Two thirds of Brit families have had their flooring seriously damaged or stained – by clumsy kids
Two thirds of Brit families have had their flooring seriously damaged or stained – by clumsy kids, a study found.
A poll revealed the extent to which children can innocently damage a home, with the likes of pasta sauce, blackcurrant squash and even the latest craze – slime – all leaving their mark.
The most common stage for kids to cause havoc was revealed to be between new-born and three, with some parents admitting the contents of their child’s nappy was the cause of some of their floor stains.
Children’s drinks were found to be the biggest culprit of the damaged flooring followed by craft materials such as ink and paint.
But three in 10 of the parents polled also said liquids are the worst thing for children to spill, with cosmetics and food not far behind.
Carine Jessamine of Selco Builders Warehouse, which conducted the research, said: “The research shows parents everywhere have to deal with serious spillages.
“Everyone accepts children are going to have incidents when they are growing up, but when the repair bill can drift into the thousands it can prove costly for parents”.
It also emerged one in five parents have had to pay up to £200 to get their flooring repaired or professionally cleaned, while one parent even said they faced a bill of
£3,000 to repair the damages.
The worst flooring for stains and damages was revealed as carpet.
And the most common room in the house for flooring to be ruined is in the bedroom with 39 per cent of spillages happening there.
This is closely followed by the dining room and kitchen, showing how food, including peanut butter and beetroot according to respondents, is such as big issue.
Interestingly, the results of the study carried out among 524 Brits showed young girls are just as likely to leave behind a trail of destruction as boys.
Carine added: “Carpets are clearly the worst type of flooring for damage and stains from a child’s activities.
“The general perception is that one of the big benefits of having laminate flooring in your home is that it is more resistant to spillages and stains and that theory is certainly backed up by this research.
“We’re also seeing increasing demand for new generation Luxury Vinyl Flooring which is so hard-wearing it comes with a 20-year warranty; perfect if you have young kids!”
* Read more stories of childhood destruction here, including a wine tsunami and why you should probably cry over spilt milk here: https://www.selcobw.com/info/kids-damage-flooring/