Carpet is arguably the most comfortable type of flooring. It’s usually padded, soft, warm and feels great on bare feet. Many carpets are also visually appealing, which makes carpet all the more desirable. It’s no surprise, then, that some people opt for carpet in their bathrooms in addition to other common areas like living rooms and bedrooms.
Unfortunately, carpet is not at all a wise choice for a bathroom. Bathrooms are continually subjected to high levels of water and moisture (as well as other less sanitary liquids), and the fibers in carpet quickly absorb water that can not easily be wiped up, dried out or cleaned. Furthermore, the carpet can act as a haven for bacteria and microbial growth – especially if water and moisture are not adequately controlled. Even if the carpet itself appears fine, the underlying pad may very well not be.
Fortunately, bathroom carpet is not nearly as common in modern homes as it once was since many people have experienced the negative consequences of carpeted bathrooms and have “wised up.” Higher end bathrooms tend to contain tile flooring, and standard bathrooms often contain linoleum – both of which are far more water friendly than carpet.
If you have a carpeted bathroom and the carpet seems fine, you may not feel it is necessary to immediately replace it; and that may, in fact, be true if the carpet is continually cleaned and water and moisture are adequately expelled from the interior. However, carpet and bathrooms do not typically mix well over time, and replacing the carpet as soon as possible with a more suitable flooring material should really be a goal.
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