The Best Color of Carpet to Hide Dirt

Obvious Choices

• Simply stated, dirt is brown. Therefore, it would seem obvious that brown would be the most useful color to hide a dirt-stained flooring mess. Although brown may at first seem boring or even unsightly as a carpet color choice, there are many shades and hues to choose from for a more designer appeal. A rich chocolate brown will give your room a warm feel that is perfect when set against abundant natural light. If you are looking to go entirely in the other direction, deep beiges and tans will hide the dirt, but still allow for a light, airy look.

Dark Colors

• Dark colors such as black, navy blue or even forest greens provide a no-brainer way to conceal any kind of dirt that your family, or guests, can drag in. Look for a specific shade that will match the overall room decor, yet still provides full dirt coverage. For example, pale beige with black brings a classic, lighter feel to your room or try this ultra-dark carpeting with a stark white and bold red or pink for a stark contrast and a pop of color.

Patterns and Prints

• Although there are many options for a single-toned carpet that can easily hide dirt, a pretty pattern or print will just as easily conceal a mess. From checks to fancy floral lines, a patterned wall-to-wall carpet can trick the eye into missing a dirty foot or paw print. A Berber fleck type design can easily hide dirt amid its colorful patterned spots. Although darker colors will still be the best option -- even in a patterned style -- for hiding purposes, the mixture of shapes and lines found in this type of carpet do allow for some leeway in choosing colors. From bolds such as reds and greens to the light hues of baby blues and pinks, a busy pattern can create the illusion of a clean carpet while still allowing you to choose from your color favorites.

Matching the Mess

• Not all dirt is the same color. While we mostly think of dirt as a dark brown muddy type of mess, dirt tracks from dusty outdoor places such as baseball fields may have a lighter appearance. A dark brown, navy or black carpet may be an ideal choice to conceal garden soil or mud, but will actually provide a highlight type contrast for dusty dirt. Lighter-colored dirt requires a matching hue such as earth-toned beige or tan. Although it is nearly impossible to predict what type of dirt your carpet will eventually hold, think about the room placement when choosing a match. A front entry room may be subject to lighter, dusty street messes while a back of the house family room may be constantly plagued by dark garden soil.