The best and worst flooring for laundry rooms

Choosing the best flooring for laundry or utility rooms requires careful consideration. Flooring needs to be moisture- and heat-resistant, as well as easy to clean. A range of flooring experts have given their thoughts on the best flooring options for laundry rooms and which floor coverings to avoid.

Mariya Snisar, the Head of Interior Design at Renowell renovation company, says that laundry room flooring has to be durable and water-resistant. Washing machines and dryers are heavy and can get hot, so the flooring needs to withstand this. She also points out that the flooring should look good and feel comfortable underfoot. Vinyl flooring fulfils all these requirements. Tile or rubber flooring are also fine for laundry rooms.

Home remodelling expert Charlotte Granville agrees that vinyl is a top choice and an affordable option. Vinyl is available in a wide range of colours and patterns suitable for all interior design styles. Luxury vinyl tiles are recommended as they are thicker and more insulating, but this option is more expensive than sheet vinyl.

Snisar warns against using carpets in laundry rooms as they absorb moisture. Hardwood or laminate flooring are not a recommended option as they are not very heat or moisture-resistant. Mosaic and marble floors, whilst looking good, tend to be uneven, causing appliances or wobble..

Heavy use laundry rooms need practical flooring that can deal with heat, spills and moisture, but should also look good. For the best-looking options in vinyl flooring for Chester laundry rooms, consult your local flooring retailer.

Carpet beating ban scrapped in the Wirral

Residents of the Wirral may not be aware that carpet beating is illegal on the coastland between Meols and New Brighton.

Before most homes had a vacuum cleaner, carpets were beaten using a wooden tool that removed dust and dirt. This was usually done outside, where it created a loud noise. Over 90 years ago, Wirral council passed laws to ban noisy activities on the coast, including carpet beating, to prevent disturbing people from enjoying the peaceful coast. Other specified noises banned included "sounding a noisy trumpet", “wantonly singing”, and "inciting a dog to bark." Breaking these noise bans could result in a £5 fine, the equivalent of £300 in today’s currency.

Wirral Council has announced that it is planning to scrap these outdated noise laws. Paul Martin, a Wirral councillor, went as far as saying that he supports people playing trumpets on the promenade. He said that he was unaware that carpet beating is still illegal or that anyone needed to beat their carpets in Merseyside.

The council points out that making excessive noise outside could still result in prosecutions under the Public Order Act.

A public consultation is required before councils can scrap archaic laws. It is not expected that many Wirral residents will object to making carpet beating lawful.

When you buy a modern quality carpet from a carpet retailer in the Chester or Wirral region, there should be no need to beat it clean. Regular vacuuming and an annual deep clean will keep carpets free from dirt and looking good for many years.

Watermelon hack improves carpet cleaning

A TikTok user has posted a cleaning tip that uses a watermelon to help clean carpets.

Carpets need regular vacuuming and a deep clean at least once a year. A professional carpet cleaning service is recommended for a deep clean, but a less expensive option is to hire a carpet cleaner. However, these are not as efficient as professional carpet cleaning machines. To improve the hired cleaner's performance, a recent TikTok video suggests using a watermelon as a cleaning aid. The fruit is not cut up and rubbed on the carpet, but kept whole and placed on the base of the cleaner, where its weight causes the cleaner to penetrate deeper into the carpet pile. This delivers a more thorough clean. Hailey, the poster of the video, remarked|:

"It sucked up so much more water putting a watermelon on top!"

Of course, a watermelon does not have to be used for this; any heavy object that fits on the cleaner will work as long as it is not too heavy.

Viewers of the video thanked Hailey for her suggestion, although some said that carpet cleaner manufacturers should address the issue by making their machines heavier.

Provided a good quality carpet is cleaned regularly, it should last for many years in a busy home. However, no carpet will last forever. When it shows signs of excessive wear, it's time to contact the local carpet retailer in the Chester and North Wales region for help in choosing the best type of carpet for your home.

The fitted carpet trend is on the way back

Wall-to-wall fitted carpets were regarded as a social status symbol in the 1970s. Although in the following decades, carpets continued to be fitted by some households, many were ripped up and floorboards sanded as the Scandi chic and minimalist styles became the top trend.

Now, according to Anna White of The Standard, fitted carpets are coming back, but instead of the once popular muted beige and grey colours, bold swirly patterns and bright colours are preferred.

Designer Henry Holland says:

"After a long period of minimalism, we are moving beyond that and into an era of real individualism.”

His home features lavender carpets and red walls.

DJ Mary Charteris has a dressing room with a Leopard print carpet.

Ed O'Donnell, an interior designer, also supports bold carpets, but says that they should be made from natural fibres:

"People today want wool, jute and bamboo silk. And if the fibres are synthetic, then they must be made from recycled ocean plastics."

Designer Rose Hanson, from the interiors studio known as Penrose Tilbury, believes in utilising carpets in rooms to make them feel cosy. She says that the use of carpets is growing.

Interior designer Rebecca Hughes points out that there are also practical benefits to carpet. They reduce noise, ones made from natural materials are eco-friendly and stain-resistant ones are easy to keep clean.

If you want your home to have carpets again, visit your local carpet retailer in the Chester region to see the wide range of carpets to choose from.

New way to deal with carpet tile waste developed in New Zealand

New Zealand company SaveBoard, in partnership with American industrial manufacturer Milliken, has developed a new way to recycle carpet tiles that uses recycled plastic packaging.

When carpet tiles need replacing, there are different ways to dispose of the old, worn tiles. They can be simply thrown away in landfills, but this is not very environmentally friendly.

Several schemes collect waste carpet tiles, then separate the fibres from the backing. The separated yarn can be used in the production of new carpets, and the backing material used in various applications, including roofing and roads.

In SaveBoard’s process, carpet tiles and used soft plastic packaging are shredded and then compressed together to form new carpet tiles. This does not require additional chemicals.

The technology took more than two years to develop. Saveboard's founder, Paul Chateris, said that it was a major challenge to find the best formulation for the waste mix.

“For over two years, the team trialled and refined different formulas, balancing strength, flexibility, and finish. A key breakthrough came in developing a scratch-and wear-resistant top layer that could be applied mechanically – without the need for glue or chemical bonding agents.”

The recycled carpet tiles have a distinctive multicoloured look. They are being sold in New Zealand at a premium cost. If demand is high, they may be made available internationally.

Carpet tiles sold by Chester flooring retailers are available that contain recycled materials, which are suitable for domestic and commercial use.