Many home owners who have pets - or even children - can be in a quandary when it is time to replace or update the flooring in their homes. They know if they install wood, tile or laminate floors they tend to clean better than carpeting. Or so they think. They long for the warmth, beauty and color that carpeting can add to their homes but know all about the spilled drinks and pet accidents that can ruin the carpeting.

Research and development engineers and designers listened to the wants and needs of customers and have come up with some interesting fibers that have more repellant and are easier to keep clean. Your local flooring store will have samples and colors of these new carpets and can give you the features and benefits of each manufacturer.

Home & Garden Magazine has said that switching from on-the-surface stain protection to treatments that cover each fiber or are integrated into the fibers has made clean up surprisingly easy. An increasing number of carpets require only water for stain removal. Mohawk Flooring has a carpet that comes with a lifetime warranty against pet urine stains.

Chip Wade from HGTV's Designed to Sell and Curb Appeal: The Block has teamed up with Mohawk and DuPont to introduce a revolutionary and extraordinary new class of carpet called SmartStrand. It's is unique in that it combines both exceptional durability with permanent built-in stain and soil protection- no other fiber can make this claim. And it's also eco-smart! It's made with a renewable resource, corn. It requires less energy to make and reduces our dependency on oil.

DuPont has newer entries into the stain resistant carpet industry. Stain resistance is built into the Sorona® fiber, making it permanent. This means carpets made with Sorona® do not require the added cost of topical treatments or special dyeing. Sorona® also offers bleach resistance, which makes it easy to clean and maintain. Stain-resistant carpet made with Sorona® will look like new for years.

Shaw Floors also has been busy in the R&D area for stain resistant carpeting. R2X is the industry's most innovative carpet stain and soil repelling system and the product of years of research and testing. Shaw's patented and exclusive R2X system goes beyond conventional repellents that only protect the surface of the carpet. With R2X, carpets are armed with total fiber coverage, offering complete protection from the top to the bottom of the yarn. This total fiber coverage offers unprecedented protection against household spills and everyday soiling. With R2X, spills that reach the base of the Twisting Yarn don't penetrate and wick back to the top as they do with conventional solutions.

If you discover a spot or stain on your carpet, consider the help that the carpet manufacturer might offer you. Manufacturers often provide a "help" number with the warranty. Sometimes a spot can be removed simply with a clean white towel and water. Still, you should consult the "help" number before you attempt to remove a spot, in case your spot is not easy to remove.