Having been involved in the floor covering industry for more than 40 years, it seems the same arguments come up year after year regarding the perception that one type of floor covering is better than another for allergy sufferers as it relates to dust mites, mold, germs and bacteria.

The truth is it has never been proven that any floor covering is better than another when it comes to these types of claims.

Let’s look at it logically: We walk all over the world and then walk into a house or office with dirt on the bottom of our shoes. Plus, there is dust already in the house, regardless of the product covering the subfloor—carpet, wood, ceramic, even cement. We begin to walk around and if the floor is not properly maintained, we kick up the dust or whatever else is on the floor, and in doing so release whatever is there into the air.

Unfortunately, the consumer’s perception comes into play at this point and so does that of the salespeople who sell every type of floor covering and try to play up different types of attributes. As a result, our periodic surveys suggest many allergy-suffering consumers suggest carpet is the culprit. However, this is not true; only what they perceive.

In our recent “Retailer’s Guide to Selling Ceramic Tile,” we erred by stating that tile is hypoallergenic. This is inaccurate from what we know at this point. The Tile Council of North America is developing a protocol to test the hypoallergenic qualities of tile and installation products, and to test if they induce allergenic reactions in people who use them. The goal in this research is a standard for certification, which would allow a product to be marketed as hypoallergenic.

The truth is there is no known allergy-free floor covering. The Carpet & Rug Institute claims carpet fibers actually trap allergy- provoking substances like dust and pollen and prevent them from circulating in the air, where you’re more likely to encounter them. CRI recommends carpet should be vacuumed at least twice a week.

Even though there exists the perception that one type of floor covering is better than another for allergies, there is no hard evidence supporting one over another. A statement to the contrary will never be made in this publication, nor any supplement we produce ever again.

So for those who took exception to the statement in our Tile Guide that tile was indeed hypoallergenic, we sincerely apologize.

—Michael Blick