James is asked to give advice on indoor environments, dust allergy, house dust mite and hygiene. Often, these questions are related to carpet and upholstered furniture in-home. In Europe, a misconception reigns that carpet and upholstered furniture would be bad for people with asthma or an allergy.

Research from the German Asthma and Allergy agency (www.daab.de) shows that carpet is healthier for an allergic person than a smooth, hard floor covering. A carpet holds on to fine dust, so that it does not circulate through the air and thus does not bother the allergic person as much.

This research shows that the average quantity of fine dust in homes with a smooth floor (62,9 µg/m³) is more than twice as high than homes with a carpet floor (30,4 µg/m³). Additionally, house dust mite does not grow in carpet, but is caught into it through air circulation.