Carpet is a comfortable and soft alternative to hard surface flooring. Unfortunately, wear in your carpets is inevitable, particularly in a home with pets and kids. How do you maintain a soft, luxurious feeling? Let's review how to fix a flat carpet that has experienced a lot of foot traffic and make it look as good as new. Additionally, we'll explain precautions you can take to keep your carpet in excellent condition.
Preventing Carpet Wear and Tear
Purchase High-Quality Carpets
Prevention can prolong your carpet's life span in high-traffic areas. Foot traffic results in flattened carpets and issues like matting, crushed fibers, large indents, discoloration and stains. Use these simple strategies to ensure your carpets remain in good shape.
1. Purchase High-Quality Carpets
Consider the quality and type when purchasing carpeting. Even if you take preventive measures, inexpensive, low-quality carpets may quickly show signs of wear. Investing in high-quality, durable carpeting will save you money in the long run.
2. Place Rugs Strategically
Putting rugs in high-traffic locations like hallways, entryways and living rooms can prevent wear. Rugs are usually more affordable and easier to replace than wall-to-wall carpeting, so placing them around your home could save you money and time.
3. Take off Your Shoes
Removing your shoes when entering your home is one of the best ways to protect a new carpet from foot traffic, preventing noticeable wear and tear in high-traffic areas. A no-shoe policy can keep your floors cleaner and avoid tracking in dirt. An entryway or mudroom is the perfect place to remove and store your shoes. You can invest in a compact shoe rack to keep the area tidy and organized.
4. Keep Food Away
Accidents happen, and food that falls onto your carpet may leave stains. To prevent this, keep food, drinks and snacks in the kitchen or other areas with easy-to-clean surfaces.
5. Train Your Pets
Curious cats and playful puppies are adorable, but they can be destructive. Besides the occasional accident that
can leave stains, pets can also scratch and claw carpets, causing damage. If pets are part of your family, train
them to be well-behaved in the house or supervise them.
6. Maintain and Clean Carpets
Carpets require routine maintenance to keep them in mint condition. Vacuum regularly and hire professional carpet cleaners at least once every couple of years. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for taking good care of your carpet.
7. Move Furniture Regularly
Your furniture will probably stay in the same place for a long time. However, we recommend moving heavy objects like your couches and coffee table to avoid leaving indentations in your carpet. You don't have to rearrange your entire living room — shift your furniture a few inches to spread its weight.
8. Install Blinds or Curtains
If you don't have curtains or blinds installed, do so now — especially in carpeted areas. Window coverings prevent UV rays from fading a carpet's color over time.
Reviving High-Traffic Carpet Areas
Do you have matted and flattened carpet? Even with proper prevention methods, foot traffic will affect some areas of your home. Here's how to fix flat carpet in high-traffic areas and give it a much-needed revamp.
Vacuum
The easiest way to restore flattened carpet fibers is to vacuum the area in all directions — not just back and forth. Keep a new carpet in top condition by vacuuming it regularly.
Blow Dryer
Try infusing the carpet fibers with moisture to remove large indentations from heavy pressure.
- Spritz the indented carpet area with room-temperature water.
- Run a blow dryer on high over the damp area until it dries.
- While using the blow dryer, fluff the area with your hands or gently use a carpet brush.
- Continue to fluff the dried area after using the blow dryer until the carpet fibers elevate.
- Repeat the process if the carpet is still flat or call a professional.
Iron
Steam cleaning also works well for flattened carpet pathways. Use your iron if you don't have a steam cleaner or don't want to pay for a professional carpet cleaning service. Here's how to fix flattened carpet with an iron.
- Place a damp towel over the flattened carpet area.
- Turn your iron on low to medium heat — high heat may damage the towel or carpet.
- Move your iron around for 30 to 60 seconds continuously, being careful not to touch the carpet directly.
- Remove the iron and towel and fluff the area with your fingers or gently use a carpet brush.
- Repeat the process if the carpet is still flat, or call a professional, as this can be time-consuming.
Ice
Fluffy carpeting can become matted over time. Surprisingly, ice can solve stuck-together carpet fibers. Follow these steps.
- Place a few ice cubes on the indented area.
- Allow the ice to melt overnight to ensure the carpet fibers absorb the water, slowly expanding.
- After several hours, fluff the fibers with a carpet brush or toothbrush.
- Pat the area dry with a cloth or use a blow dryer.
Carpet Brush
If you're looking for another option, carpet brushes are affordable and work by shaking free compressed fibers and stuck-on dirt or debris. You can then vacuum excess dirt and lift the fibers.
Carpet Cleaner
In places where people frequently use the same footpath, a lighter-colored carpet might darken as it becomes dirtier than the surrounding floor. Cleaning is the best way to solve this problem.
If you're tackling a large footpath, you may want to consider renting a machine or paying for a professional carpet cleaning service. However, you can tackle a small area by hand. First, vacuum to remove loose dirt or pet hair. Then, shampoo the carpet, gently brushing the fibers. After it's dry, you can restore the fluffiness with a vacuum.
Find High-Quality Carpet at Carpet & Tile Mart Today
Foot traffic can cause your carpet to look worn and outdated, even when you properly care for it. Luckily, there are many ways to restore your flattened and discolored carpet to its original plush state. You can also use various preventive methods to keep your carpets looking their best.
Investing in high-quality materials is one of the best strategies for enjoying your new carpets for years. Carpet & Tile Mart has many different carpeting options, including durable low-pile cuts.
Find a store near you to get the feel for your perfect carpet.
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