Squeaky clean schools

Children are adorable, but they can also be extremely messy. If your children are wearing out your carpet and you are tired of worrying about stains and spills, it's time to find a solution. Luckily, with the right supplies, you can easily protect your carpet from children.

Here's what you need:

1. Playscapes rugs

Children love to play on the floor, but that doesn't mean they need to play directly on your carpet. Instead, invest in a few playscape rugs. These rugs have patterns that actually become part of the play -- for example, a popular design features roads for driving toy cars on it, while another popular design is an oversized checker board.

When your kids play on these rugs, you don't have to worry about dirt from their clothes, oil from their skin or other things staining the carpet. Instead, it all stays on the rug, which you can replace as needed.

2. Vinyl tablecloth

While rugs are great for creating designated kid zones for playing, there are better solutions for snacking. In particular, if your kids are going to snack on the carpet in front of the TV, place a vinyl tablecloth underneath them.

The vinyl resists moisture, and if your kids spill any liquid on it, it typically won't bleed into the carpet. Additionally, when they are finished eating, you can scoop up the entire tablecloth and just shake the crumbs outside.

3. Spillproof cups

In addition to protecting the carpet with a tablecloth, reduce spills by giving your children spillproof cups. If your child is too old for the cups with the lids made for toddlers, use something a bit more mature. For example, invest in a water bottle with a straw as a spill-free solution.

4. Chair mat

For a more permanent solution underneath dining room chairs, consider using a chair mat. These plastic mats feature a grooved side that holds to your carpet and a smooth side that can comfortably support a dining room chair.

If your child spills food, it will just sit on the plastic mat until you sweep or mop it up. You don't have to worry about it getting the carpet dirty.

5. Box of slippers

Finally, it isn't just spills that can make your carpet dirty. If your children and their friends wear shoes in your home, that can also be hard on the carpet. However, it isn't enough to just ask everyone to take their shoes off. Unfortunately, bare feet can also be hard on carpet as it allows oils to dirty the carpet fibers.

Avoid either of these scenarios by placing a box of slippers next to your front door. That way, if your kids or their friends don't have socks, they can wear these slippers after taking off their shoes.

If something does go wrong, professional carpet cleaners can be a great solution.