Heyy me and my roommates are thowing a huge going back to school party but we are trying to keep our carpet as clean as possible (almost impossible i know). Were going to have a couple hundred people coming in and out. Is there anything that people know about that could protect the carpet from serious damage and spills? Budget is also a factor, so he cheaper the better! Thankss
Okay, I know you're not going to like this but, here goes... The only thing that I have ever seen work in an environment that you and your friends are about to put carpet through were custom fit quarter inch masonite panels which were duct taped to the baseboards and thresholds. And this is on construction sites with fewer people who are very mindful of other peoples work. It's hard enough to walk on a solid surface when drunk let alone a carpet covered with plastic, paper and/or cloth. If you do have a spill, more than likely, no one would know about it until the next day when the covering is removed. You would have a lot less food and drink spilled if you were to leave the carpet uncovered. That said..... Resign yourself to the possibility (probability) that you'll have to have the carpet professionally cleaned . How do you pay for that? Your guests can ante up a couple of bucks each as a cover charge. It's a pittance compared to tuition fees. Another way to look at it is, if you are renting and have placed a security deposit with your landlord and decide not to do anything about a stained carpet, how frugal do you think he or she will be with your money when contracting a carpet cleaner? Not! The way the economy is now you can probably get a pretty good deal. So get busy. Oh, and while getting your prices, you might want to ask which stains are the most difficult to remove. I know that candle wax is a tough one. One last thought. You may know or know of someone who has a carpet cleaner. See if you can borrow it for the evening. Have it set up and ready to go should there be an accident. I'd loan you mine but I'm over 30 and can't be trusted. Have fun and I hope I didn't sound too much like your father.
There is a product builders use for new houses. It comes in big rolls and is adhesive on one side and sticks to the carpeting. Just pulls off when you are done. It's about $11 a roll and they have it at Lowe's and Home Depot. If that is too expensive, then get plastic painters' drop cloths. They are clear, don't get ones that are too thin, and just tape the sides to the baseboards with painters' tape. Not very attractive but will save the carpet. They are really huge and can do a whole room.
