How to Bring Old Carpets Back to Life

Is your carpet looking old and dingy? Over the years, stains, dirt and constant use can make you think that you need to replace your carpet. However, with some effort and cleaning tricks, can make your carpet look like new. You just need to know how to bring old carpets back to life.

How to Deep-Clean a Carpet?

Sometimes cleaning your carpet is all it takes to make it look new again. To deep-clean your carpet, mix 1 cup of ammonia with ¼ cup water. With a rag, scrub the carpet until you’ve cleaned it entirely. This won’t remove stubborn old carpet stains, although it will leave you with a cleaner looking carpet.

Because ammonia is extremely strong, make sure to open doors and windows while you scrub your carpet to allow fresh air into your home. Also, it’s best to test out a small area that you can easily cover just to make sure the ammonia won’t ruin your carpet.

How to Re-fluff Your Carpet?

Re-fluffing your matted carpet pile is one of the most common ways to bring a carpet back to life. Use these tips below to re-fluff your carpet and have it looking better in no time:

• Use a carpet brush or rake: You can purchase carpet rakes or brushes for this exact purpose. You can use a rake on a carpet with tall naps, and a brush on short napped carpets. Brush the entire carpet. This will pull up the naps, as well as release trapped dirt.
• Vacuum the carpet: This will remove all the dirt and will fluff the carpet up a bit. This works well, especially after you’ve raked your carpet.
• Steam with a clothes iron: Wet a washcloth and wring dry. Make sure to get all the water out of it. Place the washcloth on areas that are completely matted and slowly iron over it. It is best to use the usual steam generator iron for it. This will allow the fibers to stand up. Do this for all needed areas and make sure to wet the washcloth if it becomes dry.
• Ice cube method: Use this for divots or indents left by heavy furniture. Place an ice cube on the divot and allow it to melt. Once melted, use a carpet brush to lift the pile up.

These tips should help you bring back the fluff in your carpet and have it start looking new again.

How to Restore Carpet Color?

Placing rugs over your carpet can block light from reaching those areas of your carpet. This creates faded spots once you remove the rugs. Dirt is also a factor that causes your carpet color to fade over time. To help you restore the color, we’ve added some tips below that will brighten up your carpet.

Vinegar and Salt Mixture

Vinegar is a multipurpose household cleaner to get any job done. To clean your carpet, mix 1 cup of vinegar with a ½ cup of salt. Dilute with 3 cups of warm water. After you’ve vacuumed your carpet, use the mixture to scrub the entire carpet. Use a sponge to do this, however, make sure not to soak it. Don’t soak your carpet either. Allow your carpet to dry.

Dye Your Carpet

If you’re still unsatisfied with the color of your carpet you can dye your carpet on your own. Purchase a powdered dye so you’ll be able to control the darkness of the color. Once you’ve vacuumed your carpet, slowly apply the dye to your carpet with a spray wand, dye machine or airbrush.

Make sure to add painters tape to the edges of your wall where your carpet ends. Allow 24 hours to dry. Try the salt mixture before you resort to dying your carpet. You may not need to do anything more than that to achieve a brighter carpet.

Conclusion

Make sure to try out these tips and tricks to help you bring that old carpet back to life before you decide on throwing it out. You’ll be surprised at how well they work!