What is Pet Proof Carpet?
Do you have pets but still love the feeling of a soft comfy carpet underneath your feet in your home? Well don’t worry! You can still have a beautiful carpet installed, all you need to do is make sure your carpet is pet proof. The best pet proof carpet is something that is stain resistant, long lasting, and easy to clean.
*A lady sitting and petting her puppy that is sitting on the carpet
Stain Resistance
Stain resistance is definitely needed with pets especially if your pet makes a mess dragging in dirt or has an accident. You want something with stain resistance so it keeps the liquid or mess from penetrating into the fibers. For stain resistance the best kinds of carpets are ones that are solution dyed or have a built in soil protection. Solution dyed carpet means the dye is part of the carpet fiber itself instead of the carpet being dyed just on top. The color is in the fiber, meaning the color won’t fade, wear off, or stain. The process for solution dyed carpet consists of extrusion, twisting, heat setting, tufting, and lastly coating.
Extrusion: A pellet is melted into a solution, then it is drawn into strands of a single ply fiber. The polymer is naturally stain resistant.
Twisting: Two single ply fibers are twisted together, this increases the durability and allows for many fiber color combinations.
Heat Setting: Heat is applied to lock the twist in place, this increases longevity by helping prevent unraveling.
Tufting: The yarn is tufted via needles into the primary backing. Here you can adjust pile height, density, weight, and create patterns and loops.
Coating: A secondary backing is attached to the primary backing by using a thin, smooth layer of latex. This reinforces stability and ensures easy installation. Carpet Technology
Built in soil protection means that the carpet has a protection inside the fibers that doesn’t let spills absorb into the carpet preventing stains. Our Mohawk Silk SmartStrand has built in permanent Nanolock protection in its Triexta fibers. Nanolock SmartStrand has no dye sites which makes it impossible for spills to stick to the fiber. Which means it’s very tough for spills to turn into stains. Then most of Shaw’s carpets including Anderson Tuftex are treated with R2X® Stain and Soil Repellent. This repellant is permanent as well and does not wear off. The unique application process allows for the fiber to have total coverage, it chemically bonds with every single fiber.
* From left to right; a puppy sitting in front of a chair. A lady sitting and petting her puppy while the puppy is sitting in its bed.
Easy to clean
With pets it’s inevitable that spills, messes, and accidents will occur. You might want to consider something low pile which is usually easier to vacuum and clean. Getting something with texture or a speckled look will also really help camouflage any mess. Getting a lower pile, low maintenance carpet will save you time cleaning that you can instead spend cuddling your animal friend!
Tips for cleaning your carpet so it lasts you for years to come are:
Always care for accidents and spills right away by absorbing it with a damp white absorbent towel.
Do not apply any heat or hot water when cleaning.
Only utilize Carpet and Rug Institute Seal of Approval spot cleaners.
If you have any stains caused by markers, have professionals get rid of them.
Vacuum often with a Carpet and Rug Institute Seal of Approval vacuum.
Get your carpet professionally cleaned with hot water extraction every 1-1.5 years to pull out soil and residues. Which in turn prolongs the life of your carpet.
Have mats in your home to catch outside dirt before it’s tracked inside. Care and Maintenance
Long Lasting and Durable
When you have a pet you want to make sure the carpet you have installed in your home is durable. You want it to be tough enough to withstand wear and tear from your pets. Wear and tear can include pets scratching the carpet, running, or rough housing. Selecting a high performance carpet is key! Dreamweavers carpet with its 2 ply fibers twisted together and heat applied are very durable and long lasting. Shaw's Anso High performance fiber is also very strong as well! Low pile carpet is also less likely to be damaged by your pets nails snagging on the carpet. Closed and short loops are the only loops you would want to consider. Longer loops can get snagged easily. With pets you also can get a carpet pad underneath with a moisture barrier.
A pad with a moisture barrier also helps prevent moisture from soaking through to the flooring or subfloor underneath your carpet. Which helps prevent mold or rotting. With no moisture barrier there is also the risk of having recurring stains. This happens when liquid trapped under the carpet sometimes immersed into the carpet backing is very difficult to clean out. If you have a moisture barrier pad under your carpet you shouldn’t have to worry about it!
Ending Notes
We hope these tips help you decide which carpet is best and most pet friendly for your home. If you have any questions or still need help deciding which carpet is best and pet proof please contact us! We are always happy to help you make the best choice for you and your furry friends!