How To Fix Matted Carpet – A Perfect Restoration 2024

How to fix the matted carpet after a long time of using it? Well, the method is more straightforward than you can imagine. However, you need to understand your carpet materials to choose the best approach to restore your matted carpet.

So, I guess you can’t wait any longer; let’s move to the next section.

Why Does My Carpet Start Matting?

Matting is an unavoidable part of the lifecycle of carpets, especially when you place your rug in high-traffic areas. You will see the matting areas appear more often with old carpets.

Your carpets will turn flat if they suffer from heavy pressure for an extended amount of time; the carpets’ fibers may compress and flatten out. This makes your carpet not fluffy and plush as the new one.

Highly-traffic places of your house like stairways and the living room will be the most common areas that occur this annoying phenomenon.

Three Main Reasons That Cause Matted Carpet

Here are the top three reasons why your carpet’s fibers are flattened down.

Heavy Furniture And Foot Traffic

That said, if your carpet undergoes such pressure as your bulky closet, sofa, or table legs, that area will turn flat. The force from foot traffic could also flatten out the fibers.

From adults’ footsteps, animals running around, or your children crawling on the carpet, after a long time enduring such a heavy force, the fibers of your carpet will not be as good as they used to be.

Dirt, Soil, And Mud

Dust and dirt in the natural environment will grab on the fibers of your carpet and gradually form buildups inside the carpet. If your pets enter your home after a rainy day, they could bring wet and dirty mud to the mat without your noticing.

After the mud dries out, the fibers will stick together, and the force from people’s footsteps will result in a more severe problem. A dirty carpet could lead to an increase in the possibility of specific issues from unwanted bacteria to your health ⁽¹⁾.

Lack Of Maintenance

As mentioned earlier, if you don’t clean your carpet frequently and let the dirt gradually build up. Not only matting but other serious problems will occur if you don’t provide sufficient maintenance required for your carpet.

Chop-Chop! Let’s Unflatten Your Matted Carpet

Fortunately, lifting your flattened carpet is not a difficult task. However, as the fibers are fragile, you have to choose a suitable and sophisticated approach not to harm the entire rug.

Vacuuming

A quick vacuum will suck up all the remaining dust or debris inside your carpet. If you let any of these dust during cleaning, they will reduce the efficiency of the following methods.

Also, the vacuuming force will fluff the fibers up, leaving you some flattened marks that you have to focus on. Just run the vacuum through the surface of the carpet a couple of times to ensure that the carpet is free of debris.

Wow! An old and matted carpet is brought back to life with this vacuuming method.

Air Compressor

Using an air compressor is an excellent solution when your carpet has deep indentations from suffering heavy pressure over a long time. If you happen to have a compressor right in your house, this is the right time to try it.

Preparation

• An air compressor (60 gallon, 150 PSI)
• A carpet conditioner
• A comb

Instructions

Step 1: Treat the matted spots using a carpet conditioner. The conditioner will eliminate the foul smell and help prevent the fibers from tangling to each other again.

Step 2: Run the air compressor and blow the air at the affected areas. The strong air blow from the compressor will loosen the carpet fibers and also blow all the remaining dust away.

Step 3: Use a comb to brush at the area that the air compressor can not reach.

Step 4: Keep on blowing and brushing until the entire carpet is treated.

An air compressor is a savior to fix your heavily matted carpet.

Vinegar And Baking Soda

These home remedies will do more than just make your carpet fiber fluffy again. As vinegar is antifungal, you can use it to prevent molds from growing in your carpet ⁽²⁾. This should be the first option you try if you haven’t cleaned the carpet for a while.

Preparation

• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• A fork or a stiff brush
• A spray bottle
• Vacuum

Instruction

Step 1: Sprinkle a large amount of baking soda on the matted area of the carpet.

Step 2: Work the baking soda into the fibers with a fork or a stiff brush. You should work in multiple directions to bring the fibers up and make them fluffy again. Don’t use too much force and because you might harm the fibers.

Step 3: Leave the baking soda work on your carpet overnight.

Step 4: Vacuum the carpet.

Note: You need to vacuum all the baking soda out of the carpet fibers before moving to the next step. Vinegar will interact with baking soda and form a foamy substance that is a little bit messy to clean.

Step 5: Mix water and vinegar with a ratio of 1:1 to form a vinegar solution.

Step 6: Pour the solution into a spray bottle and apply it onto the carpet.

Step 7: Brush the carpet again with a stiff brush.

Step 8: Let your carpet dry.

Ice Cubes

The ice cube method is suitable to treat small flattened areas on your carpet. Especially the areas that are caused by your furniture. These areas usually suffer from a deep indentation from a heavy force.

If you have a thick and fluffy carpet, this happens more often. But with the support from ice cubes, you don’t have to worry about this problem anymore.

Preparation

• Ice cubes
• A clean, white towel
• A soft brush or your fingers (a coin or a spoon will also be a great alternative)
• A hair dryer (optional)
• Vacuum (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Place the ice cubes on the matted area. Keep a small space around two inches for each cube. You should use around 2 cubes for small areas and add one cube for the areas that are larger than 2 inches.

Step 2: Wait a few hours for the ice cubes to melt entirely.

Note: You can use a hair dryer and blow at the ice cubes with the low heat setting to speed up the melting duration.

Step 3: Gently blot up the water from the melted ice cubes. Don’t press too hard, you might push the dent back in. Also, don’t use colored towels because they can stain your carpet.

Step 3: Now that the flattened area has been soaked with water, fluff the carpet using a brush or your fingers.

Step 4: Keep on brushing until all the fibers sit up.

Step 5: Allow your carpet to dry.

Step 6: Fluff the carpet fibers with the vacuum. This is an optional step, but it sure makes your carpet fluffy again.

Step 7: Rub the carpet in a circular motion with a soft brush to even the fluffy fibers.

Water And Nylon Brush

If the affected area is huge, lukewarm water will help you this time. This method works like the ice cubes one; moisture from the water will loosen the fibers and release them from being matted.

Preparation

• Lukewarm water
• A nylon brush
• Vacuum (Optional)
• A spray bottle

Instructions

Note: Before using this method, read your carpet’s care tag carefully to use the most suitable temperature for your carpet. I bet you don’t want to damage the fibers using too hot water.

Step 1: Pour the lukewarm water into the spray bottle.

Step 2: Spritz the water to the flattened fibers.

Note: Only spray a sufficient amount of water. Don’t pour the hot water directly on the carpet because the water might get through the carpet and damage the floor. If you have a wooden floor, hot water might cause a severe problem.

Step 3: Use a nylon brush to bring the fibers up. Always brush gently so as not to harm your carpet.

Step 4: Dry your carpet under the sun. The ultraviolet ray will kill harmful microbes in the fibers.

Step 5: Finish with a quick vacuuming all over your carpet. The fibers will become fluffy again.

A simple yet effective way to make your carpet fluffy again.

Vinegar And Water Method

If your carpet has a bad odor smell from dust and dirt, try using this vinegar solution. It is an ideal choice to keep molds and their odor out of your carpet.

Preparation

• Water
• Vinegar
• Vacuum
• A spray bottle
• A stiff brush

Instructions

Step 1: Make a vinegar solution from one part of water and a part of vinegar.

Step 2: Spray the solution to the flattened zone.

Step 3: Use a stiff brush and work on the carpet’s fibers.

Step 4: Let the affected carpet dry.

Step 5 (optional): Your carpet will become fluffy after you vacuum it.

Damp Cloth And Ironing

In case your carpet is heavily affected by foot traffic, treating the area might need more effort. The heat from the iron and the moisture from a damp cloth will do the trick. Let’s see how you can do it.

Preparation

• A damp and lint-free cloth
• An iron
• A nylon-bristled brush

Instructions

Step 1: Make sure you just wet the surface of the cloth; soaking wet cloth won’t work in this method.

Note: Make sure your cloth can endure the heat from the iron before placing the iron on the surface of the cloth’s fabric.

Step 2: Place the damp cloth on the affected area. Then, put the hot iron on the cloth for 30 to 60 seconds in each area (you should use a medium-heat setting).

Note: If the water in the cloth evaporates, just keep applying water to the cloth and repeat the process. Don’t let the iron have any direct contact with the carpet’s fibers; the heat will ruin your carpet.

Step 3: Slowly move the damp cloth and the iron to work on all over the flattened areas. The heat and the moisture will loosen the fibers and restore your carpet’s perfect look.

Step 4: Fluff the fibers with a nylon-bristled brush.

Step 5: Let the carpet dry.

A Hair Dryer

This time the hairdryer can rebound your carpet from indentations. Here is how you should do it.

Instruction For Normal Carpet

Preparation

• A hairdryer

Instructions

Step 1: Start your blow dryer with medium heat.

Step 2: Blow directly at the flattened fibers for a few minutes. Keep a space around 10-15 cm between the hairdryer and the carpet’s fibers.

Step 3: Keep on blowing until the fibers become fluffy and dry, according to your reference.

Instruction For Tightly Woven Carpet

Preparation

• A hairdryer
• Water
• A spray bottle
• A comb

Instructions

Step 1: Pour water into the prepared spray bottle and mist the dent area.

Step 2: Rub your fingers to the carpet fibers.

Step 3: Turn on the hairdryer with medium heat and blow at the affected area for a few minutes.

Step 4: Pause every minute and use a comb to lift the fibers up. You can also run your fingers through the flattened fibers.

Note: You only want to loosen the fibers with the heat, not burning it so make sure the heat is not too high.

Vacuum With Baking Soda

This combination will help you pick up all the trampled fibers and remove the foul odor from your carpet. Believe me, just a package of baking soda and a vacuum; your carpet will be just like new.

Preparation

• Baking soda
• A vacuum

Instructions

Step 1: Fix the brush on your vacuum. Ensure that the brush is free from hair and dust for picking up debris and fluffing fibers effectively. A motorized brush roll is convenient for removing dust and lifting the fibers.

Step 2: Pat the baking soda on the flattened fibers. The baking soda will deodorize the odor and help loosen the fibers. Leave the baking soda for 15 minutes.

Step 3: Vacuum the carpet thoroughly in different directions.

Steam Clean

As mentioned before, the power from the heat and moisture will treat the matted carpet. As a result, steam clean will be the best option if you want to restore the appearance of your carpet.

Preparation

• A vacuum cleaner
• A steam cleaner
• A carpet cleaner solution or a detergent compartment

Instructions

Note: Always make sure that your carpet can endure the heat without harming it by checking the carpet’s care tag.

Step 1: Empty the area by removing any furniture from your carpet. If the object is too heavy, wrap it up with duct tape to prevent moisture from penetrating and ruining the furniture.

Step 2: Clean your carpet with a vacuum cleaner. Don’t let any dust or hair lie on the carpet. Vacuum twice to make sure your carpet is clean.

Step 3: Treat any stain on the carpet if possible. Steam cleaning can seal the stains if they are still present on the carpet.

Step 4: Fill the steam cleaner’s reservoir with water. Adding a carpet cleaner solution or a detergent compartment will also enhance the efficiency of restoring your carpet.

Step 5: Start the steam cleaner. When the water reaches the recommended temperature, steam cleans your carpet.

Note: Run your cleaner in a straight line not to miss any spot on the carpet.

Step 6: Go for a second round to ensure the carpet is treated correctly.

Step 7: Wait around 8-12 hours to let the carpet dry thoroughly.

Carpet Rake

A carpet rake will be a great choice to deal with the matted carpet with its fibers tangling with each other. There are two types of carpet rake, one for high pile carpets and the other one is for low pile carpet. Remember to choose the one that is suitable for the fibers of your carpet.

Preparation

• A carpet rake
• A vacuum cleaner
• A bristled brush

Instructions

Step 1: Vacuum the carpet.

Step 2: Pull the carpet rake on the carpet in one direction. Don’t let the rake’s teeth stab deeply into the fibers because the rake could tear the carpet. Just gently work on the surface of the carpet.

Step 3: Work the rake on the carpet again with a pull and push motion. The correct motion will loosen the mat for the upcoming step.

Step 4: Rerun the vacuum on the carpet.

Step 5 (optional): Repeat the process until the fibers are lifted up.

Step 6: Fluff the carpet in one direction with a bristled brush.

Step 7: Brush again with back and forth motion to work on the entire carpet.

How the carpet rake really works on fixing matted carpet.

How Can You Prevent Matting In Carpets?

It is always better to prevent your carpet from being matted. You don’t want to spend so much time and effort on brushing and vacuuming your carpet. Now, let’s see how you can do it.

Choose The Suitable Carpet

Polyester and olefin carpets are highly vulnerable when placed in a high-traffic area. If you have any of these carpet types, a bedroom or any space with lower amounts of traffic is a suitable area to put the carpets.

Tufts and strands of frieze and plush carpets also usually have this problem. So, you have to choose a suitable area in your house to place the carpet.

Some types of carpets are resilient and able to rebound from matting and heavy traffic. Nylon carpet has synthetic fibers and can recover from matting. Therefore if you plan to carpet the stairs, hallways, living rooms, or entryways, try this type of carpet.

Another tip is choosing a high-quality carpet. The carpet with strong and dense fibers will reduce the indentation.

Vacuum And Clean Frequently

Cleaning your carpet should be a continual process. You have to vacuum your carpet every day if the carpet is placed in a high-traffic area. Regular vacuuming will reduce dust from building up and make the matted spot get worse.

Annual Professional Cleaning

Have a deep cleaning at least once a year for your carpet. This cleaning procedure will wipe all the dirt, hair, and any dusty residue out of your carpet. Steam cleaning with carpet cleaning agents will bring back a flawless look for your carpet.

Move Your Furniture

Well, you don’t have to move every object in the area. Just slightly move the furniture a few inches every 2 weeks if they aren’t heavy, like chairs or tables. This helps protect your carpet without changing the entire layout of the room.

For heavy objects, you should place a coaster under the furniture to spread the weight and minimize the severity of the matted areas.

Use Rugs, Runners Or Mats

Use rugs, runners or mats at the doorways, gathering areas, or an entrance of your house to lower the traffic on the carpet. Instead of cleaning the entire carpet, clean these objects daily to avoid build up dust.

You can also drive the foot traffic away by switching pathways in your room, avoiding footsteps from your guests on the carpet when they enter your room .So, the carpet in highly trafficked places will have enough recovery time.

FAQs

Discover more exciting information through these frequently asked questions right now! The question will provide valuable knowledge about fixing matted carpets.

Don’t Let Your Carpet Unkempt And Messy.

Don’t wait until you see some matted areas on your carpet to start treating them. Always clean and wash the rug frequently to sustain its look and protect yourself from serious health problems.

I guarantee that if you follow the suggested method thoroughly, your carpet will gain its original and stunning appearance. Thank you for your time, and don’t forget to subscribe; lots of valuable tips are waiting for you to discover.

Reference

1. Lung.org. 2021. Carpets.
2. Healthline. 2021. Is Vinegar a Disinfectant? Can It Kill Bacteria and Viruses?.