The warm weather May brings can also signal a peak time of year for allergies and asthma. This makes May the perfect time of year for National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month, when we focus on these issues and the best ways to prevent common problems and promote healthy breathing. With this in mind, the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has issued a reminder that carpet, when properly maintained, can actually improve the air we breathe. By ensuring high indoor air quality (IAQ) with a well-maintained carpeted environment, it's possible to decrease asthma and allergy symptoms.

Find it hard to believe that the comfort and style your floor covering provides can also help you breathe better? It may be surprising, but the CRI reinforces that carpet does reduce the inhalation of dust, pollen, pet and insect dander - and these factors are improved even more significantly when proper maintenance and CRI-certified techniques are used regularly.

How does it work? Fibers in carpet capture potentially bothersome particles, preventing them from further circulating through the air. Proper cleaning effectively eliminates dust and allergens from the carpet, thus keeping them out of the air you breathe.

For more information on carpet's role in controlling allergy and asthma symptoms, click here.