From Guest Blogger Lillian Connors: Going Earth-Friendly with Your Carpet Selection
Today, going green is more important than ever. There are many different ways you can reduce your carbon footprint and one of them is getting a green carpet for your home. Opting for one of these is not only going to do good for the environment but for your health as well. We have come up with 4 tips that will help you choose the best possible eco-friendly carpet for your home. Make sure you check them all out.
Go for Some New Solutions
It’s no secret that technology is constantly becoming more and more advanced. This also means all the new products are much better than the ones before. Such is the case with eco-friendly carpets and rugs as well. Today, carpets are made from natural fibers and no toxic chemical treatments are used during their production.
Also, some new solutions come with natural-fiber backing that has been attached without the use of any toxic adhesives. Making sure that you buy a carpet with natural-fiber is one of the best ways to go green. Therefore, don’t forget to ask about the backing while you are buying your new carpet. Once you buy the new carpet, be sure to air it out before you bring it inside of your home.
Be Careful while Installing the Carpet
If you have decide to update the wall-to-wall carpet in your home, make sure you are careful while you are installing the new one. Today, there are many glues used for installing carpets that are not at all environmentally friendly. So, when installing, try to avoid using any chemical-based glues you come across. There are many water-based and low-VOC which are always a better option.
In addition to this, there are low-emitting, non-solvent adhesives that can help you install your new carpet without polluting the environment. You can even try to take the whole carpet down without using any glue at all.
Think about the Padding
When choosing a new carpet for your home, quite often, will you come across some of them that require additional padding. Most of the padding options are made of plastic and getting these for your home would not be of much help when trying to go green. There are some padding options made of recycled material, which are a great pick. Still, if you choose a carpet with lightweight backing as we advised you above, padding won’t be necessary.
Another important thing you should have in mind is that you should never choose rugs with styrene butadiene rubber. Natural rugs are always a much better choice when going green. These are made of natural wool and don’t require any additional padding.
Dispose Your Old Carpets and Rugs Carefully
When buying a new carpet or rug, there’s always the question what to do with the ones you no longer have any use of. Even though you might be tempted to throw it away, keep in mind that these should never go to the landfill. That’s why you should never throw carpets and rugs away together with the rest of your garbage. It’s a much better idea to talk to the employees at flooring company you bought your new carpet or rug at, and have them recycle it for you. That way, you can be assure that your old carpet won’t go to a landfill and won’t hurt the environment.
When it comes to saving the environment, every contribution matters which makes going green with your carpet selection a great idea. Follow all of these tips and your home is guaranteed to look great without harming the nature at all.