Always refer to your manufacturer’s warranty for cleaning instructions. Each fiber has different characteristics. Improper cleaning is one of the leading causes of damage to carpet fiber.

Vinyl is certainly not as resistant to tears and scratches as ceramic tile is, but most vinyl does have an inner layer built into it now which tends to resist tears quite well. I wouldn’t hesitate to consider it in a high traffic residential area.

There are many types of tiles to choose from that provide a high slip coefficient. Keep in mind, the higher the slip coefficient, the more difficult the tile is to clean. Most tiles today offer a nice balance between ease of maintenance and safety.