On 1/15/2013 5:58 AM, Ape wrote:
I am frustrated. I have a situation here at home that causes me to
have to try to protect my walltowall rugs. I never should have bought
the expensive, plush rugs that I did, but now that that is a done
deal, I need to try to keep them from getting stained. The cleanups
are getting too frequent and are too hard and are too frequent for
this old man care giver.

I have tried a few fabric runners from Lowes, all on the order of 2' X
8'. So far they all quickly 'bunch up' because they seem not to like
laying on the rugs. That causes a dangerous situation that is very
dangerous when walked on, and is something I should avoid.

Anyone suggest an alternative? How about plastic runners? Do they
have similar problems?

The Apeman


I'm a retired nurse, and old enough to have become more aware of
trip/fall hazards. I've taken care of many, many people with broken
hips, and the number one cause is trying to get to the bathroom in a
hurry. If you are caring for someone with limited ability, safety has
to be your primary concern. I don't think that anything on top of a
plush carpet is going to be safe....don't risk your safety or that of
the other person to save a carpet! )

If the soil problem is from incontinence, are special garments being
used? Are we talking whole-house or one room? It is conceiveable to
have a runner sewn down on top of wtw by a carpet installer, but seems
it would just make a more difficult to clean area. Might be better to
bite the bullet...have the plush taken up and stored for later
reinstallation, then get some resilient, vinyl flooring that can take a
beating and not be an entirely hard surface (like tile) in case of
falls. The slip factor needs to be addressed, should it become wet.