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AIBU?

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Original poster

Guest ruined carpet

277 replies

DeedlessIndeed · 02/07/2025 12:55

OK, logically I know that this is a minor problem in the grand scheme of things. I know people are facing real issues in the world, but this has really annoyed me.

We have just had new wool carpet fitted in the whole of the upstairs. Saved up for a while as it was expensive (for us). After 5 years of renovation, we finally have the upstairs finished! I was so so happy.

Had parents stay this weekend and left yesterday. They've seen the house in all stages of building site and they know how excited I am to have the upstairs done. I explained that we are being careful to keep it looking nice. And they know we are a slippers only house apart from the hard floors in the hall etc.

Well, I went into their room to do the bedding this morning and can see that they've rolled their dirty suitcase wheels all along the carpet. A bit annoying, but oh well. It's dried so I can hoover it up hopefully. Then I see they've spilled a coffee or dark tea next to the bed. There is a huge splatter mark all over the carpet in front of the beside table. It's also on the skirting board and wall, but I can touch that up at least.

I'm just feeling a bit gutted. If they had an accident then why not say and I could have got on it and stop it staining. I'm regretting not getting a easily cleanable carpet but the fact they didn't mention it is the worst part IYSWIM?

Would you say anything to your parents? They do mean well, but they just don't "get" having nice things and looking after them.

OP posts:
ZenNudist · 02/07/2025 16:53

Moveoverdarlin · 02/07/2025 13:28

Go careful with this advice OP. If you have a good relationship with your parents this could well and truly bite you in the ass for the sake of a bloody tea stain.

Did they ever babysit your kids OP? Have they helped you out over the years? You reckon your kids have never broken something of theirs? Or when you were living with them you didn’t damage anything?

If I said this to my parents they would say?

’You want us to pay for your carpet to be cleaned? We’ve saved you about 50 grand in childcare? Remember that time you were sick on that posh rug in the lounge or when you had a sleepover and your mate broke Mums vase?

Don’t be a twat and ask them to pay. It’s your Mum and Dad FFS.

Show quote history

Absolutely this. Yes they are careless pigs but I'd just clean it myself and not get worked up about "loss of pristine " feeling. Accidents happen.

muddyford · 02/07/2025 16:58

My father dropped the shower head in the new bath and cracked it. I never said anything. I valued my relationship with my parents too highly to upset them over something like that.

Thaawtsom · 02/07/2025 16:58

IvyIvyIvy · 02/07/2025 15:37

Just wait until the moths move in. They love a wool carpet.

Ha. I thought this. We replaced our purple-puked on carpet with a pure wool carpet. The moths absolutely loved it and there isn't much left of it now. We have just moved house to a house with hard floors downstairs and synthetic carpet everywhere else. Bliss.

CoffeeBeansGalore · 02/07/2025 17:00

If they visit again, is there a room downstairs with hard floors that could be used instead?

Flossflower · 02/07/2025 17:00

muddyford · 02/07/2025 16:58

My father dropped the shower head in the new bath and cracked it. I never said anything. I valued my relationship with my parents too highly to upset them over something like that.

Didn’t your father say anything?

aWeeCornishPastie · 02/07/2025 17:01

I can see why you would be really annoyed at this I would feel the same. The wheel stains do you think they happened as they were leaving and didn’t notice? tbh though even if that was the case think they may have had the foresight to not drag it along the carpet if it’s a very light colour. The e spilled stain very hard to see why they never told you avoid that one. I would be mortified if I did this in someone’s house

Allseeingallknowing · 02/07/2025 17:01

muddyford · 02/07/2025 16:58

My father dropped the shower head in the new bath and cracked it. I never said anything. I valued my relationship with my parents too highly to upset them over something like that.

Your father must have known he’d cracked your new bath, and
presumably felt awful, so surely he should have offered to have it repaired if possible , ior replaced? Can’t believe nothing was said. It’s not like he just broke your favourite coffee mug!

Allseeingallknowing · 02/07/2025 17:02

CoffeeBeansGalore · 02/07/2025 17:00

If they visit again, is there a room downstairs with hard floors that could be used instead?

And padded walls!😁

Ilovemyshed · 02/07/2025 17:03

It will clean, get a pro in if you need. It would be the last time they stayed with me though.

Original poster
DeedlessIndeed · 02/07/2025 17:16

muddyford · 02/07/2025 16:58

My father dropped the shower head in the new bath and cracked it. I never said anything. I valued my relationship with my parents too highly to upset them over something like that.

Many moons ago in my first flat a friend broke the glass shower screen. My only worry was whether they were hurt.

I promise I'm not a monster that only cares about things and stuff. But I think there is a difference between people having accidents and chronically careless people who have no respect for people's belongings.

Having said that I am completely calm now! I've shut the door and will await the cleaning company and not go in there again until it's done!

But I know what my parents are like. I just thought that they'd change their behaviour after I'd been so excited about getting the upstairs finished. Leopards dont change their spots, and I'm not falling out with anyone over a carpet. I'll be better prepared next time!

Thanks everyone for letting me vent. I particularly like @CoffeeBeansGalore's suggestion of keeping them in a wipe clean room. I'm thinking a camping bed in the utility 😁

OP posts:
SusiQ18472638 · 02/07/2025 17:20

IvyIvyIvy · 02/07/2025 15:37

Just wait until the moths move in. They love a wool carpet.

This!!! The house we are in now has wool carpets and we got an infestation of moths in the top floor bedrooms 😭 they started behind the boiler in the airing cupboard so we only noticed once the actual moths started flying around! It also never looks clean and stains too easily, would never have it again!!

Flossflower · 02/07/2025 17:24

Where do all these people with moth investigations live? I know there is a problem in some parts of London.

oncemoreuntothebeachdearfriends · 02/07/2025 17:26

Of course they should pay for professional cleaning !
I'd never have them to stay again, they can soil the carpet in an hotel. & face the consequences.

Rabbitsockpeony · 02/07/2025 17:28

DeedlessIndeed · 02/07/2025 16:01

That's fair enough. I know it is juvenile to be pointless to be annoyed about the damage. But to be fair, I've repeatedly said if they'd just mentioned it I wouldn't be peeved.

I've also said I'm absolutely not going to confront anyone or make them feel bad. I'm not asking them to pay to fix. But I am annoyed they've left it for me to find instead of a quick heads up.

I've had some good advice and on balance will let it go and just take precautions for the next visit.

And I can give complete assurance that, even if I tried, my parents are not the type of people to listen or reflect if I mentioned to them I was upset. 😂

Show quote history

There’s nothing juvenile about being pissed off that your careless, or possibly spiteful parents spilt coffee or tea all over your brand new wool carpet, which you’d saved up for and only just had fitted, and didn’t even bother to mention it.

Some posters are being strangely mocking of the OP about this.

Birthdaysarethebest · 02/07/2025 17:29

OP feel free to send send me some pictures over, I will do my best to help, I am a professional carpet cleaner. Whereabouts are you based?

Indianajet · 02/07/2025 17:30

I wouldn't tell your parents - and I wouldn't ban food/drink upstairs for my parents. It is a shame the carpet is stained, but a house is to live in after all.
Saying 'a guest' did it does sound an odd way to refer to your parents.

Birthdaysarethebest · 02/07/2025 17:33

Just to add if you haven’t already, please don’t wet it, depending on the colour they can brown, also wet wool will shrink

DBD1975 · 02/07/2025 17:33

Trust me OP if and when your parents aren't around anymore that stain on the carpet will upset you in a different way you never thought imaginable.

gamerchick · 02/07/2025 17:33

Indianajet · 02/07/2025 17:30

I wouldn't tell your parents - and I wouldn't ban food/drink upstairs for my parents. It is a shame the carpet is stained, but a house is to live in after all.
Saying 'a guest' did it does sound an odd way to refer to your parents.

Anybody has rhea absolute right to ban food or drink upstairs. For anyone.

stressedinsurrey · 02/07/2025 17:37

Just hire a carpet cleaner from your local supermarket/DIY store/dry cleaners. Much cheaper than getting a company in.

user2848502016 · 02/07/2025 17:38

It’s annoying and they should have told you straight away because it would have been easier to clean before it dried. But accidents do happen so if you’re going to have a carpet that isn’t easy to clean upstairs you’re going to have to implement a no drinks /food upstairs apart from water rule

PersephoneSeethes · 02/07/2025 17:41

Get it professionally cleaned quickly. Find the best carpet cleaning company locally - call up the smartest estate agent Saville's or whatever it is to you locally, and ask who they recommend to their tenants.

We have a Vax for our carpet accidents, and used lots of different potions and treatments; and a professional got ours looking like nothing had ever happened to them.

ThatsCute · 02/07/2025 17:41

DeedlessIndeed · 02/07/2025 14:33

Yes, this sounds quite similar. They were always a touch mocking of anyone trying to better themselves through education. Or people "getting above their station" by having nice things.

Show quote history

They’ve done it on purpose, OP.

Ignore PPs—you don’t deserve payback for anything you broke as a small child—they are grown adults! And ignore those saying you shouldn’t have carpets—what an odd thing to say!

Bottom line is…your parents are well aware of the time and money you’ve spent on your house, and are either jealous, or don’t want you to have nice things.

Toxic behaviour.

Pherian · 02/07/2025 17:51

DeedlessIndeed · 02/07/2025 12:55

OK, logically I know that this is a minor problem in the grand scheme of things. I know people are facing real issues in the world, but this has really annoyed me.

We have just had new wool carpet fitted in the whole of the upstairs. Saved up for a while as it was expensive (for us). After 5 years of renovation, we finally have the upstairs finished! I was so so happy.

Had parents stay this weekend and left yesterday. They've seen the house in all stages of building site and they know how excited I am to have the upstairs done. I explained that we are being careful to keep it looking nice. And they know we are a slippers only house apart from the hard floors in the hall etc.

Well, I went into their room to do the bedding this morning and can see that they've rolled their dirty suitcase wheels all along the carpet. A bit annoying, but oh well. It's dried so I can hoover it up hopefully. Then I see they've spilled a coffee or dark tea next to the bed. There is a huge splatter mark all over the carpet in front of the beside table. It's also on the skirting board and wall, but I can touch that up at least.

I'm just feeling a bit gutted. If they had an accident then why not say and I could have got on it and stop it staining. I'm regretting not getting a easily cleanable carpet but the fact they didn't mention it is the worst part IYSWIM?

Would you say anything to your parents? They do mean well, but they just don't "get" having nice things and looking after them.

You should be able to blot the stain out. Folllw the manufacturers cleaning instructions. If you don’t have those, call the people you bought it from and ask.
No rubbing by the way - it ruins the pile. Gently blot only.