Selecting the Right Kid-Friendly Carpet for Your Home

Choosing the right carpet for your home is an important part of any remodel or building project, but when you have kids and pets it becomes even more important. Not every carpet out there is built to withstand some of the harsh conditions that it will be subjected to with children or furry friends around, so make sure you understand how to buy carpet and evaluate the options before you buy.

Here is a few tips on selecting the right kid-friendly carpet for your home:

Decide On Carpet Material

First and foremost, choose a carpet that is going to be durable enough to withstand whatever your kids and pets might put it through. Three common materials that offer stain-resistant carpeting include:

• Nylon: this is a tried-and-true option for carpeting, and is considered more “resilient”, meaning it will maintain its look and feel longer than some other options
• Triexta: the newest option for carpeting, triexta is less expensive than nylon and is made of a material that is hydrophobic and doesn’t absorb water-based liquids; it’s also made with renewable corn glucose rather than petroleum, which is more eco-friendly and has fewer VOCs, or volatile organic compounds that come with health risks
• Polyester: probably the most affordable, polyester (or PET) carpet material is also very stain-resistant, which makes it a great option for many families looking for great carpet on a budget, and it’s eco-friendly because it’s often made with recycled plastic

Consider Carpet Protection

When you have carpet installed, you can also opt for some type of treatment to protect against stains. The most common brands are Scotchgard, Teflon, and Guardsman, although there may be others you can choose from depending on where you buy your carpet. These treatments essentially create a protective layer around the carpet fibers so they don’t absorb liquids or other materials, reducing the chances for permanent stains if your kids do happen to spill on the carpet.

You can have these treatments applied at the mill during the manufacturing process, or later after the carpet is installed. Generally a mill-applied treatment will last longer, but neither one will make carpets completely stain-resistant.

Choose the Right Color

For obvious reasons, you may not want to opt for bright white or extremely light color carpet if you have kids and pets. What might be less obvious, though, is that dark colors can be hard to keep clean too. Rather than choosing a solid light or dark color, a combination of both dark and light in a subtle, neutral blend can be more forgiving if it does get stained.