The Love Affair is Over

Like most families, we fell under the delusion that carpet is what you install to make your home inviting and comfortable. Boy, were we duped. Four years of four kids and our family of dogs have killed the carpet. It is dead. There is not a spot remover on the market that I haven't tried, as well as things like OxyClean (hey, it cleans clothes), laundry soap (which was recommended by the manufacturer of the carpet), vinegar, Windex and a host of other "what the heck are you doing?" items. Still, the spots remain. If you'd connect them, we would have some very large constellations on our living room floor. Micah tried connecting them with a permanent marker for us that one time (okay, twice, for those of you who are counting) but that only added to the mess. I imagine that every guest who walks in the door wonders why we don't just drag the carpet out and bury it somewhere, giving it the decency of the funeral that it deserves.

I am sooo over carpet.

We have new flooring on premises just waiting to be installed, and it's not carpet. I am very happy about this. But in the meantime, we still have this dead and semi-decayed thing rotting away in our living room. I could be resentful that the job isn't even begun yet, but instead I am choosing the high road. With reckless abandon, I am now looking for opportunities to trash the carpet in one last hurrah before it is disposed of.

While painting the living room, I simply sat the paint can right on the carpet. A few spatters happened, but sadly it blended right in. I was actually disappointed over this.

Micah had an accident on the floor. While I cleaned it (because I didn't want the place to smell) it did not leave a stain like it normally does. This, too, was disappointing.

I walked across the carpet in muddy shoes. They left very minor footprint stains. Drat.

I no longer ban the dogs from the carpet after they've had a good romp in the mud. I watch them roll with glee, trying to dry off on the flooring, but you don't really notice the new spots amidst all the old ones.

I let Micah eat spaghetti in the living room, right on the floor, and he spilled his plate. There is a very large orange spot where he was sitting. This made me smile.

By the time the carpet is pulled, it'll thank us for putting it out of it's misery.

7 comments:

Michelle said...

So you're going with the institutional tile flooring? My mom complains constantly about the damage her single dog does to her wood floors. We cracked tile floor when I was growing up... I'm curious.

AND I have the magic get anything out of carpet cleaner that we got at the MN State Fair several years ago. I'm not sure what's in it, but it has yet to not get a stain out of something. And it doesn't take out the color either. Stain-Brite or something? We luckily still have a partial container under the sink locked up tight!

So when DO you get a the new flooring?

Oh, and we found that coloring on carpeting with crayons was really gratifying when I was in college (landlord of my friend's place was replacing the carpeting and ok'd), as was carving pumpkins on the carpeting sans protective coverings like newspaper. And I'll go write my own post on my own blog now :)

Kimberly Wright said...

We put new carpet in the bedrooms a few years ago. Starting to look like crap. The other portions of the house are tile or hardwood. I hate carpet. Hate it.

Karen said...

I have 3 year old carpet and I am so over it as well. I actually hate all my floors in my house now! Can't wait to remodel!

Burgh Baby said...

I have already informed Mr. Husband that I'm willing to sell a kidney to get rid of the carpet in the family room and play room at the new house. Sadly, ebay doesn't allow you to auction kidneys. I'll have to sell something else.

Trisha said...

Carpet does make one think warm and comfortable. However, the darn stuff takes a lot of work - keeping it swept and spot free. So, what are you putting down in it's place?

Becoming Mommy said...

I too hate our carpet. Especially when one of the dogs has pulled it up repeatedly and used it as a chew toy.
I also hate laminate. Because husbands who throw chisels and screwdrivers point down from the ladder should be shot (it's beyond knicked).
I lobby daily for 1x1 rough-hewn, natural slate tile with charcoal grout.

Karen said...

I have the same relationship with carpet. I am a laminate wood or laminate tile floor lover myself. Pets nor kids seem to be able to hurt it. Unfortunately, this house has hardwood, tile and carpet. Even the grout on the tile is struggling. I won't even go there with the wood and the carpet.

Hang in there, the time can only be getting close that said project will start.