Would you have hard flooring or carpets if you were me?

[youaremysunishineherolady]

DS (4) is profoundly disabled by his autism/learning disability.

We moved to a beautiful new build home and I am extremely clean and tidy. I can't stand mess. It's been looked after.

However, the carpets are now damaged beyond repair. He's got so many different liquids on them (think toiletries, not just drinks). Sadly this happened when we needed emergency help from a grandparent. They fell asleep and... well you can imagine the rest. He is amazing at getting into all sorts. Be it locks and barriers, anything.

Anyway, we have to replace these carpets. It's ridiculous. But the house is in the countryside and quite cold. So the carpets do add an element of warmth I'd say.

The problem is that things will only be getting more chaotic once DD comes home from hospital (a baby but she will be walking eventually!) In addition to keeping her and DS safe... yeah, it'll be a nightmare in general.

Should I just get wooden flooring? Could someone recommend me something durable?

Thanks so much

I’d have hard flooring and washable rugs.

I'd get hard flooring and see if you can put some insulation underneath it.

Hard flooring, with underfloor heating if the budget allows, or rugs.

I’d go for polypropylene carpets you can bleach those ones and ours coped with my dad being very Ill there wasn’t anything that stained it.

Hard flooring with rugs that you can wash/replace as needed

Look at Flotex Carpets. Which are durable and easy clean.

Otherwise a patterned carpet (hides stains) and a good carpet cleaning machine!!

With carpets that are bleach-able, can you put bleach inside a carpet cleaner instead of solution and just clean it that way? How do you actually do it? Sorry, probably a very obvious answer

Most came off with a Bissel and whatever’s in their solution but if needed we just had bleach and water in a bucket and used a cloth, came up lovely. Few drops of zoflora a smells lovely too. Our carpet was kind of mottled not patterned but if you looked really closely different shades of one colour but had an overall one colour.

Vote for hard floors and washable rugs also. The Lorena Canal pure cotton washable ones are lovely - thick and plush

I would go for vinyl planks and washable rugs

We had carpets in some downstairs rooms (but wood floor in the hall) - our DD was a full time wheelchair user. We invested in a good carpet cleaner so we could regularly shampoo the carpets.
My concern for you with wooden floors would be your DS putting deep scratches into it which would vs tricky to get out. Something like wood effect Amtico/Karndean vinyl flooring which is fitted in 'planks' so individual planks can easily be replaced if damaged would probably be your best bet. You could always put rugs down in some rooms for warmth which can be cleaned more easily.

I assume you have contents insurance with accidental damage and claimed for the damage caused by your ds? I accidentally ruined my parents hallway carpet as a teen, my mum was so angry initially but then they got a whole new hallway/stairs and landing carpet for the £50 excess.

But besides that, I’d go for hard floors and slippers

My Karndean is beautiful and not cold to walk on