Toddlers are — by definition — just finding their feet. This is a time for playful discovery, learning and pushing boundaries. And while this is all natural, there are consequences… messy ones. And while cleaning a little mashed banana from your kitchen floor might not be all that difficult, the same can’t be said for your carpets.
A lot of parents simply choose to get rid of their carpets when a baby begins to walk — keeping them clean just becomes too complex and time-consuming. But you don’t have to miss out on the comfort and warmth carpeting delivers because you have a precocious toddler in the house.
By making a few changes to your home and routines, even the thickest of carpet can be spared the punishment dished out by young children.
1. Keep chair and splash mats handy
It may not always be possible to feed your child in the kitchen — or you simply may not want to. And that’s OK, as you can protect the carpets in other areas of your home with wipeable mats. Simply slide a mat underneath your toddler’s chair when it’s time to eat, and errant food at mealtimes will never find its way onto the surrounding carpet. Once you’re done, wipe the mat down with a cloth in matter of seconds.
2. Store shoes at the door
Once toddlers find their feet, it’s hard to keep them in one place for any significant length of time. This is why it’s great to go for long walks every day. Unfortunately, however, these trips aren’t always great for your carpets. If there’s a puddle to find, you can guarantee a toddler will will jump right into it. And the same goes for mud, dog dirt and just about anything that can do harm to your carpets. It’s therefore a good idea to keep shoes at the door at all times.
3. Use mats, rugs and runners
If you’re a parent of an energetic toddler, you’ll know how much ground they can cover during the average day. That’s a lot of extra traffic for your carpets to deal with, so it’s a good idea to protect certain areas — namely the areas in which your child plays. Use mats and rugs to protect high-traffic areas of carpeting. However, be wary of creating tripping hazards, and make sure any mats you use don’t slide around.
4. Use spill-proof cups
Toddlers don’t really care about your carpet; they’re more concerned with playing, eating and drinking all day — and the latter can become very messy. Avert drink-related calamities on your carpet by giving your toddler spill-proof cups to drink from. They can be dropped from a great height, and they still won’t release a drop of liquid.
5. Always be ready
Keep a stash of emergency cleaning tools in every carpeted room in your home. There are bound to be messes to clean up when you have toddlers in the home, and reacting to them quickly could be the key to preventing permanent stains. Included in your stash should be baking soda, white vinegar, paper towels, microfibre cloths and any carpet cleaning agents you like to use. It’s also a good idea to ensure you have a powerful, cyclonic vacuum cleaner in your home, as well as a steam mop.
6. Treat your carpets with a protector
The latest carpet protectors are designed to add a layer of resistance to the individual fibres of carpet. The special coating makes it difficult for liquids to penetrate the carpet, and it makes cleaning far easier. A lot of carpet retailers offer this coating at the point of purchase, but you can speak to a carpet cleaning specialist if you need to apply it retrospectively.
Accidents will always happen when there’s a toddler in the house. But if you’re prepared for the worst, you should be able to protect your carpets from the brunt of the messy chaos.
