Proper Carpet Color Selection

Property owners and managers often overlook one of the most important considerations when selecting new carpeting: color.

Carpeting decisions are often based on the appearance of carpet samples, but not necessarily which color will work best for a given setting. The right color can help hide soiling.

First, owners and managers must know the color of the soil that is most likely to be deposited on their carpet. For instance, a brown or gray carpet would likely be appropriate if lighter-colored soiling, such as sand, is the most common soil in that particular setting.

Darker-colored carpet will show less soil. However, regardless of the color, carpets in most commercial facilities should be cleaned using hot-water extractors two to four times per year.

“Obviously, as a manufacturer of professional carpet cleaning equipment, we are not suggesting carpets should not be cleaned,” says Mark Baxter, an engineer and product manager with U.S. Products . “It’s just that there is no 100 percent soil containment system; some soil is going to end up on carpets no matter what you do, and selecting the right color will keep it from being as noticeable.”