Fact file: Children, Flooring & Stains

Many people may be familiar with the risks involved with letting children loose in the home. It can be hard to keep watch over the kids 100% of the time, and one of the victims of these antics in the home includes the flooring. No matter what sort of flooring some houses have, some stains, marks and damage have been impossible to remove, leading to expensive repairs or unfixable damage. Research conducted by Selco Builders Warehouse has revealed that over two-thirds of parents have had flooring damaged or stained by children. There are some pretty interesting results about the top causes of damage to flooring as far as children as concerned, as well as the top culprits in terms of permanent stains. Read below to find out what could cause the most damage and the way to avoid it.

The Usual Suspects

So, what is causing the damage? The top floor damaging spills may be all too familiar to you, but some on the list may surprise you.

Drinks – Drinks is an obvious answer for causing damages with spills. Hot or cold drinks, depending on the drink in question, can cause long-lasting damage and stains to flooring, particularly carpet. A fruit drink of dark red such as blackcurrant squash on a pale carpet is a classic combination that ends in disaster for many. Try and keep drinks in a dedicated zone and keep an eye on unattended cups to avoid unnecessary spillage.

Paint– The thick consistency of paint, and the vibrant, strong colours, mean it is every parent’s nightmare to work with. However, children love to work with paints, arts and crafts, so you don’t want to stifle their creative talents. The long-lasting effects of a paint spillage are bound to be all too familiar for many Mums and Dads, so it will come as no surprise that it makes our list. If your little ones are working with paint, be sure to put out protective mats or surfaces so that your child can have free reign without causing permanent damage.

Slime – Selco recently conducted some research around flooring and damage to the home. One surprising fact from this research was that slime made it into the top 10 reasons for flooring damage. Sometimes homemade, but also shop bought, slime forms a sticky, gooey consistency made primarily from guar gum and PVA glue. Slime has actually caused costs of up to £2000 to one parent who took part in the survey. The slime seeps deep into carpets and in between floorboards, with homemade solutions proving useless. This list may be making you feel daunted at the prospect of ever having a clean floor again. However, one solution may be to consider luxury vinyl flooring for your home, which offers a great solution for concerned parents as the material provides fantastic protection against the usual suspects of spillage.

Glue– This sticky suspect can cause problems long after the craft session is over. Glue in its nature is a particularly tough one to crack in terms of stains, as it will literally stick to anything, including carpet.

Cosmetics – Cosmetics are usually vibrant and thick in consistency due to the makeup needing to last all day, or longer. It means that a child who discovers any makeup lying around can cause a hell of a mess – in particular, if nail varnish is discovered! Try to make sure all your makeup is safely tucked away to avoid any disasters that could have been avoided.

Let’s talk statistics – in terms of flooring; you may be shocked to learn that the average price of fixing damaged flooring was found to be as high as £193. And the largest repair bill? £3000 worth of damage! Caused by none other than Cherryade.

Some of the results may prove surprising, but some may be familiar with some of the top damages and stains, having experienced similar problems themselves. Having said that, preparation, planning, and the right flooring, you can endeavour to keep your flooring safe from some of the most common causes of stains and let your children create and play to their heart’s content.

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