How to Party-Proof the Carpet in Your Home

Whether it’s a small get-together or you’re filling the house with guests, there are some things that absolutely need your help to remain protected from mishaps and accidents.

Your carpet should be at the top of that list. With so much foot traffic coming in and out in such a short period of time, there are some preventive measures you’ll want to take to ensure that your carpet maintains its beautiful appearance. Besides the expected wear and tear that comes from people walking back and forth across it, possibly even traipsing in dirt and grime from outside, you can likely expect at least one or two spills to occur.

All of these things can have a negative impact on your carpet and if they are left to remain unseen on the fibers for an extended period of time you could have more than memories of the fun you had at the party. Dark stains could be a constant reminder on a daily basis.

In order to avoid these unsightly remnants from marring your expensive carpet, it’s a good idea to take some steps to party-proof the carpet from long-term damage before your guests arrive.

Protective Covering

You can’t very well lay a tarp over the carpet or rug for the party. Not only will it look very weird it likely won’t stay in place as people walk in and out of the room on a constant basis. But you can still protect your floor coverings from getting stained by spraying Scotchgard on your carpet and rugs, even the furniture if you prefer.

What’s great about Scotchgard is that keeps your carpets from getting stained as it acts as a barrier to repel anything that gets spilled during the party. That includes wine, juice, beer, you name it. Just get a wet cloth and you’ll be able to blot it right up without going to great lengths to prevent a stain from setting in. That’s what the Scotchgard is for!

No Shoes Policy

Another great way to protect your carpet during a party is to have all of your guests remove their shoes before stepping into your home. Shoes are the contact point with everything in the outside world and the last thing you want is the outside world getting ground into the fibers of your carpet.

This is especially important if it’s been raining or snowing out before the party has started. The wet and mud should stay outdoors and not find their way on your carpet. That means having your guests remove their shoes first.

If you have pets who come in and out during the party, the best way to keep them from tracking all of the mess indoors is by wiping their paws off with a damp towel or a wet wipe.

Restrict Entry

Sometimes the best way to protect your carpet is to simply keep everyone away from it, if possible. Take steps to minimize the number of steps that make their way over your carpet during the party by cordoning off certain areas of the home that you want to keep protected.

This may not be feasible with all portions of the carpet in your home as you don’t want to be a buzzkill all day or night by corralling everyone into one or two rooms. So gauge your situation, see how much leeway you want to give your guests for moving about freely the rooms that have carpeting.

But if you are able to keep some rooms off-limits, put up signs directing your guests to the areas of the house where they are permitted and place barriers or signs to indicate certain places are not to be entered.

Clean Spills Fast

This is a basic rule of thumb for anyone who owns a carpet. But when there is a spill or accident at a party, the problem is that you may not know it’s happened until minutes or even hours after it’s happened. Luckily, if you Scotchgard-ed the carpet you won’t have to worry about the stain setting in.

However, for those of you who did not take such precaution, it’s good to have an emergency spill kit at the ready in the event something does happen…and it very likely will. So be prepared with power towels, some clean cloths, and your favorite carpet cleaner nearby to attend to that spill fast.

The quicker you get to that spill, the less time it has to set into the fibers and create a stain that will be even tougher to remove later on. Remember to always blot, never wipe, otherwise you could be doing more damage than is necessary to the carpet while you’re trying to clean that spill.

Call in the Experts

Sometimes the party can get out of hand and the carpet can suffer. That’s when it’s time to get a professional cleaner out to the house, this will keep carpet clean for longer and clean carpets can benefit your health to boot.