Halloween is a great party season, but with visitors and celebration comes a greater risk of causing an unintentional mess. As opposed to other holidays, Halloween is known for getting a bit wilder, whether you are dealing with trick-or-treaters or friends at your spooktastic celebration.
But one thing is for sure. If you have a rug, a potentially out-of-hand yet fun party can pose a lot of risks. So here is what you can do to protect your rug from becoming one of the undead this Halloween season.
Corral Your Visitors
You don’t have to have an uncomfortable talk about responsibility with your party guests about being vigilant. Just direct the party away from any areas with floor coverings if they are monster mashing or flailing around like a Zombie. Designate areas for dancing and eating.
You can contain the more rambunctious guests and activities by taking people’s drinks for refills or providing plates to reckless eaters. The younger your guests, the more difficult this task will be, but it will also be less awkward to direct them. College-age guests might be the worst blend of unruly and uncomfortable to corral.
Move Your Rug
A carpet will be tacked into the floor and unmovable, but a rug is a free-moving floor covering. It does not have to be out if there is a high risk that it will be damaged. Do you need a bathmat? Can you pack up the nice Persian rug for one night? Why risk needing an emergency rug cleaning?
Halloween is not a night that is focused on home aesthetics beyond the creepy factor. Rugs make spaces more cozy and homey. Coziness is not really something that is desired until the thanksgiving and Christmas seasons so you can get away with a few bare floors.
Don’t Leave Wrappers Around
If you eat some candy, put the wrapper in the trash. This goes for everyone who comes into your living space. If you leave this detritus on a table, it can get blown off by a gut from an opening door or vent. The remaining chocolate can melt, discolor, and matt a portion of your rug.
Even if you are not worried about staining from a bit of melted chocolate, it should still concern you that this food source is on your rug. With a bit of sugary substance, there are many insects and pests who will be drawn to take up residency in your carpet fibers.
Watch The Sugary Drinks
What is Halloween without a punch? The answer, safer for your rug. But if you simply must have a basin filled with sugary liquid served up with a ladle, don’t have the serving station near your rug. And if you can have anyone holding a drink far from your rug, that would be ideal.
The usual red color of punch, or the dark color of popular cola brands can very noticeably stain rugs. Both red and generally dark colors are more difficult to remove. The most important thing to remember is to call a rug cleaning service as soon as the spill happens so the stain does not have time to set.