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Anyone who struggles with allergies is aware of the dangers of allergy season, but although we tend to believe that the culprits live outdoors, many allergens may be found right inside your house. The flooring in your home, in particular, can contribute to allergies, as some types of flooring harbor dust mites and other allergens, they create an atmosphere conducive to mold growth, they release noxious chemicals that can trigger allergies, and so on.

People with allergies might feel like they have no place to escape to during allergy season: While the outdoors may be dominated by tree pollen, grass and weeds, indoors can also have air quality issues.

Thankfully, ceramic tile will not produce or host any allergens, allowing you to improve your indoor air quality with the following benefits.

An allergen-free surface

Since ceramic tiles are a hard, inorganic firing surface, they are completely allergen-free, which means that allergens such as dust, dirt and pollen cannot penetrate ceramic tiles. Instead, allergens are deposited on the surface of the tile, making it easy to clean. Contrast this with the types of flooring that do harbor allergens: When moving across a surface that can harbor allergens (such as carpeting), movement across the floor can cause allergens to become airborne, whereupon they can circulate for several hours.

The nonporous surface of ceramic tiles also makes them inhospitable to the growth of mold, bacteria, fungi and other irritants. Medical News Today explains that allergic individuals may be more sensitive to mold than others, and can develop respiratory symptoms after inhaling only a small amount of mold spores. Inhaling large amounts of mold spores can cause health problems in anyone, whether they are allergic or not.

This is why it is critical that you remove existing mold in your home and work to prevent it from growing back. As a matter of fact, the Mayo Clinic recommends removing wallpaper in bathrooms, where mold growth is common due to high humidity levels, and substituting it with tile or painting with mold-resistant enamel paint.

Easy Cleaning

Regular house cleaning can remove many allergens and alleviate allergy symptoms, just be wary of causing more harm than good when cleaning. WebMD suggests using a damp cloth or mop when cleaning to trap allergens instead of releasing them into the air (where the process of circulating and then subsequently landing on your surfaces would only repeat itself). Moreover, numerous cleaning products have the potential to increase the allergen load in inside air.

By the way, to clean ceramic surfaces, whether ceramic tile floor, countertop, backsplash or shower, often just wiping with a cloth with clean water is enough. Since allergens cannot penetrate the hard surface of ceramic tiles, wiping is sufficient to remove them.

No VOCs

Volatile organic compounds (or VOCs for short) are chemicals found in lots of different materials in our homes (including many types of flooring) and emitted in the form of gases. VOCs can have many adverse health effects and are of concern to allergy sufferers and non-allergy sufferers alike: Scientists at Harvard University and Kalstad University (Sweden) report that certain VOCs “may exacerbate or even trigger allergic disorders and asthma.”

Testing VOC levels in the bedrooms of 400 preschoolers and toddlers, the study learned that children who breathed in VOCs had significantly higher rates of nasal congestion, asthma and eczema. The discovery is especially troubling considering the widespread use of VOCs in commonly used domestic materials.

Since ceramic tiles are produced at exceedingly hot temperatures and all the organic pollutants are decomposed and are therefore inorganic, ceramic tiles do not emit VOCs, as opposed to some types of non-ceramic flooring. Householders can be assured that ceramic tiles will not exacerbate asthma symptoms or contribute to the growth of asthma in toddlers and young children.

Breathe Easy With Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile clearly is a wise option with anyone who harbors allergies, has concerns about their own or their children’s health, or simply wants to upgrade the indoor air quality in their homes. While the healthier alternatives can often compromise on aesthetic appeal, such is not the case with ceramic tile, available in a wide range of sizes, shapes, colors, and textures to provide the ideal aesthetic for any space.

Why wait? Benefit from the ease of cleaning, enjoy stylish and versatile options, and take a breath of comfort with ceramic tile.