In one study on the Carpet and rug Institute’s website, carpets were removed from commercial buildings in Sweden in the late 1970’s and replaced with hardwood floors. Researchers attempted to determine whether the removal of carpet would result in a decrease in allergy levels of occupants of the buildings, but the opposite was found to be true. Over a 10-year period, allergy levels went up in the buildings, not down, as there was nothing in the hardwood floors that could trap the dirt, dust and contaminants that float through the air. Regarding the types of the flooring that can be put in homes and buildings, Dr. Berry says that allergic reactions can occur at the some frequency in any type of environment if it is not effectively cleaned on a regular basis and managed with regards to pests and rodents. “Most advice to remove carpeting is a well-intended prudent avoidance measure,” say’s Berry. “However, all too rarely is it properly advised by medical authorities to clean effectively on a scheduled basis… if that is done, there is no need to replace anything because there is limited exposure to allergens” He believes that effective cleaning in the form of maximum extraction and minimum residue reduces exposures to concentrated allergens and other pollutants that in turn reduce risks of adverse health effects. According to Hill, there have been measures taken by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the CRI to determine the contamination in carpet before, during and after cleaning, and it has been found that carpet cleaning greatly reduces the contamination level of allergens and other pollutants. “The allergists are a very big part of the staunch medical community and their party line is to rip it (carpet) out, because they haven’t read the latest data,” says Hill. “They’re not up to speed on the facts.”