How to Fix Matted Carpet in High Traffic Areas

Carpets have always played an important part in the aesthetics of every house and business since the dawn of time.

The right carpet in your space can play a huge role in setting the tone and mood of your place.

But carpets, especially those that get a lot of foot activity in your place, can matte with time for a variety of reasons.

The strands, tuffs, and fibers of the carpet fold over each other after years of use, creating a flat appearance on the surface of the carpet.

Not only does the matted carpet result in unsightly floors, but it also messes up the overall look of the space.

In addition, keeping your carpets clean is not just about the outlook, matted carpets harbor additional debris and dirt.

Therefore, to ensure optimal hygiene, and enhance your carpet’s life and appearance it is important for you to fix your matted carpet in the first instance, especially in the high traffic areas.

But is it possible to fix a matted area of the carpet?

Well, if you know what causes the carpet to matte over time, you can surely fix the issue.

Even if you don’t know, we have briefly discussed different ways you can use to restore a matted carpet.

However, firstly, you need to understand the different factors that contribute to why your carpet mat over time with high activity.

What Causes The Carpet Pile To Become Matted?

Speaking of matted carpets, the first thing you should know is that matting keeps occurring throughout the life of a carpet.

Therefore, as much as the quality of the carpet depends on the manufacturing, you cannot use this factor as a direct indicator of your carpet’s quality.

The factors that contribute to the matting of a carpet include;

• How much foot activity is on the carpet?
• What kind of furniture you are using over your carpets?
• If you are using any protective measures.
• How often do you clean your carpet?

That being said, the best way to fix a matted carpet or prevent it from matting is to understand its causes.

Once, you know the major causes of carpet matting you can take better precautionary measures accordingly.

1.  Constant And Heavy Foot Traffic

The appearance of your carpet is expected to flatten or matt if you have a lot of people walking on your carpeted floor.

In the same way, roads wear down from the constant weight and friction of cars driving over them, and heavy traffic areas on your carpet will show signs of wear and tear with time.

2.  Hefty Furniture On Top Of Carpet

As the common saying goes, “the heavier the weight, the harsher the wears.” When a heavy piece of furniture is placed on top of carpeting for a long time, it will cause the carpet to become matted or flatten from the specific foot areas of the furniture.

3.  Dirt, Dust, and Mud

Once again, places with high foot traffic are the epicenter of this matting issue. When you walk on the carpet, you track in dirt, mud, and other debris, which then become embedded in the fibers of your carpet and cause matting.

Especially if you are not taking proper maintenance measures, the signs of matting in high-traffic areas are evident in a short period.

4.  Poor Cleaning And Maintenance

You must keep your carpet clean because it is virtually impossible to prevent dirt accumulation by a factor of 100 percent.

You can change a manageable issue quickly into a significant one if you let the dirt accumulate for a long time.

That being said, the fixing and preventative measures go hand in hand when it comes to keeping the pile of your carpet fresh for a long time.

Let’s have a peek at how to fix matter carpets in high-traffic areas or under other circumstances.

5 Ways To Fix Carpets Matting in High Traffic Areas

Now that you know the main reasons for carpet matting, let’s look at some of the most effective techniques to cure matting.

However, the method you choose to repair your carpet must be determined by the type of carpet you have in your home and the amount of matting.

1.  Regular Vacuuming

This method is more of a preventative measure to keep your entire carpet from matting.

Dirt is a major cause of a flattened area on the carpet, and getting rid of it is the first step.

Vacuuming your matted carpet at least once a week is a great way to treat or prevent carpets from matting.

Vacuuming removes loose dirt particles like dust and debris in your area rugs and carpets.

A vacuum cleaner also boosts and fluffs up your carpet fibers to make it look new and allow you to start noticing bits of your carpet that need serious help.

In addition, the type of vacuum you are using to clean your carpet plays an important role in efficient cleaning.

We love the BISSELL TurboClean PowerBrush vacuum cleaner to fix matted carpets because of its powerful suction, different brushes, and 8-gallon formula tank.

It can easily tackle large area matting of carpets with its high heating capacity. When combined with BISSELL Oxy Boost carpet cleaner Formula, Biddell Turbo Clean vacuum leaves your carpet fresh, and highly clean.

Moreover, it does not leave the carpet with moisture.

2. Fluff Your Matted Carpet With Carpet Racks

A carpet rake features comb-like rigid teeth and can be used to revitalize your old and matted-out carpet in the same way as a vacuum can.

In addition, carpet rakes are ideal to pick up dirt, hair, and dried stains because of their rigid teeth.

To add a cleaning step, you can also use the rake on your flattened carpet before vacuuming. It helps loosen debris or pet hair lodged between the fibers.

Moreover, rakes give you better control over which affected area of the carpet your want to target.

You can either fluff the whole carpet up or just use it on the spots where needed.

In addition, depending on your carpet, you must choose the right rake for effective cleaning.

Some rakes, like Grandi Groom offers a long handlebar. You only have to use it in the back-and-forth movement on your carpet.

It delves into the deepest layers and lifts the carpet strands upward with its long nylon tines.

However, for more accuracy and catching debris and dirt, it is better to use carpets rakes that have a short handle like Romooa 2 Pieces Carpet Groomer Rake.

It allows you better control in comparison to long handles. However, this is a popular choice for small matted areas rather than full carpets.

3. Steam Your Matted Carpet

Steam cleaning is the best option for extremely matted areas. It will help relax the fibers and breathe new life into your carpet.

But if you use it with a carpet rake, it can serve in uplifting the carpet and restore its original appearance.

If you have a steam cleaner or iron at your home, then fixing a matted carpet is not an issue for you.

This option is the most suitable for extreme matting. If the other two techniques have not worked for your carpet, you can move to this one.

You can use a regular steam hot iron if the affected area you are working on is a small one. Rowenta Professional DW5280 clothes iron offers the best results for tough matting on your carpet.

This iron is suitable for different carpet materials and has more than 400 tiny holes on the soleplate. It let the steam cut strong matting on the carpet.

Moreover, depending on the carpet size you’re working on, you might also need to dampen the cloth or towel you’re using many times.

How To Steam Iron Matted Rug Or Carpet

If you like things to be straightforward and uncomplicated, then you should think about using this method. Here are the steps you can follow;

1. Find a white lint-free cloth. Wet the cloth and wring out any excess water from it.
2. Plugin your pressing iron, and then adjust the temperature to a medium-high setting.
3. Place the damp cloth in a flat position over the surface of the matted carpet.
4. Put some pressure on the wet cloth while pressing the hot iron firmly on the surface.

If you want to get rid of damping your cloth many times, Mueller Professional Grade Steam Iron comes with a spray nozzle.

It adds to the convenience. However, you must use fabric over the carpet for stream pressing.

In addition, If your carpet strands still appear matted even after using the steam on them, just run your fingers through them, or use a clean nylon carpet brush to rack them up.

4. Ice Cube Method On Matted Carpets

Another efficient way to revive your matted carpet fibers is to apply just enough moisture with a spray bottle and then flatten the strands with a stiff nylon brush.

The moisture method can then be used to loosen small areas of matted fibers that form due to placing heavy furniture in one place for too long.

This method does not require any equipment. All you have to do is;

1. Put ice cubes on the matted areas.
2. Let the cube melt gradually. You can also use a blow dryer on a low heat setting to speed up the process.
3. Once it melts, straighten the carpet fibers with a strong nylon stiff brush.

This method is best suitable for situations where you regularly clean your carpet with a vacuum cleaner and there is not or minimum dirt in it.

Apart from regular water, you can also make your carpet spritzer in a spray bottle by mixing equal parts of lukewarm water and vinegar to remove matted fibers.

This mixture will renew your carpet fibers while also functioning as a deodorizer.

You can also use any carpet cleaning spray like Resolve Carpet And Rug Cleaner with ice cubes. It cleans the carpet and freshens it up with a light scent.

5. Use Vinegar and Baking Soda

Here comes the most simple home remedy to achieve the finest results for the matted area of the carpet. This method makes use of a combination move.

A mix of white vinegar and a little bit of baking soda to restore your matted carpet fibers also helps disinfect the carpet and remove tough stains.

You can follow these simple steps to get the best results;

1. Pour some baking soda on your matted carpet and gently scrub the area with a stiff nylon brush. Make sure you rub the carpet in every direction possible for the best results.
2. Allow 12 hours for the baking soda to sit on the fibers.
3. Once you have let the mixture rest on your carpet for 12 hours to the minimum, vacuum the area thoroughly. If the matting is tough, you can let the mixture till the next day.
4. After vacuuming, spray the carpet with a solution of water and vinegar.
5. Fluff up the carpet pile with a strong carpet stiff brush.
6. Let the carpet dry and fluff the carpet with your fingers for better results.

In addition, as the old saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”, we have listed a few measures you can take to keep your carpet from extreme matting.

Which Types Of Carpet Fibers Are Prone To Flattening?

Some carpets are more prone to flattening than others because of the difference in the pile fabric.

It’s important to consider the fiber materials of your area rugs or carpets while making your selection for the right method to fix matting.

1. Polyester Carpet Pile

Polyester carpet is made from plastic bottles that have been recycled.

When more weight is placed on top of them, they flatten out, making them unsuitable for high-traffic areas.

2. Olefin Carpet Pile

Olefin carpets are a popular alternative to Polyester carpets. However, flattening is a problem for these types of carpets as well.

In fact, there are minimum chances that any of the above-mentioned solutions will work on the Olefin matted carpet.

Therefore, matting on this type of carpet is a telltale sign that it’s time to replace it.

3. Nylon Carpet Pile

Nylon carpets are made of long-lasting synthetic fibers and are ideal for high-traffic areas.

Nylon carpet is prone to flattening as well, but not to the extent other materials are.

Steam cleaning matted nylon carpets is a simple, yet effective way to restore them.

How to Prevent your Carpets from Matting?

Preventative steps can save you the trouble of repairing or even removing an unfixable matted carpet and replacing it.

You can take the following preventative measures to save yourself from extra work and restore the carpet’s original look with these simple tips;

1. Regular carpet cleaning; just clean the surface of the carpet twice a week or to the minimum once a week with occasional fluffing with a nylon brush. This precautionary measure will help you in the long run.
2. Keep moving your furniture; heavy-duty furniture in the same place for a long time cut your carpet’s life. To avoid flat patches on the carpet, shift heavy furniture on a regular basis if you can. To keep the carpet from matting, move your furniture a few inches or rearrange it according to your preference. Moreover, while moving the furniture make sure to raise the furniture instead of dragging it on the carpet.
3. Professional Carpet Cleaning; once a year it is recommended to get your carpet professionally clean. You can get a professional cleaning service to wash your carpet from time to time. Depending on how much foot traffic your carpet receives, you can get your carpet clean twice a year as well.

This keeps everything fresh and clean and gives you a fluffy carpet that enhances the outlook of your house on the whole.

Conclusion

You’re in a good position to take proper care of your old carpet now that you know how to fix and prevent a matted carpet in heavy traffic areas.

Cleaning your carpet on a regular basis can save you the hassle of fixing carpet matting using different methods.

Not only that, but with time, good old carpets are harder to come by and very expensive.

So, looking after your carpet is a plus if you want to keep good aesthetics and surroundings for your home without buying an expensive new carpet.