Over time carpets tend to develop areas that look flat and matted giving them a dull and tired appearance. This is commonly seen in high-traffic areas because the weight of people walking over the carpet causes the carpet fibers to lose their spring. In addition to that dry soil and dirt get trapped between the carpet fibers also adding to the problem.
A similar issue can be caused by heavy furniture sitting on the carpet and crushing the carpet fibers, this can result in deep carpet dents that become apparent when the furniture is moved.
Regular carpet cleaning can help to maintain its fluffy appearance. In addition to that, there are some other things you can do to treat deep dents and high traffic areas. We’ll explore them in this article.
Invest in a quality Vacuum Cleaner
Regular vacuuming keeps your carpet looking clean and can also help it to maintain its fluffy appearance. Not all vacuum cleaners are equal, especially when it comes to fluffing up carpets. The best vacuum for reducing the chances of you developing matted carpet over time is one that has a beater bar, or a rotating brush. The soft bristles of the brush dig into the carpet pile, pulling up pet hair and deeply embedded dirt. This loose debris is then sucked up by the vacuum cleaner. But vacuuming alone may not be enough to restore the fluffiness of your carpet. So let’s look at some other things you can do to revive carpet fibers.
Revive Matted Carpet using White Vinegar
For this method you will need the following items.
White Vinegar
Water
A Spray Bottle
A White Towel
A spoon
We need to mix the vinegar and water in a spray bottle using a 1:1 ratio. Take the bottle and fill it with water and vinegar with the aforementioned ratio. Spray this mixture liberally over the flattened carpet, but don’t overdo it, as we don’t want the mixture to seep into the carpet backing.
Leave the mixture to dwell for about 20 minutes.
Now we need to blot away the excess solution in the carpet. Take the white towel and blot the area you have treated. Make sure you don’t rub the carpet aggressively with the intention of fluffing the carpet, because this could damage the fibres. We’ll use a more “carpet friendly” approach for the fluffing process instead.
Blot the area with a towel or cloth
Take the spoon and press its edge into the matted area, now scrape it along the matted areas. If the carpet fibres in the matted/dented areas are not too compacted, this should cause the carpets to straighten back up. Repeat this over the entire area. You may need to go over the affected bits of carpet a few times, so some elbow grease is required!
Alternatively, you could use a stiff brush to straighten the carpet fibres. A stiff brush allows you to cover more ground in a shorter time.
Now let the carpet dry thoroughly before walking on it again. The carpet fibres should dry in their new straightened position.
Using Ice Cubes to Make Your Carpet Fluffy
Now we’ll look at another method that can revive flattened carpet, this one is especially good for treating dents that have been caused by heavy furniture sitting on the carpet. For this method you will need the following:
Ice cubes
A cloth
A fork
Take the ice cubes and place them on the dented areas. One ice cube per dent is usually enough to do the trick. Now leave the ice cubes to melt into the carpet, but don’t let the treated areas dry. Once the ice cubes have melted, gently dab the wet area with a cloth to remove excess water.
Now take the fork and comb the carpet with it. This acts as a makeshift carpet comb lifting the fibres in the dented area. You can then align the pile with a soft brushAn iron being used to re fluff carpet
Unflatten Carpet using a Hair Dryer
For this method, you will need the following items.
A spray bottle
Warm Water
A Hair Dryer
A brush
Take the bottle and fill it with warm water from the tap. Make sure it is only warm and not hot, because depending on the material used to construct your carpet hot water may damage it. Spray the carpet with warm water from the bottle ensuring the flattened area is covered, taking care not to oversaturate the area.
Now we need to dry the carpet. Turn on the hairdryer and hold it above the wet carpet. Set the dryer to a medium setting and proceed to move the dryer back and forth over the wet carpet. Take the brush and intermittently brush the carpet as you dry it. This will cause the fibres to stand up straight. When you finally finish drying the carpet the flattened area should have improved significantly.
How to Fluff Carpet Using an Iron
If none of the previous carpet fluffing methods have worked for you, we have one more for you to try. You’ll need the following items.
An Iron
A damp cloth
A Bowl of water
A Carpet brush
Take the cloth and dip it into a bowl of water. Now lay the damp cloth on the flattened area of the carpet. Take the iron and set it to medium heat. Place the iron on the cloth and move it across it going from north to south and east to west. The heat from the iron will steam the cloth, which will in turn moisten the carpet fibres. The moistened fibres can now be re-positioned with a carpet brush. Brush the carpet to straighten the fibres.
Check out some of our other articles for more tips on maintaining your carpet. We cover common carpet cleaning mistakes to avoid, as well as how to get the smell of spilt milk out of your carpet and much more!