Can House Plants Damage my Floors?
Here in Western Washington, many of us love to bring the green and some tropical plants inside since our climate just can’t support them outside year-round.
In our house, we have many houseplants and its very common to see clients with large potted plants resting on their floors in their homes as well.
But have you ever looked at what can happen to the floor where those potted plants rest?
As carpet cleaners we see all kinds of stains, odors, and debris in homes, however some of the most difficult stain removals are from potted plants. Why you ask?
Most pots that people put in their home are more for a designer look than function. These pots tend to be porous and will slowly wick moisture away from the soil inside and transfer it to the floor below.
After time this wicking of moisture will create water spots in your carpet that are extremely difficult to remove professionally. Often, the water will have a brownish tint to it because it contains minerals from the soil within the pot as well. Then comes an earthy odor that lives below your potted plant is very difficult to remove.
As Professional Carpet Cleaners, removing a soiled water spot from a potted plant is very difficult to do. It requires multiple spot treatments and extractions just to get the minerals out of the carpet. Then an enzyme treatment for odor is usually applied. While this can restore the carpet it can be rather costly and is preventable.
I Love My House Plants, How Can I Protect My Floors?
According to Josh Norman at Plant and Home, one great alternative is to place a plastic saucer under your potted plant to prevent wicking from occurring.
He states that the best way to protect your carpet from indoor plants is to put them on a tray or saucer. Using a saucer will help catch any water that may leak out of the pot and damage your flooring.
You can buy plant trays at most home improvement stores, or you can make your own out of plastic or metal. If you choose to make your own, be sure to choose a big enough tray to catch any water that may leak out of the pot.
I would caution you that yes saucers are a great start, but we have seen in many of our floor cleanings that the saucers still don’t prevent from overwatering and wicking after years of the plant sitting on one spot.
We highly recommend adding a raised plant tray on wheels that allows the carpet to breath under the plant.
Dark, compressed, and damp carpet is a recipe for mildew and bacterial growth. This leads to excessive carpet staining and as I mentioned above it can lead to costly Professional Carpet Cleaning.
What Do I Do if I Didn’t Protect My Floor from My House Plants?
If you haven’t checked under your houseplants, I highly recommend doing so. If you see watermarks, dark discoloration, or smell a mineral type of odor it’s time to call the professionals.
Good and trusted carpet cleaners will know how to treat, remove, and prevent further damage to your floor after they clean. For instance, our professional carpet cleaning service takes in three steps to ensure your carpets are clean.
Most importantly, all our cleaning solutions are non-toxic, leave zero residue, and leave your carpet dry in 90 minutes!
If you have house plants and discover severe staining below, give us a call @ 360-386-9989 or you can book ONLINE @ www.nutrendclean.com.
Supported Sources:
Can Houseplants Damage Your Carpet? Protecting Your Floor from Indoor Plants – Planet and Home
