Nothing beats the feeling of having a well-laid, stain-free carpet. Apart from the never-ending praises, you get from your visitors, the feeling of self-satisfaction you get looking around your living room and seeing how neatly everything is perfectly positioned with no dent whatsoever is enough to make you want to do more. However, no matter how much you keep trying to keep everything intact, certain situations will frustrate your effort: one of them is matted carpets.
Sadly, even though matted carpet is not caused by stains, it can be the sole reason why you may have debris and dirt trapped in your carpet. Funny enough, the indentation cannot be easily remedied and that is why most times you see people asking questions like, does carpet cleaning fix matted carpet? Will carpet cleaning help matted carpet? You will find answers to these questions in this guide, as well as 6 useful tips on how to clean matted down carpet. Tip no.4 is important, keep reading for details.
What is a matted carpet?
Matted carpet occurs when the tufts, fiber, and the strands of a carpet collapse or bend over one another, making the surface of the carpet look flattened. Apart from disfiguring the dazzling appearance of the carpet, it also hides dirt and debris that could cause permanent discoloration to carpets.
What causes matted carpets?
Most of the time, people attribute the reason for matted carpets to foot traffic especially when the carpet is old. However, the reason for such indentation on carpets is far more than that. Find will find other possible reasons why you have a matted carpet below.
1. Dirt
The first time your carpet was delivered to your doorstep, you must have noticed that the strands are standing upright and thick. However, as you step on them, dirt, grime, mud, and dust, get trapped within their fiber and as they accumulate, they will start to weaken the fiber and the strands of your carpet. As time goes on without any attempt to prevent such accumulation, strands will start to fold over one another and you will have a flattened surface.
2. Lack of proper maintenance and cleaning culture
Yes, it is good to know how to clean your carpet by yourself in the comfort of your home, however, sometimes, it is best to require the services of carpet cleaning experts to remove certain from your carpet. You may have a matted carpet if you fail to clean a carpet properly. When residues from successive cleaning accumulate, it can lead to a matted carpet.
3. Heavy furniture
You will have matted carpet in areas where your furniture is placed. Although damages caused in this area are usually not noticeable because your furniture will cover them. The heavier the weight of your furniture, the quicker the carpet underneath wears out and becomes matted.
4. Heavy traffic
The more you use your carpet by walking on them, the weaker they get. So if you are the type with lots of families, be aware that your carpet is prone to matting. This situation is best described by the relationship between the road and vehicle. The more vehicles ply a road, the faster it wears out. Your carpet will also wear out and become matted with heavy foot traffic.
Do carpet cleaners leave the carpet wet?
Yes, your carpet will be wet after cleaning it with a carpet cleaner. However, in most cases, it should dry in a few hours depending on the maker of the carpet cleaner you use.
What happens if you leave the carpet wet?
If you leave your wet carpet unattended for a long time, you are making it vulnerable to mold and mildew invasion. Your carpet pad is a perfect place for molds and mildews to grow because it will provide them with the warmth and a bit of darkness enough to shield them away from your sight. Unfortunately, once they invade your carpet pad, it may become extremely difficult to eradicate them.
Can you restore matted carpet?
Yes, you can restore matted carpet. Even though a matted carpet at first may look like it cannot be fixed, however, your carpet can be restored to its original condition. Sometimes, all that may be required to restore a matted carpet could be as easy as wetting the affected spot with lukewarm water and strengthening it up with a brush. It could be as simple as that!
How to fix Matted carpet in high traffic areas
- Vacuum matted areas
You can fix your matted carpet in high-traffic areas by vacuuming the affected surface. The vacuum will help to remove all dirt, dust, and grime that may have been trapped in your carpet. Therefore, If you vacuum your matted carpet consistently for at least once a week, all trapped impurities will be removed and you will be a step closer to restoring your carpet.
- Make use of a carpet rake
After vacuuming, the fibers and strands of your carpet will remain tangled, but stain free. To detangle the carpet fiber and strands, you will need a carpet rake. A carpet rake will help to loosen the carpet fibers so that they can be standing upright. Apart from that, they also help to unearth tiny dirt and dust that are left behind by vacuum. A carpet brush works just like a hairbrush and is used similarly.
To use the carpet rake, just move it back and forth on the affected areas until fibers are standing straight again.
How to make matted carpet fluffy again
You can make your matted carpet look fluffy again by treating it with the steam from your iron. Check below for details on how it can be used.
- Soak a lint-free towel or cloth in a bowl of water and wring to get rid of excess water.
- Plug the iron into the socket and set it to medium heat.
- Place the saturated towel on the matted spot and gently iron the cloth till the fibers are all fluffed up.
How to clean matted-down carpet?
You can clean your netted-down carpet by following the simple steps below.
- Create enough workspace by removing every object that may obstruct you in the cleaning process.
- Use a vacuum cleaner to remove dirt and dust that are embedded within the carpet.
- You may have to treat any stain that cannot be removed accordingly before proceeding to the next step to make the cleaning process much easier.
- Fill up your steam cleaner with carpet cleaner or distilled water, plug it into the socket and wait until the water heats up.
- Move the steam cleaner over the carpet, going in straight lines. Make sure to overlap each lime at least twice. Do this to ensure that the matted fiber is thoroughly extracted (this method is called hot water extraction).
- Leave the carpet to air dry.
How to prevent matted carpet
- Most times our furniture are the reason why carpets get matted because they have stayed too long on them. Therefore, you should change your furniture settings at least once a month so that they don’t end up matting your carpet.
- Make sure to vacuum your carpet regularly because dirt accumulation is one of the major reasons why you have matted carpet. Vacuuming your carpet will help get rid of the dirt that is likely to cause problems for you in the future.
- Yes, it is good and economical to do your cleaning by yourself. However, you will also benefit from having your carpet professionally cleaned at least once a year because trust me, you cannot deal with all kinds of stains by yourself. These people are trained and know the best possible way to deal with each stain.
“Your home is a representation of yourself, and it should only be filled with clean items that you enjoy and use”
Professional cleaning expert
