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Whether you have a furry, fluffy or feathery friend, pet-friendly flooring is an important factor to consider for many Australians when purchasing new flooring for their home or office. At the start of 2020, RSPCA published an article stating there are over 29 million pets in Australia. This makes us one of the highest countries in the world to own pets. According to Jetstar’s Global Travel Survey, one in four Aussies miss their pets more than their family members while they’re on holiday. Therefore pet-friendly flooring is an important consideration for Australian families, property owners and landlords.
The most important things to consider when selecting pet-friendly flooring for your household is:
- Durability & longevity (overall strength & product life, as well as wear & tear)
- Stain resistance
- Cleaning & maintenance (easy clean & care)
- Scratch resistance
- Odour resistance
- Warranties
If you have been in our showroom you might have seen our resident pet, Floyd. Our wool carpet has been personally tried and tested by Floyd and that’s how we know it will work for you and your pet.
Carpet for Pet Owners
Over the years, we have seen for ourselves how durable wool carpet truly is, even with pets. Wool carpet sets the standard for all carpet fibres. It stands the test of time like no other carpet fibre. Its superiority stems from the complexity of the fibre developed by mother nature to protect sheep in all weather conditions. When choosing the best flooring for your dog or cat, you should consider the benefits of wool carpets.
The benefits of wool carpet:
- Wool is a 100% natural and renewable fibre
- Its soil-resistant, making it easy to clean
- Naturally improves air quality which reduces that “doggy” smell
- Hard-wearing it retains its look for longer and therefore more cost-effective
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly alternative, synthetic carpets don’t compromise on aesthetics to achieve the look of luxury for less. Nylon fibres are most popular when it comes to synthetic carpets due to their durability, stain-resistant qualities as well as affordability, making them the most suitable for households with kids and pets.
Carpet Colours
When it comes to selecting your new carpet colour many pet owners decide to select a carpet colour that is similar to the pet’s fur, thereby assisting with the visibility of animal hair on the floor.
Linoleum Flooring for Pet Owners
Historically linoleum flooring has been used for heavy traffic commercial environments due to its exceptional durability. With the rise of eco-friendly and sustainable products, linoleum has become a popular choice for residential homes that are environmentally conscious. The reason being, it’s a sustainable product made from 97% natural raw materials, 72% rapidly renewable materials and 43% recycled content. The key raw materials used in the production include linseed oil, wood flour and jute. Because of its natural timber/rosin ingredients, it will continue to harden with age and can have a life expectancy of up to 40 years. Therefore due to its durability and longevity, it makes a classic choice for busy Australian homes with pets.
Linoleum comes in a variety of different colours as shown by a select range of colours below.
Linoleum is also versatile in the way you can select from a range of tiles, planks and sheets with some colours available in Australia and other from Europe. Examples of these styles can be seen below.
Vinyl Flooring Options for Pet Owners
Whilst tiles can be too cold on your pet’s paws, hardwood floors can be noisy on their claws, vinyl flooring is a fantastic alternative. It’s quiet and comfortable underfoot for both humans and animals alike, it also provides enough traction to prevent pets from slipping around.
Is Vinyl Flooring Good for Pets?
Vinyl flooring is a fantastic option for households with pets. It’s not only incredibly tough and resilient to wear and tear, but it’s also one of the easiest floors to keep clean. For allergy sufferers, it’s a great option as pet hair remains on the surface making it easy to remove by sweeping, vacuuming and mopping. In recent years vinyl planks have come a long way in terms of design, they are extremely stylish and an affordable alternative to timber floors.
Vinyl flooring is a particularly great choice as specific products like the MiPlank range are incredibly low VOC and are free from any heavy metal substances, making it a safe flooring option for kids and fur babies alike.
Things to look for in vinyl tile & plank floors:
- Wear resistance
- Durability
- Extremely easy care & clean
- Great warranties
Cleaning and Maintenance
Pet ‘accidents’ are inevitable, to ensure the best results and to have a chance of the stain not becoming permanent, it needs to be attended to promptly. Regular vacuuming at least once a week is also advised to keep the carpet looking fresh for longer.
Here are a few tips for keeping your vinyl flooring in top condition with pets in the home.
- Keep your pet’s nails trimmed.
- Use doormats at entrances to collect dirt and debris, especially useful after long muddy walks!
- Place a protective mat underneath any pet food and water bowls to catch any spillages.
- Clean up any spillages or “accidents” as quickly as possible to reduce the risk of staining.
