# stressed about baby crawling on carpet!



## sora (Oct 7, 2006)

My baby starts crawling now, and I'm living in an apartment temporarily until summer with a wall to wall carpet. I think it is disgusting that my baby crawls on it. I only vacuum only once a week, and I will probably have to every day to keep it clean for my crawling baby. Right now, I put blankets all over the carpet so that she doesn't have to craw on the carpet and eat from the floor. But the blanket also gets dirty right? I shake them on the balcony Also, I can't cover the whole area....ideally I would like to have a wood floor, but I can't move right now. Any solution? Thanks.


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## Minaret (Jan 26, 2007)

We have wood floors and a very small house, not many options for baby to crawl when he does in a few months....I would love to have carpet actually!

We had a nice rug on our living room floor covering the wood floor, but since the living room is so small and close to the front door in winter, it got really yucky. There is no "mud room" or space to take off our dirty boots, coats.
We put an indoor/outdoor thin style rug on the floor and it works for us, but not very comfortable for baby to crawl on. I will probably still put blankets down for him.

Our kitchen is so small that there is no room for a table to eat, so we instead eat at the coffee table in the living room. Not an ideal spot for a baby, so I'd be happy with carpet as long as it was clean. Can you get it steam cleaned??


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## mamitosami (Nov 22, 2006)

Get the carpet steam cleaned and keep it vacuumed, no need to worry so much. You are going to make yourself sick. We had our carpets cleaned, I kept it vacuumed, my son really only crawled for about 2 or three months, then he walked. He was never sick, and we had had other tennants living in our place previously, and they weren't exactly the model of cleanliness.

Don't worry yourself so much.


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## aprilbaby06 (Jan 21, 2006)

I also have very little carpet in my home. I still use blankets, the bad thing is when dd topples over, a head bump can be bad on hard floors.We have three queen size comforters that we spread out every morning and then fold up at night or when we leave. We have a cat in the house and no matter how many times I tell her she jut will not wash her paws after useing the litter box.














Soooo the blankets are off limits. I have been thinking about some kinda padding to go under the blankets. Maybe thick a gym mat or someting.

I second having the carpet steam cleaned, you could even rent or buy a cleaner and do it yourself. I only have carpet in my bed rooms, but it soooo needs to be cleaned right now. I got to quit putting that off.


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## Chronic Chrissy (Sep 4, 2006)

We have a foam puzzle play mat, you can just wipe it at the end of the day, plus she's very occupied taking it apart and popping the letters out.


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## jocelyndale (Aug 28, 2006)

If you're vacuuming regularly, don't worry too much. If you don't already have a no-shoes-in-the-house rule, you could institute one. We don't wear shoes in the house . . . the carpet gets plenty dirty from our dog, we don't need to contribute!


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## NYCVeg (Jan 31, 2005)

We have all-wood floors in our apartment, with one small play rug. The rug and the floors get plenty dirty. We try to take our shoes off, but we have a dog and its a really small space, so stuff just gets tracked around. Honestly, other than trying to clean anything truly offensive off the floor (say, if the dog pukes







), I don't worry about it to much. A little dirt won't hurt 'em. No matter what you do, they'll find plenty of icky stuff to play in and put in their mouths (have you ever met a toddler?)--that's just what wee ones do.


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## ColoradoKat (Feb 23, 2006)

Sora-I hear you! I am having the same issue. The carpet in our condo is 5 years old and we have "let it go" a bit because we are about to sell and will replace it once we move out. Although I would be more worried about the off gas of new carpet, then the dust mites and dirt of our old carpet. I can't wait till we get wood floors, that I know I can get clean!


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## beeplet (Mar 1, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Chronic Chrissy* 
We have a foam puzzle play mat, you can just wipe it at the end of the day, plus she's very occupied taking it apart and popping the letters out.

I like that idea! We have very old carpets in our apartment, and I don't like the idea of DS crawling around in 10 years of accumulated grunge. Right now I just lay out a blanket on the floor, but he is quickly learning to crawl, and he isn't going to be content to stay in one place much longer.


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## ErinBird (Dec 5, 2005)

We have wall to wall carpeting. and rent an apartment as well. I wish we had wood floors, but right now there isn't much I can do about it. I vacuum every day or so (depends on whether we spent much time at home the day before/how dirty th rug got).


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## amyb15 (Jan 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sora* 
My baby starts crawling now, and I'm living in an apartment temporarily until summer with a wall to wall carpet. I think it is disgusting that my baby crawls on it. I only vacuum only once a week, and I will probably have to every day to keep it clean for my crawling baby. Right now, I put blankets all over the carpet so that she doesn't have to craw on the carpet and eat from the floor. But the blanket also gets dirty right? I shake them on the balcony Also, I can't cover the whole area....ideally I would like to have a wood floor, but I can't move right now. Any solution? Thanks.

Make sure you get it steam washed, then vacuum it. Make sure there's a no shoes policy.. and you shouldn't have to worry for another 6 months


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## sora (Oct 7, 2006)

Thanks a lot everyone. I feel much better. I found out about steam vacuuming, but actually it can breed more bacteria, I heard. They also use chemicals. I found out also there is alternative non-toxic carpet cleaning in town.

I'm going to get a really good vacuum cleaner this weekend. Right now I have blankets and sheets all over the carpet - looks quite bad!


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## KarenEMT (Aug 10, 2002)

The carpeting downstairs in our house is from probably 1950 (no I am not exaggerating). They even put carpet in the kitchen. It's worn through in spots and pretty much ruined. I vacuum every couple of days and that is it. We are saving up to do new flooring.

I am happy to report that all three of my children are alive and well after spending significant time crawling around these floors


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## Jake Hankins (Jun 16, 2014)

Nice carpet, I have seen this it is a new concept of flooring.:thumb


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## cynthiamoon (Nov 29, 2009)

Carpets can get pretty gross. We vacuum a lot more now for sure. I have steam cleaned occasionally before too, when wet stuff goes down.


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## lfpalmer (Oct 16, 2004)

*It's the natural way for baby to accumulate healthy flora*

It's all just flora and that's great for baby. What's he going to catch? About the only thing would be if there were a dog with worms around -- baby could get some worm eggs. That's pretty rare today, and not that terrible if it does happen. Studies show that the more pets that go outside and come back in, and the more siblings, the more varied and healthy flora a baby will have -- that's means better immune system.


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## craftymcgluestick (Dec 31, 2009)

We do not have carpet, but if we did, it would honestly be the least of my worries with what goes in my 10 month old's mouth. She wants to crawl *everywhere* and makes quite a fuss if she can't get down for a few minutes- restaurant, movie theater, etc. we are talking grossest of the gross floors. She eats sticks, sidewalk chalk- she's just an enthusiastic baby. And she's fine- never sick. My almost 4 year old was the same and is rarely sick. I think crawling around on gross stuff and freaking us out is just how it goes. Rest easy, Mama!


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## sarahl918 (Jul 16, 2012)

We just moved into a house with a carpeted den and I had the same concerns as you. I have had to just relax about it. We had the carpets cleaned, did a steam clean ourselves, and then I vacuum almost every day, just to pick up anything that she could potentially try and chew on (crumbs, fuzz balls, any unseen nastiness). We don't let people wear shoes on the carpet either, and I generally put down a blanket for her to play on, but now that she's on the move she really doesn't stay on the blanket much.  

I am learning that with a mobile baby my new priority chores are sweeping, mopping and vacuuming!


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## sweetbabycollection (Jul 16, 2014)

Play areas could be one great solution for your baby. You can put all the toys and the baby in it which can prevent it from crawling all over the house. This puzzles out the problem of capets getting messy. Be particular in selecting a toy that can keep your baby busy playing. Baby Furniture & Accessories


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