What type of carpet?

[WendyFromTransvisionWamp]

We are looking to change our carpet upstairs, including the staircase. We have a small dog who is house trained but about once a year has a vomit or toilet accident. So the new carpet would need to be easy to spot clean and easy to hoover as the bastard dog also sheds like a mf.

I’d prefer natural fibres if possible. We currently have 100% wool carpet and no moth issues thankfully.

I have no idea but also about to get new carpets and have the same issue (with needing to clear up furballs except its near daily for us and my god the hair 2 of them produce) so will be interested to see if anyone has an answer.

Polypropylene is virtually indestructable and can be cleaned with dilute bleach. It isn't shiny like some other synthetics and doesn't zap us with static electricity.

I know you would prefer natural fibres but I have been really pleased with Cormar Primo Ultra carpet. It's polypropylene but looks and feels much more luxurious than I was expecting. The carpet shop recommended 11mm underlay which feels very cushioned. We have a cat which sheds a lot and the carpet has been easy enough to hoover. My previous carpets were wool and although it was long-lasting we did in the end get carpet moths which ruined every room in the house so I decided against natural fibres for the new carpet.

Thanks @Blackmetallic I’ll see if I can order a sample of that Cormar carpet. I’m petrified of moths, I don’t even buy second hand knits as I don’t know what kind of home they are coming from.

@housethatbuiltme it’s a big expense and dreading we’ll make a wrong choice.

I ordered samples from the Cormar Carpet Company and also from a company called Online Carpets. There is a slightly cheaper range from Cormar called Primo Plus which also looked nice and our local carpet shop also recommended looking at, but we wanted the more flecked look of the Primo Ultra, the Primo Plus carpets are all plain colours.

Would love to know what you ended up doing on the carpet choice OP. We had a Cormar 80/20 carpet on our stairs last time and it looks awful after 6 years and won’t come clean even after professionally cleaning. So I’m a touch nervous of making the wrong choice.

@sellotape12 We are yet to make the choice 🥴 partly because it feels like a massive decision to make as well as facing the upheaval with the installation. I wish I could just snap my fingers.

That’s a shame about the cormar carpet 😕.

Okay, thanks so much for replying. Yes, it’s a bit of a minefield, isn’t it? Lots of people will say get pure wool, others will say get polypropylene.

Our polypropylene carpet has been utterly destroyed by our pets (cat and dog). I’m slowly replacing them with 80/20 wool which seems to be doing ok. The trick is a carpet with a really tight weave so fluids don’t sink in so if you catch them quickly it’s easily cleaned up.

Of you’re not wedded to the same carpet throughout I’ve found Designer Carpets online to be good with heavily discounted room sized remnants. My bedroom carpet cost £200 plus fitting so not extortionate for a very good quality carpet.

For your situation (dog + wanting something easy to clean), I’d go for a twist pile carpet, ideally in a wool blend or polypropylene. Twist carpets are hardwearing, easy to hoover, and much better at hiding marks and pet hair.

If you still prefer natural fibres, a wool or wool blend is a great choice as it keeps its shape well and lasts longer, especially on stairs.

Go to Tapi, tell them exactly what you want and they will show you what carpet you need. They're are fantastic washable/ hard-wearing carpets. We had to have one as we're not careful plus we have a cat.