Carpets are in favour with the Dutch population
20 July 2009
A large part of the Dutch population (44%) have carpets in their homes. Six out of ten Dutch people that have carpets in their homes indicated their preference for carpets as a result of it being warmer and more comfortable to walk on with socks and bare feet. A somewhat larger part of the Dutch population (56%) has indicated to prefer hard floors. This preference is mainly down to their belief that hard floors are easier to clean and because they feel hard floors look more attractive. These facts have become apparent following research conducted by MSI-ACI Europe, by order of DESSO.
No surprise
"These results come as no surprise to us. The preconception many people have is that hard floors are easier to clean, are therefore more hygienic and, as a result, better for your health. A frequent misunderstanding is that carpets stimulate the presence of fine dust particles and house dust mites and therefore worsen the symptoms of allergies and asthma", according to Alexander Collot d'Escury, Chief Commercial Officer at DESSO. "But in fact the opposite is true. Independent German research has shown that carpets retain dust and pollen and limit the amount of fine dust particles in the air."
Price not decisive
The price does not appear to be a deciding factor when Dutch consumers are faced with new floor choices. For those with carpets at home, only 12% have indicated that price played a role in the decision. Those with a preference for hard floors (wood, vinyl) are also barely influenced by price (5%). However, health aspects play a key role in the decision making process when choosing for a specific floor type. In fact, 34% specifically choose hard floors for health reasons, compared to only 2% for those choosing carpets. "Fact is that hard floors should be cleaned more often. If that does not happen, fine dust particles are still in the air whereas carpets will capture and retain these. The independent German Research Institute (GUI) recently proved that in carpeted rooms there are on average more than 3 times less fine dust particles in the air than in a room with a hard floor," explains Collot d'Escury.
Health
The majority of all respondents (84%) were of the opinion that hard floors are best for their health. No more than 2% named carpet as the best product and 14% were of the opinion that it made no difference. Once confronted with the health claim that carpets are actually better for people who suffer from asthma (conditions of the bronchial tubes), compared to hard floors (wood, vinyl, etc), almost one in five Dutch people (19%) confirmed they would choose carpets.
Exemplary government function
"The functional aspects of carpets, like the health advantages and acoustics, must be emphasised a great deal more effectively. Especially for those people suffering from conditions linked to their bronchial tubes, like asthma, these aspects should increasingly be taken into consideration when purchasing new flooring. In Germany, the German Asthma and Allergy Association (DAAB) already recommends the use of carpet since 2005. I also see an exemplary function for the government here. The proven health aspects where carpets are concerned should result in many more public government buildings being either completely or partially carpeted," according to Alexander Collot d'Escury.
About the research
MSI-ACI Europe, by order of DESSO, questioned a group of 575 Dutch consumers aged 18 and above about their preferences for carpets versus hard floors.