Carpets could be considered a childrens indoor playground. It is where they play with their toys, learn and develop different skills. For that reason there are many things to think about when buying a carpet for such a high-traffic place in the house. Either you are planning to buy a carpet for the playroom, living room or their bedroom we are going to list all you need to know about materials, styles and what you should avoid when buying carpets for your kids.
Materials
Choosing the right material can be hard, especially when there are so many to choose from and you want the best possible option for your child. Therefore we have made the job easy for you.
The best material for high traffic areas is nylon. Not only are nylon carpets very stain resistant but they also withstand tearing and will look good after some busy and active years. Although polyester carpets are considers to be more stain resistant than nylon they are not as durable and will therefore last shorter. You could also get your nylon carpet treated to become 100% resistant but make sure to get the information you need on the products that are going to be used first. The reason behind this is that some of the chemicals used for these treatments can cause toxic reactions in toddlers and newborns that in later time can cause bigger health issues. To avoid this you could also invest in a good carpet cleaner.
Read our article on which carpet cleaner to buy HERE
In addition to the benefits of nylon carpets we mentioned above carpets made from nylon are also becoming more and more eco-friendly. Even more nylon carpets can now be recycled than before and some are even made from recycled materials! Bottom line if you want to buy a carpet for you living room where kids are going to play around nylon is the best material to choose.
Style
When it comes to the style of the carpet there are even more to choose from and the choice can, like with the materials, be hard. There is everything from neutral and plain carpets to carpets with photos and alphabets on them.
You have already read that nylon is the best material for high traffic places so if you consider the living room in your house to be a place where the kids may spend the most of their play time we would recommend nylon. The choice of color and style is all up to you but we have written a few articles on how to style carpets in different types of homes. Read them HERE.
When it comes to the kids private room whether it be their bedroom or playroom we would recommend playful and fun styles that the kids can play on and maybe even learn from. Many parents choose to buy carpets with towns, a zoo or other places mapped on them. On these carpets the kids can use their imagination and get a good use out of their toys as well. They can be the mayor of the town and learn to control different situations or maybe they have a family and are trying to get to work in the rush time. The options are endless and the kids will defiantly have their fun with these types of carpets. Activities like this also benefit to the cognitive development. For those of you who don`t know the cognitive development is about exploring, how the children think and figure out different things, problem solving and knowledge. The cognitive part of a childs development is very important because it helps them read situations and understand the world around them. So doing something as simple as getting a carpet with fun and playful prints on them is not just meaningless or for the fun of it but can effect the child in many positive ways.
Buy the carpet in the photo HERE
Other styles could be carpets with games like hopscotch or checkers printed on them. This will without doubt bring friends over to the house. On the other side we have more theoretical print like numbers or the different geometrical figures. Again the options are endless but when the kids are at a young age playful carpets are nice for the kids to explore and built interests from.
What to avoid
Lastly there are the types of carpets you should avoid. Natural materials like wool are defiantly not the best options for high traffic areas. Not only do they tear easily but they are also hard to remove stains from and considering the fact that kids stain a lot especially in their first years but also when they grown older and become more active these types of carpets are not suitable.
Next up we have white carpets or other light-colored carpets where stains become more visible. Some stain may leave permanent traces in the carpet even if you have the best materials or have tried to clean it countless of times. Being a parent you don`t really find the most time to clean stains from the carpet everyday so having a darker-colored carpet is a smart choice when you know stains will occur but you still want the house to look clean until you find the time to clean them properly.
We also want to remind you to do some research on stainless treatments and the chemicals that are to be used before getting your carpets treated.
Tip: When buying a new carpet let it air out for a couple of days to get rid of VOC(volatile organic compounds) chemicals used for the "new smell" carpets have. These chemicals are not the best to be breathing in as they can cause dizziness, headaches, nausea and irritations in eyes, nose and throat.
We hope you enjoyed our post and maybe learned something new! Make sure to subscribe to our website so you don`t miss out on other tips, reviews and "How To Style" posts for different categories and designs.