Trying to choose and pick the perfect carpet for your stairs might seem like a daunting task; not only trying to find the right style and colour, but also durability, thickness and how it looks as it wraps around the edge of the stair and bannisters. There’s also the question of whether your carpet actually needs to be replaced or not: here’s our 8 signs to check if you should replace your carpet.

While there’s a lot more to consider when buying stair carpet, choosing the best carpeting for your stairs is easy once you learn how to spot quality carpeting. First, you’ll want to assess your staircase and the type of carpeting you need.

What type of staircase do you have? 

STRAIGHT STAIRCASE

As the most common staircase type found in homes around the world, when it comes to carpeting the straight staircase, you might want to look at going for something durable and sturdy, such as a plush or Berber carpet. With its loop construction, the Berber carpet has a more textured look and feel that also adds durability, allowing it to withstand a high amount of traffic.

CURVED STAIRCASE

Larger homes sometimes boast a grand curved staircase, and the best choice to emphasise this elegant feature is a Plush carpet. You could even choose to go a step further by making use of a carpet stair runner, as opposed to completely covering the original treads and risers. This way the staircase edges will be exposed and create an interesting and elegant feature.

SPIRAL STAIRCASE

Spiral staircases, are usually installed for space-saving qualities, and therefore choosing carpet for a spiral staircase is very dependant on the width of the staircase. It’s important to take this into consideration, to avoid choosing carpeting that could encourage missteps. Metal or wooden treads are better suited for narrow spiral staircases, whereas the wider, more dramatic spiral staircases can be carpeted just as any other staircase.

STAIRS WITH MULTIPLE LANDINGS

When choosing a carpet for a staircase with multiple landings, one thing to consider is the wear on the landings. The turn in the staircase will mean that foot traffic patterns will wear carpet at the point where people turn to go up the stairs. Selecting a high-quality carpet for this will definitely pay off in the long run.

What about thickness? 

A thicker carpet does not mean it is more durable: in fact, some of the most durable carpets are the thinner varieties, and some of the thickest carpets are just full of air, and squash down over time.

Thickness is important when choosing the suitability of a carpet for stairs. A carpet that is too thick can be a safety hazard, as it wraps around the front edge of the stair and acts as a ramp for your foot, with nothing substantial to support your foot, leading to potential slips and falls.

General consensus suggests the ideal thickness for a stair carpet is a pile height of maximum 1.27cm, with a carpet padding of 1.11cm or less and a pile density rating of at least 3.5kgs.

Choosing the right colour

There are so many different tones and shades when it comes to choosing the right colour carpet for your staircase, but basically it all comes down to the type of flooring above and below your staircase as well as the look and feel of the interior décor of your home. Here are a few handy tips to help you make the right decision.

• The most popular and obvious colour choice is a neutral sandy tone, which is the most easy option as it compliments a variety of other colours.
• If your ceilings are low, pick a carpet colour that is slighter darker, or a few shades darker than the colour of the surrounding walls, to give a feeling of extension in height.
• If you have light, white or cream walls and high ceilings, you can go a bit more adventurous with carpet colour and patterns, as this will complement the surrounding neutral colours and make a real statement.

Don’t forget, you also need to consider the right carpet underlay. We’ve written about this before so check our hints and tips here!

Now that you’re a more familiar with what type of carpet will work best for your staircase, we hope you feel more confident in making the right colour and design choices. And once you do get that new carpet installed, check out our article on quick tips for removing that new carpet smell.

Once your carpet is in, remember we are always here to help if you do have any spillages on your way up or down the stairs and end up with some stains that need professional attention.

Valentine’s Day is approaching and in the spirit of staying at home you’ve invited your date over to your place to impress them with a romantic home cooked meal. But what you haven’t factored in is the house cleaning and preparation before their arrival! Don’t worry; we have some quick and easy tips to help you get your humble home all shiny and ship-shape, ensuring you make a great impression this Valentine’s Day.

1. Give the lounge room a spruce up

This is the room your date is likely to see first and will be left alone in when you nip into the kitchen to finish off that Master Chef meal you have going, so you need to make sure their gaze doesn’t fall on anything unpleasant!

Here’s a checklist to make sure you have all areas covered:

• Clear away the clutter
• Remove any rugs and shake them outside before vacuuming
• Wipe down everything with a multi-surface cleaner
• If you have any tough stains in the carpets try some of our carpet spills and stain cleaning guide tips
• Vacuum on the way out (we even have some tips on how to vacuum properly for you)
• Once everything is clean, place your rugs back
• Place a bowl of choccies and some candles on the coffee table. It sets the mood and scented candles might help cover up any funny odours that may be lingering from those sweaty gym clothes or stinky socks you removed earlier
• Why not go the whole hog and arrange a nice bottle of champagne in an ice bucket with 2 sparkling clean glasses ready for their arrival

After all that, if you find there are stubborn stains that won’t come out with our stain removing guide, or you want your house to smell super fresh and clean for your special guest, give Drytron, the carpet cleaning professionals a call, and we’ll get your carpet all spruced up and ready to impress even the most discerning date.

2. Let’s get in the kitchen

You know how the saying goes, “a good cook is a clean cook” and Valentine’s Day is not a good time to put that to the test, so play it safe and follow these quick cleaning hacks we’ve put together for you:

• Load all your dirty dishes in the dishwasher and run a cycle so it’s ready and empty for the evening, making for a quick clean up and no lingering smells
• Fill your kitchen sink with hot, soapy water and put all removable stove burners in to soak
• If you have some tough stains on the stove top mix some baking soda in a small bowl with enough hydrogen peroxide to make a paste. Scrub with the rough side of a sponge and hey presto, squeaky clean!
• Wipe down all surfaces with a multi-surface cleaner (don’t forget the cupboard doors!)
• Scrub, rinse and dry the burners then put them back on the stove
• Vacuum and mop the kitchen floor on your way out
• Add a vase with red roses and put out some wine, glasses and nibbles such as a dip, grazing platter or cheese board, so your date can come and chat to you while you’re cooking

3. Don’t forget the loo!

Probably the most dreaded job, but definitely a date deal breaker, so follow these tips to get that powder room ready to pass muster:

• Pour a good amount of toilet cleaner into the toilet bowl and up under the rim, and let it sit for a while
• Remove the bath mats and towels and replace with clean ones
• Wipe down everything with multi-surface bathroom cleaner
• Clean and tidy the inside of your cabinets and drawers and put away anything embarrassing! (everyone likes to peep)
• Neatly arrange bathroom items like soaps or hand towels in a decorative basket. Don’t forget to provide a basket to place the used ones in for washing afterwards
• Now it’s been soaking for a while, give your toilet a good scrub with the toilet brush and flush it
• Lift and wipe the seat and all around the bowl of the toilet with a disinfectant spray. Make sure there are no stray hairs anywhere and don’t forget the top of the loo as well!
• Time to add those romantic finishing touches – essential oil burners or diffusers and some candles will do the trick
• Vacuum the floor all over, being sure to get under and around and in all those dark corners, and mop on your way out

Last but not least, don’t forget to lay the table before your date’s arrival. Add some candles and a few rose petals to set the ambience and you’re all set to enjoy a relaxed (and clean) Valentine’s date in your home.