Has anyone noticed a difference in their skin between hardwood flooring and carpeting? We are moving from a house that has all hardwood flooring to a house that has quite a bit of carpeting. It is only temporary, but am wondering if we should tear up the rugs?

That is funny you posted this. We just put hardwood through out our house because I noticed my husband and daughter were getting lots of sinus infections that would last forever. My doctor finally suggest trying wood floors instead of carpet because the skin will not get down in the wood floors like it does the carpet. He thinks it is Ryleys skin and other junk in the carpet that doesn't come out completley with a vacuum is causing their sinus infections. We just had the wood floors done this week so we will see if there is any change. I do like not having to vacuum every hour though. Now all I have to do is sweep it up and in the garbage it goes. If i notice any changes in anything I will let you know.

Shauna

Yes, please let me know if you notice any difference! Libby

My parents ripped all their carpet out when I was little and went all hardwood floors because I was getting so many skin infections. I was too young at the time to remember if it helped significantly being that its almost impossible to not get skin infections with EHK at a young age. I'll let you know if there was an improvement next time I talk to my mom.
Shauna, I'm not sure what ryley's and your husbands diets are like, you might want to consider eliminating dairy. I've completely cut milk from our diet and rarely have much other dairy. My wife has gone from her usuall getting pneumonia or at least bronchitis twice a year and catching every cold that comes around to just catching a few colds a year now. Hard for her to avoid them all since she is a teacher and always has sick kids around her. She also has terrible allergies and since quiting dairy has gone from taking an allergy medicine everyday to just doing a simple saline nose spray. I can't believe the difference no dairy has made.
Keith.

Mike doesn't eat very much dairy if any at all, but Ryley does. Ryley gets milk every day at school lunch and breakfast. What do you do for calcium if you cut out the dairy? I thought it was important for kids to have the calcium. I will have to try that with Ryley and see if it makes a difference anything is worth a shot. Thanks for the idea Keith.

They're actually finding that milk doesn't provide you with a significant source of calcium. If you really want to know what's in milk and what little good it does you, if any at all, here's a link to a study done on milk showing all the allergies and diseases it can cause. http://www.notmilk.com/kradjian.html
If you're worried about riley getting her calcium the best source of it can be found in the brightest colored fruits and veggies. Basically anything red, yellow or orange. If you want to give it to her in pill form, make sure you give her magnesium also, your body needs magnesium to be able to absorb calcium.
Keith.

We just got the hardwood finished in the house so we will see what happens, but I can tell you that I think hardwood is better. I say this because I have a Kirby vacuum it is supposed to be a wonderful vacuum and clean the carpets very good. I paid $1,000 for the vacuum and what a waste of money. We pulled the carpet up from the floors and so much skin came out you wouldn't belive it. Here I thought my Kirby was doing so good, but it realy wasn't. With the hard wood the skin isn't getting under things it stays on top and I either sweep it or run my small wood floor vacuum and I am all done. as for the sinus and other infections I am sure it will take a month to see any changes.

Shauna

[This message has been edited by ShaunaJ (edited March 27, 2005).]

I own a kirby as well and am not at all pleased w/it. What a waste of $$. It's been a while since you have had the hardwood floors.....how are you and yours making out? Lib

I love the hardwood floors. If you can put the money out for them I would. The number of sinus infections has dropped a ton. They are so easy to clean and I don't have skin and dirt trapped under the floors like you do with carpet. I just use a small vacuum to clean up the skin or food from the baby, then I mop it real fast and that is it. I am so glad we got them. The only down side is when the kids chase one another through the house with socks on they slide clear across the floors. Entertaining to watch sometimes as long as they don't get hurt.

Shauna

Get rid of the carpet! If you can't afford hardwood, go with linoleum if you have to. Over the years, the ointment and lotion residue will build up in the carpet and even if someone with ichthyosis isn't living in the house, the buildup of crud that gets trapped by the carpet and carpet pad is gross anyway. It's also sooo much easier to keep the floors clean without carpet.

Since we had the carpet taken out of the apartment and linoleum put in my sinus headaches are much more minor, I don't get anymore migraines, and I haven't had a single skin infection. Most allergy docs recommend their patients remove their carpets anyway.

Kirby vacuums used to be quite good (I don't know if they still are), but when it comes to skin peeling from ichthyosis I don't think there's a vacuum on the market that can do a good enough job. My dad used to do carpet cleaning and repair and he says carpets are one of the dirtiest nastiest things people have in their houses.

If you really must have rugs, at least get area or throw rugs so you can lift them up and take them out and clean them and get the floor underneath clean as well.