Choosing This Type Of Flooring For Your Powder Room May Be A Big Mistake

While remodeling your powder room, you might consider various types of bathroom flooring options — including carpets. Carpets have traditionally been a contender because their soft texture and range of colors can enhance the aesthetic appeal of the half bath. Moreover, wall-to-wall carpeting provides soft cushioning, helps minimize slipping incidents, and prevents the cold from the floor from seeping into your feet. Despite these pros, however, choosing this type of flooring for your powder room may be a big mistake for several reasons.

For starters, carpets are permanent fixtures and are usually stuck to the floor with water-resistant glue, meaning they're more difficult to clean than other types of flooring, like tile, laminate, and vinyl. In addition, powder rooms are susceptible to humidity, accidental water spills, bacteria from the toilet, and the accumulation of hair in the fibers, which will turn your carpet dirty and allow mold and bacteria to take over.

Even though powder rooms have less of a chance to drench the carpet than a bathroom, an overflowing toilet and miscalculated urine shots will allow moisture to seep into the fibers, turning it damp. The dampness will allow mold and mildew to settle in and release mycotoxins like Cladosporium or Trichoderma, which lower the air quality of the room.

In mild instances, it'll lead to sore throat, cold and cough, or skin rash, warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, it could lead to severe health problems for individuals who have asthma, are suffering from chronic lung conditions, or are allergic to mold. Since a wet carpet will take time to completely dry, it'll attack the structural integrity of the flooring underneath, causing irreversible damage. Additionally, the carpet mold will sneakily spread under the surface and decay the flooring over time. That's not all, the moisture-prone surface will promote the growth of disease-causing bacteria like campylobacter, inducing dysentery and diarrhea.

As mentioned, making carpet work in your bathroom is nothing short of a chore. They need to be dry-vacuumed at least once a week to get rid of the dirt and grime. Moreover, you'll have to enlist a sponge or wet vacuum to suck up accidental spills. It'll also be necessary to invest in a powerful extractor fan to even out the humidity in the powder room and check the spread of mold and mildew. To extend its life, the carpet must be cleaned regularly using shampoo, a heavy dose of elbow grease, and a steam cleaner or cold water extractor depending on the material. 

Further, carpets can get stained easily. Substances like urine, liquid soap, and toothpaste will all stain the carpet, detracting from its appearance. Additionally, the damp environment, paired with urine odor, will make the small room smell foul. Finally, if the carpet you install isn't bathroom-safe, it can't withstand the constant dampness. Thus, the fibers can get ruined, making it necessary to replace the damaged carpet sooner than expected.