Hardwood Floors Are Good for Your Health.

There are many reasons for choosing a hardwood floor, they look great and can last a lifetime. However, another important reason is they can provide a healthier environment.

To understand why finished wood floors can help keep you and your family healthier, consider the following five facts.

1. Carpet traps germs and bacteria. Hardwood floors, on the other hand, can be easily disinfected utilizing cleaners safe for finished wood flooring.
2. Dust mites love carpet. Some people think wall-to-wall carpeting is cozy, but it’s also cozy for dust mites. Carpeting provides an ideal home for these microscopic pests, and most carpeting harbors unhealthy levels of them. Dust mites are a problem because their body parts, discarded husks, and excrement pose a health risk. This is particularly true for people with asthma or allergies, especially in small children. 
3. Hardwood floors—unlike carpeting—give dust mites no place to hide. Unlike other flooring choices, hardwood floors don’t have spaces where mold and bacteria can grow. Pollen, dander, and other allergens can be easily eliminated with regular cleaning.
4. Prefinished floors do not offgas VOCs. Did you know, according to ecologycenter.org, carpet can continue to offgass for five years or longer? Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cause some people to suffer asthma attacks, headaches, coughing, eye irritation, and fatigue. If you want to avoid VOCs, speak with your hardwood flooring professional about prefinished or low-VOC finished flooring. 
5. Hardwood floors are the easiest floors to keep clean. Finished wood floors can be dust mopped regularly to keep them free of dust, hair, dander, and other particles that can trigger asthma or allergic reactions. Vacuuming or shampooing carpets cannot achieve this level of cleanliness (and wears out the carpet). When you dust mop, use a microfiber pad, which will electrostatically attract particles, keeping bacteria and alergens to a minimum.

The bottom line is that carpets hold dirt. You can clean them, but it’s much more difficult than cleaning hardwood floors, and not nearly as effective. This isn’t a minor issue. The dust mites, bacteria, germs, and other allergens that populate carpeting can lead to serious health problems.