495785
Great company, great owners. They always do a thorough carpet cleaning.
Cherie M.
1697816131
Excellent service. They really know there stuff when it comes to cleaning carpet and couches. Friendly staff. Very reasonable prices. Thank you.
Dawn M.
1697748812
Ginny and Claude came on short notice. They did a great job.
Karen W.
1696942876
I could not be happier with our cleaning service from 1st Class! From my first call, Ginny worked with me to optimize the timing of our cleaning with other work being done, and all communication from there was clear and thorough. Claude and Ginny are genuinely nice people and were a pleasure to work with during the cleaning. They clearly know their stuff and stand behind their work. Results were my formerly bedraggled 9 year old carpets looking brand new and a company I will definitely use again and recommend to others.
Sarah C.
1690119577
This Company did a fantastic job on our 30+ year old carpet that just won't wear out! While we were moving furniture back afterward, I noticed a strip in a traffic area that didn't look quite right. When I contacted them, they were back out within a few hours and promptly took care of the issue!
Sue G.
1689009954
Awesome company, my furniture looks amazing. They were clean and professional. Also, on time and went right to work!
michele G.
1686777573
I saw their google reviews and called them for carpet cleaning. Very professional and the best carpet cleaners I have ever had and very reasonable prices. 😊😊😊
Sneha P.
1683569131
Very professional, polite, the carpets looked and smelled wonderful!
Christine L.
1680714897
I called him on Saturday to clean my couch and my chair and they came out on Sunday and did an awesome job. I will be using this company again
Tina S.
1670174552
This company is amazing! I highly recommend them! They were on time and super friendly and did an amazing job! Great experience!
Grace S.
1669998431
Team just left moments ago after carpet cleaning. House looks much better already. They got out stuck on stains. Highly recommend them. After using others, they are now our go to carpet cleaning crew.
J. A.
1669062636
Are use this company for air duct and dryer vent cleaning services. The team was extremely professional and courteous and informed me of any concerns with my events. I was very happy with the quality of the service and the duration.
Heather S.
1665590843
1st Class is exceptional. Extremely responsive, courteous, thorough and on time. Definitely recommend! THANK YOU!
Lindsay G.
1648652425
Wow 1st class is their name for a reason. I had the vent cleaning, carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning services done today. They did such a thorough job in 2.5 hours for a 2500 sqft house, very nice owners (husband/wife) team that show up and WORK. Very satisfied.
Caitlin S.
1641858200
Hung up the phone and they were at our front door in minutes. Toilet leaking all over wet carpet.
Chris J.
1640989535
My 2 dogs got skunked last night. We cleaned up everything we could ourselves but our main rug i couldnt get the smell out. I called 1st class and HANDS DOWN the FASTEST SERVICE IVE EVER GOTTEN. Lucky for me they live down the road and were here at my house 15 mins later. Totally professional, got rid of the smell and so understanding and helpful.Im passing there information on to all my neighbors and friends because you dont get service like they provide anywhere else!!!Thanks again for everything!!!!
Kyle O.
1623725676
Would recommend this company. On time and courteous. Excellent job on my carpet which was extremely dirty looks great now.
Dorothy M.
1596575255
They were fabulous! They were early and got some nasty stuff out. Thank you so much.
Laura Y.
1596123532
We have a carpet that was the best quality at the time, but is 30 years old. It had so many stains, I was sure they were permanent. The owners showed up with state of the art equipment and 'steam' cleaned, not hot water clean, and got almost every stain and mark out of this old carpet. It honestly looks like new. The only stain remaining was because it was actual wood stain and you have to replace the carpet with that much damage. The steam allows you to walk on the carpet in 6 hours instead of the usual 24. We are selling this house and the carpet was the only sore spot, but not anymore. I will recommend this company to family and friends with a clear conscience.
Tom T.
1592497106
On time. Easy to contact and schedule appointment. The carpet looks great!
Carla P.
1581952818
Very professional. Did a great job. They are the only carpet cleaning company I use.
Absolutely awesome experience! I needed anti-microbial cleaning for a guest coming with severe allergies. They arrived promptly, were fast and efficient and I’ll recommend them all day long.
Ann I.
1573670193
Excellent, thorough duct and carpet cleaning. Will definitely use them again!
Dawn B.
1569964746
Did a first-class job on time and very professional. No pricing games just a good honest job at a good fair price.
El C.
1568312423
Claude was a great guy and too informative. He explained me of every bit of the services that he was doing. I would definitely try him all the time and would recommend him :-)
Chinmaya J.
1559408092
After our crawlspace flooded due to a frozen pipe, we could not have asked for a better experience or better service than what Claude provided. One of the perks of a small town and local business - we called in the later evening hours on a weeknight, expecting to get voicemail and/or be told we would have to wait a couple days, but Claude was there with a pump within 20 minutes! A good 2-3 feet of water was pumped and gone by the next morning allowing us to quickly get our pipe fixed and boiler up and running so we could heat our house. Claude brought a blower over, checked in with us regularly, and finalized his part by spraying to prevent mold. Friendly, knowledgeable, and more than fair in pricing. We highly recommend this local small business!
Jessica L.
1550066887
They are the best .fast and professionalTotally would recommend.
Cid C.
1547743551
Very knowledgeable and arrived right on time. Happy with cleaning and would highly recommend. Plan to use again.
James B.
1547386898
1st class carpet cleaning lives up to its name! Great work and left us with clean carpet and furniture that we thought needed to be replaced! All at affordable pricing and friendly service.
Robert P.
1544525846
These gentlemen were very professional! They really know their craft!
Tina B.
1544279514
Excellent service and quality work and did two of our rugs for free!!
Kate B.
1544057844
Very professional, attention to detail and customer service oriented. Recommend this company highly.
Karen W.
1543934066
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