Allergens: Rugs and Matting

Cotton rugs, including chenille, dhurrie (flat, woven, non-pile rugs), and rag rugs, can be used to add warmth and individuality, and to muffle noise. They are preferable to wall-to-wall carpet because house-dust mites and allergenic agents can be laundered out, but they need to be properly secured with rug grips or double-sided tape to make them safe to walk on. Ideally, cotton rugs should be colour-fast and machine-washable at a temperature of 56 degrees Celsius or above - the temperature needed to kill house-dust mites.

Wool rugs can be used, but they will need dry cleaning regularly to remove dust mites and allergens. Oriental wool rugs can last for generations, becoming family heirlooms. Dry steam cleaning is an alternative to dry cleaning.

The durability of sisal, seagrass, and coir (coconut-husk fibre) rugs makes them a useful floor covering. However, they may harbour house-dust mites and so need thorough cleaning every few months. Alternatively, you can restrict their use to passageways and other heavily used areas of the home to make the most of their hardwearing features without compromising mite control too much.

Between launderings or dry cleaning, rugs and matting should be vacuumed regularly (daily or weekly, depending on how much foot traffic they receive), ideally with a HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner or central vacuum system.



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