"You Never Have to Clean Bio-Pergo! It Just Grows a New Epithelial Layer!"
August 4, 2010 6:32 AM Subscribe
Proactively Addressing Juicy Juice Spills: which home building/home improvement items (paint, flooring, furniture, etc.) are especially good at concealing dirt/wear-'n-tear? I'm looking for specific products as well as product classes.
We finally started fixing up our fixer-upper! Our primary concern (besides budget, to some degree) is finding stuff that will continue to look good in a house with two small, messy children, two large, messy adults, a cat and a dog. Stuff that's easy to wipe down is good - stuff that just doesn't get dirty that easily OR looks pretty damned good even when dirty is IDEAL.
F'rinstance: our cognac-colored leather sofa is so filthy that you could sprout seeds in IT, but it still looks awesome. Our kitchen floor (black-flecked white tile), however, just looks inherently "grimy", even when scrubbed with enough bleach to burn off my fingerprints.
So, HiveMind: what paints, floor coverings, countertops, upholstery choices, etc. have you discovered which are like filth Kryptonite?
We finally started fixing up our fixer-upper! Our primary concern (besides budget, to some degree) is finding stuff that will continue to look good in a house with two small, messy children, two large, messy adults, a cat and a dog. Stuff that's easy to wipe down is good - stuff that just doesn't get dirty that easily OR looks pretty damned good even when dirty is IDEAL.
F'rinstance: our cognac-colored leather sofa is so filthy that you could sprout seeds in IT, but it still looks awesome. Our kitchen floor (black-flecked white tile), however, just looks inherently "grimy", even when scrubbed with enough bleach to burn off my fingerprints.
So, HiveMind: what paints, floor coverings, countertops, upholstery choices, etc. have you discovered which are like filth Kryptonite?
Generally speaking, colours at the extremes of light and dark will show dirt the most. So white carpets, black or white floor tiles and so on will look like crap unless you're obsessive about cleaning them.
Also pure colours will show up the dirt much more than a pattern or variable colour. Which is why beige or mid-brown carpets with a bit of colour variation in the strands (like this one) are popular. Wood flooring is also good at concealing dirt, for similar reasons.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 6:58 AM on August 4, 2010
Also pure colours will show up the dirt much more than a pattern or variable colour. Which is why beige or mid-brown carpets with a bit of colour variation in the strands (like this one) are popular. Wood flooring is also good at concealing dirt, for similar reasons.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 6:58 AM on August 4, 2010
The tile we put down in our kitchen is amazing in this department. It's a discontinued line of porcelain tile called, IIRC, "cotto antico" by Daltile, but there are similar faux terra cotta/saltillo style tiles out there. It's pretty similar to this, in that there is a high level of variation in the tiles themselves, along with a set of very distinct tonalities between tiles. We grouted it with chocolate-colored grout, and it can go a very long time between moppings without looking awful.
The lesson here is that medium-toned (neither extremely dark nor extremely light) rustic, mottled, weathered, uneven, naturally blotchy looking surfaces are your friend.
In contrast, my parents put in a burgundy undermount sink in their bathroom, which looks nice until you actually use it. The things that naturally wind up in a sink through normal use--soap, toothpaste, etc.--show up instantly, and it needs to be wiped down between every use to be "guest presentable."
Another lesson learned that I've never seen discussed is that if you're ever getting new cabinetry or cabinet doors, ones with square molding detail (such as classic shaker doors) are somewhat harder to clean than ones with rounded edges on the molding.
We're also two not-so-neat adults, two messy big kids (who are actually harder on the hardscaping now than when they were younger), two dogs and a cat. At some point, I may be able to re-introduce white into my decorating life, but it will be a while yet.
posted by drlith at 7:07 AM on August 4, 2010
The lesson here is that medium-toned (neither extremely dark nor extremely light) rustic, mottled, weathered, uneven, naturally blotchy looking surfaces are your friend.
In contrast, my parents put in a burgundy undermount sink in their bathroom, which looks nice until you actually use it. The things that naturally wind up in a sink through normal use--soap, toothpaste, etc.--show up instantly, and it needs to be wiped down between every use to be "guest presentable."
Another lesson learned that I've never seen discussed is that if you're ever getting new cabinetry or cabinet doors, ones with square molding detail (such as classic shaker doors) are somewhat harder to clean than ones with rounded edges on the molding.
We're also two not-so-neat adults, two messy big kids (who are actually harder on the hardscaping now than when they were younger), two dogs and a cat. At some point, I may be able to re-introduce white into my decorating life, but it will be a while yet.
posted by drlith at 7:07 AM on August 4, 2010
Pergo flooring is cheap, looks good and is fairly bomb-proof. Also, invest in a carpet cleaner, like a Bissel model from Target. If you have it, you can whip it out whenever, and not have to rent one that doesn't work any better.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 7:08 AM on August 4, 2010
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 7:08 AM on August 4, 2010
Area/throw rugs are the sacrificial anodes of floor coverings.
posted by Rhomboid at 7:11 AM on August 4, 2010
posted by Rhomboid at 7:11 AM on August 4, 2010
My dream floor--and I have similar inhabitants Chez Cocoa--would be an epoxy floor in the kitchen/bathroom/mudroom. Good at handling, resisting, and allowing cleanup of messes. I guess I fall on the other side of the fence when it comes to "mid toned mottled patterns" as a way to hide dirt. To my eye, that sort of thing ALWAYS looks dirty even after you've just cleaned it. When I sweep and mop I want to have to avert my eyes afterward because it's blindingly clean. A solid (light or dark) surface says that to me. Though I might make allowances for the right terrazzo pattern.
posted by cocoagirl at 7:25 AM on August 4, 2010
posted by cocoagirl at 7:25 AM on August 4, 2010
One problem with laminate flooring, especially the cheap knockoff kind that one's cheap husband buys two pallets of (just in case) at a great price at a home-owners outlet store, is spillage of liquids. If you happen to spill something at a seam and don't wipe it up immediately, or if, say, your asshole kitty objects to the new floor and consistently pees in an out-of-the-way corner of it which you don't discover for several days, you will get warping where the fluid seeps into the seams.
The good thing about cheap laminate flooring is that you can afford to buy two pallets of it, just in case, and, theoretically, you can replace the warped pieces.
I hate laminate flooring.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:30 AM on August 4, 2010
The good thing about cheap laminate flooring is that you can afford to buy two pallets of it, just in case, and, theoretically, you can replace the warped pieces.
I hate laminate flooring.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:30 AM on August 4, 2010
I know I've mentioned Trafficmaster Allure Plank Flooring before. It looks as good as any laminate floor, but is waterproof and not easy to scratch. It has been a lifesaver for our old house and 3 big, messy dogs.
posted by thejanna at 8:32 AM on August 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by thejanna at 8:32 AM on August 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
We used sheet marmoleum for our kitchen and bathroom. 2 cats, 2 humans, incoming baby, 1 dog. The Marmoleum is easy wearing, pretty easy to install and can be sealed to give it extra hardness. It's about as bomb proof as anything we've found.
posted by iamabot at 9:01 AM on August 4, 2010
posted by iamabot at 9:01 AM on August 4, 2010
If you want carpet, Flor modular carpet tiles are great. If one gets spilled on or barfed on, you can just pick it up and take it to the sink to scrub it. If one gets totally destroyed, you can just replace it. Buy a few extra tiles when you place your order, and you're set for anything that comes your way.
posted by spilon at 9:32 AM on August 4, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by spilon at 9:32 AM on August 4, 2010 [2 favorites]
If you want carpet, Flor modular carpet tiles are great.
That's a really good idea.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:12 AM on August 4, 2010
That's a really good idea.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:12 AM on August 4, 2010
FLOR carpet tiles are modular and can be replaced individually as they are damaged. They can also be pulled up and rinsed,
posted by Sara C. at 12:07 PM on August 4, 2010
posted by Sara C. at 12:07 PM on August 4, 2010
We had the best tile for this in our old house. It was sorta terra cotta colored, but mostly importantly it wasn't one solid color but kind of muddled. Really it was the color of dirt.
posted by bluedaisy at 9:44 PM on August 4, 2010
posted by bluedaisy at 9:44 PM on August 4, 2010
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posted by jenkinsEar at 6:37 AM on August 4, 2010