dog and baby on white carpet

Is white carpet a bad idea?

Is white carpet a bad idea? Lots of people wonder this question. This is because white carpet can look really amazing in the right spaces. 

However, we all know the downfalls of anything white. You can’t even wear a white shirt without spilling something on it. So how are you supposed to permanently place white carpet in a room and expect that carpet to remain white?

Despite this, white carpet isn’t necessarily a bad idea for absolutely everyone. And in some cases, it may even be considered a… good idea. 

Let’s cover some of the questions you should ask yourself before deciding whether or not it’s a good idea for your situation.

What room is it for?

As a rule of thumb, it’s not typically recommended to install white carpet in a room that receives a high amount of traffic. For example, you may want to steer away from the family room or bedrooms. However, white carpet might be an option for a sitting room or an office space. Just make sure the office space is reserved for computer work and not crafting.

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Do you have children?

If you have children — whether they’re toddlers, pre-teens, or teens — you should probably hold off on the white carpet. Even when you have older children, they’re still going to forget to take off their shoes, drop snacks, spill liquids, and drag outside stuff inside. Unless you are 100% certain that your kids can follow rules and remember them, white carpet usually isn’t a good idea.

Do you have pets?

Along the same lines as children, pets can be a huge issue with white carpet. But this will depend on what type of animal you have, whether or not it’s an inside or outside dog, and of course, if it’s potty trained. Let’s say you have an older cat that doesn’t shed and usually sticks to the same room. In this case, you’d probably be fine installing white carpet in another area of your home and remain confident that your cat won’t damage it.

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Will you be able to maintain it?

White carpet shows everything, and if you aren’t able to regularly vacuum and shampoo the carpet, then it’s likely not a good idea. You’ll want to vacuum on a weekly basis, and you’ll always want to have stain remover ready at a moment’s notice. On top of this, you’ll probably want to work in professional shampooing every couple of months. I

How upset will you be if it gets dirty?

At some point, the carpet will probably get dirty. Mud might be tracked in. A glass could spill. Something will happen that will lead to a temporary or permanent blotch on your white carpet. Whatever ends up happening, are you going to be emotionally and financially okay with it? Will you be upset? Will your day be ruined? Will you think about it for a long time? Are you going to have the finances available to fix it? Are you able to afford the loss in investment? Depending on your answers to these questions, white carpet may or may not be a good idea for you.

How often are you willing to replace it?

Speaking of finances, buying and installing new flooring isn’t exactly cheap. If you invest all this money and time into new white carpet, you need to understand that this carpet probably won’t last as long as other colors and types of flooring. Because of this, you need to be financially ready to replace it sooner than you normally would have to. Or at the very least, you need to be okay with allowing your carpet to look a little rough.

Are you ready to enforce rules?

Let’s say you install white carpet in your home, and it looks gorgeous. Do you have the type of personality that’s required to enforce strict rules regarding what isn’t allowed on your new flooring? This typically involves no shoes, no food, no drinks, and no rough housing. This includes asking guests to remove their shoes, and kids to likely avoid the room altogether. If you aren’t willing to stick to your guns and enforce these types of rules, then you should probably avoid white carpet in your house.

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