Influence of wear, pile height, and cleaning method on removal of mite allergen from carpet.

Carpet is a major sink for house dust mite allergen. Vacuum extraction methods have been shown to reduce concentrations of such allergen in dust, but the influence of carpet construction and cleaning parameters on the efficiency of extraction is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of construction, degree of wear, and cleaning method on ease of removal of the primary allergen (Der f I) derived from the North American house-dust mite, Dermatophagoides Farinae.