There is the old saying that in life nothing is certain except for death and taxes. However, if you have children, you could also add they will make a mess on your carpet. In last month’s blog, we considered which carpet to get when you have pets. This month, it’s about the kids and what flooring to get when you have young ones toddling in, out and about at home.
Those who have kids will know that chaos follows; they ruin your life in the most beautiful way. They take up all your time, keep you awake at night, your hobbies disappear, and they make a mess while managing, from time to time, to be so painfully cute.
When it comes to the home, choices are quickly made either by design or experience. For example, that luxuriously deep wool carpet just isn’t going to work in the lounge anymore. You may have opted for the kind of flooring that is easy to clean like wood, vinyl or laminate - which are all great options - but what about carpet; is there still a place for luxury in a young family home?
Is there still a place for luxury in a young family home?
The answer is yes. Synthetic carpets (or man-made in old money) are made out of nylon polyester or polypropylene. The good thing about these carpets is that they are easy to clean and often bleach cleanable. Hence, they are ideal for those inevitable messes and accidents. So any spills, bodily fluids or mud can often be dealt with immediately, but for the more stubborn stains, these can often be eradicated by calling on a professional carpet clean company like UK Carpet Cleaners.
Easy-clean Primo Plus by Cormar Carpets
Wool carpets, on the other hand, are durable and relatively easy to clean but might struggle with the daily onslaught of little feet. With this in mind, we’d suggest opting for a synthetic now and maybe re-introducing wool when the kids are older.
Do you have to dispense style when buying a kid-proof carpet? No. There are a lot of synthetic options nowadays, as seen below in the gallery.
1: Cavalier Carpets Stainless Elements / 2: Comar Carpets - Primo Ultra / 3: Kingsmead Carpets - Veluto Contrato / 4: Forbo - Flotex Moods Cord & Grape
(For more on the carpet brands mentioned above, please click on the links)
The other option for flooring for busy family homes is vinyl flooring which is usually the go-to option for kitchens. Given that children in high chairs often create a one-metre radius of food and drink splatter around them on the floor, vinyl flooring means this option is easy to attend to. However, with realistic-looking wood vinyl, this option can extend into other home areas like the lounge/dining area while maintaining a homely warm feel.
Titan Hera Dark vinyl by Lifestyle Floors
So, our advice is this: If you are considering a new carpet with young children, expect accidents. By doing so, will take a lot of the anxiety out of it. Choose a carpet that can cope with the slings, arrows and fluids of childhood but if you think your family might destroy even the strongest carpets, go vinyl.
If you have any questions about flooring a family home, please get in touch. Not only do we know a lot about the different carpet and flooring options, but we are parents too, so we have been through it and survived.