Millions of people around the world have welcomed our furry four legged friends into their homes with open arms and wouldn’t give them up for the world. But as anyone who has owned a pet, particularly a cat or dog will know that they can be messy. They shed fur regularly and they aren’t always the most disciplined when it comes to using the litter tray, so it’s no surprise that many pet owners opt for wooden or laminate flooring. But carpet isn’t out of your reach if you’re a pet owner, it just means you need to think carefully about the type of carpet you put in and what you need from it.

 Stain Resistance & Durability  

One of the biggest concerns for pet owners is the potential for their beautiful new carpet to get stained when their dog tracks mud into the house or the cat brings in a present. Thankfully advancements in manufacturing technology have made new carpets better than ever, with new features allowing carpet to stand up to the toughest wear and tear from pets and their owners. For a really stain resistant carpet, try to get one that is 100% polypropylene. Carpets that are 100% polypropylene have a built in resistance to liquids, dust and dirt, allowing the materials to sit on top of the fibres instead of soaking in. Polypropylene carpets are ideal for pets who are known to have accidents or who just love jumping in puddles.

Cut Piles

The type of pile your new carpet has will have an effect on your pet’s comfort and your ability to maintain the carpet easily. Generally, there are 2 types of pile – cut and loop. Cut piles are straight up and down, while loop piles come out of the carpet and loop back in. Loop piles present two problems for pets. The first if that claws can easily get stuck in the loops, resulting in a torn carpet or a torn claw and a very unhappy pet. Loop pile is also incredibly easy for pets to pull up, as they can get purchase on the loops and bite or claw at them, leaving you with a ruined carpet. That’s why we suggest a cut pile carpet for pet owners.

Colour & Pattern dog on carpet

This might seem like a strange thing to consider, but the way you use colour and pattern can have a huge effect on how your carpets look over time. For example, a solid cream carpet is going to quickly show up even the smallest amount of soil, dirt, dust and hair, leaving it discoloured very quickly. This will lead to a lot of hoovering to keep it looking clean. However, a darker colour or patterned carpet can help hide dirt and hair for much longer, especially if you have roughly matched the colour of the carpet to your pet’s fur.

Care & Maintenance 

As with anything in your home, your pet friendly carpet will require some care and maintenance. Regular hoovering to ensure no dirt or hair is being ground into the fibres and claw trimming for your pets if they are trying to use it as a scratching post. You might also consider looking at what you feed your pet. If their food contains colourings (particularly wet foods) then this could easily end up staining your carpets, so it might be worth switching them to a non-coloured food. Cleaning up spills or accidents quickly will ensure no staining or lingering odours and a yearly deep clean will refresh your carpet and leave them brand new again.

While there was a time when pets and carpets just didn’t go together, now you can enjoy the comfort of both without any extra work. The most important thing to remember about your new pet friendly carpets is that they will need regular hoovering and the occasional clean with natural, gentle products. Don’t be penalised for being an animal lover, you can still have that beautiful home interior and all of the fluffy cuddles you could want.  For more information about our pet friendly carpet range or to just pick our brains, just get in touch with one of our team today.

People who don’t want to opt for a carpet can also consider having laminate or vinyl flooring laid in their homes. They are both very resistant to scratches, very low in maintenance and are easy to clean. Added to that, vinyl is also non slippery and slightly more comfortable underfoot.

 

Children

Choosing the right flooring for your child’s bedroom is probably more difficult than you would think at first. You want to go for something fun and comfortable but you should also keep eye on the practicability. One of the most important aspects of the choice will be your child’s opinion, but you should also make sure, that the flooring survives the years of personal changes and preferences as the child gets older.

The most comfortable warm option would probably be a carpet in your child’s room. It’s the best option for children who like to play on the floor and enjoy spending time in their rooms. However, you should also keep in mind that having carpet flooring in a child’s bedroom entails high maintenance and is very vulnerable to all kinds of stains. So you might be better off with a patterned carpet to conceal everyday stains.

A longer lasting option for a child’s bedroom would probably be either hardwood flooring or vinyl. Both are very durable, easy to clean and come in many designs and colours. They might not be as comfortable as carpets but will probably be the best choice in the long run.

 

Elderly people

One of the biggest dangers for elderly people is to slip or trip and get badly injured. Poorly installed carpets or the wrong choice of flooring can cause terrible accidents that many elderly people cannot recover from.

When deciding on a type of flooring you should opt for a safe and comfortable underground that is at the same time very easy to maintain. The best choices for a safe environment at home are soft flooring types, like carpets, or other options, like vinyl, cork or rubber flooring. They provide a cushioned surface and are resistant to slips. Their low maintenance prevents accidents that can occur during cleaning and are very easy to clean. We take our job very seriously and will always make sure that the flooring is laid professionally to avoid any bumps or gaps that could cause harmful accidents.

Smooth flooring like laminate, wood or tiles should be avoided for homes of elderly people, because they increase the danger of slipping. This is also something to keep in mind, when choosing flooring for your bathroom.

 

 

Categories: BlogNews