Dents in residential carpet are an unfortunate side effect of having furniture. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid unsightly dents (and you won’t have to get rid of all your furniture or sit on the floor!).
Do you already have dents in your carpet? Don’t worry–there are easy methods to reverse them. Read on to find out more.
Preventing Dents In Residential Carpet
Preventing dents in residential carpet is all about using the right tools and strategies.
Try These Easy Tips:
Furniture coasters. Great for more than just protecting hardwood. By placing a sofa on top on top of furniture coasters, you’ll greatly reduce the pressure on the carpet underneath. That’s because the coasters spread out the weight of the sofa. When purchasing coasters to protect your carpet, look for ones designed specifically for use on carpeting.
Before you make a purchase, count the legs of your sofa (as longer furniture often has legs in the middle, not just on the ends) and measure how much room each foot will need. Then you’ll be ready to buy the appropriate number and size of coasters. MarthaStewart.com recommends larger floor coasters for heavier furniture. (When you’re looking to purchase them or searching online, note that furniture coasters are sometimes also known as caster cups.)
Buy lighter furniture. This advice probably isn’t helpful if you’ve already bought your furniture, but keep in mind that super-heavy sofas, chairs or tables may not be the best choice if you’re furnishing a room with very plush carpet. The heavier a piece is, the more crush and strain it will put on the carpet underneath. In a tiebreaker between two sofas, buy the lighter piece. (As a bonus, your movers will thank you as well!)
Buy durable carpet. Again, this isn’t helpful if you’ve already committed to a purchasing decision, but if you’re buying now, consult with your installer about your carpet options. Certain types of carpet are more durable than others. In particular, high-density carpet may be less prone to dents.
Area Rugs. This is perhaps the simplest way to prevent dents in residential carpet. A thick rug will provide lots of armor for the carpet underneath. You can also combine an area rug with furniture coasters to provide additional protection. While it won’t be entirely visible, the right rug can provide a nice accent to your carpeting. Adding complimentary colors and patterns with an area rug will make the room more interesting to look at. If possible, try to have the rug in place before any furniture comes in to the room, as repositioning a rug under a sofa can be tricky.
A helpful source of information can be a salesperson at a rug store: They can recommend rugs that provide maximum protection. To decide what color, texture, and pattern of rug that will work best over your carpet, consult an interior designer, or at least take a picture of the room so that you can look at it while you consider the rug options at a store.
Move your furniture. Movement of your furniture is another option, although it does involve some serious effort. Of course, the last thing you want to do after settling a heavy piece of furniture into your home is to move it again. But moving your furniture around every few months is a great way to reduce the strain it puts on your carpet. Set a schedule so that it becomes a regular habit. Perhaps let your friends or family members know you’ll be cooking their favorite meal if they would like to come over and give you a hand. You don’t even have to move furniture far: Shifts of a few inches will do the trick.
Carpet squares. Now, this might sound like a silly way to prevent dents, but they work. If you have leftover pieces of carpet from the carpet installation, they can be ideal tools for protecting your carpet from dents. Moreover, they’ll blend in, since they’re the same color as the carpet they’re protecting. Simply cut them into a shape that fits the feet of your furniture, then place them underneath.
If you don’t have leftover carpet, don’t fear: With the right planning, you can buy more from a store. Choose a color that is close to your existing carpet. Measure your sofa’s feet and cut the pieces so that they barely show.
Removing Dents In Residential Carpet
If your carpet does have dents, there are several strategies you can use to get them out. These methods are fairly easy as well as inexpensive. They typically involve some combination of moisture followed by a drying action.
Ice Cubes
Good Housekeeping’s home-care expert Heloise recommends two simple and free methods for getting rid of dents in residential carpet.
Method 1: Place an ice cube on each dent. After 12 hours have passed, “blot up wet spots, then use the edge of a spoon to lift carpet fibers back up.”
Method 2: Use steam. Put a damp cloth over the dents, then “hold an iron, on medium heat, several inches above the cloth for about 30 to 60 seconds.” Be careful not to touch the carpet with the iron. Once you’re done, use the edge of a coin to brush up fibers.
Both of these solutions work well, especially considering how commonplace the tools are.
Water & Blow Dryer
BobVila.com recommends a solution somewhat similar to the one above, but using different tools.
First, spritz some liquid on the dent so that the fibers are saturated. Then, blow dry it. The last step is to use your fingers to fluff up the drying fibers. If done well, this method can restore the carpet’s “original bounce while eradicating the dents that left its fibers limp and lackluster.”
Not too bad for some water and a common bathroom appliance!
Steam Cleaning
A more high-tech option than those above is to use a steam cleaner to remove carpet dents. It works much the same as the blow dryer and iron methods–the heat and moisture loosen and fluffs the fiber–but may be quicker and more effective for particularly stubborn dents.
The Easiest Solution Of All!
If all of this sounds like too much work, you’re probably thinking that you could just rearrange your furniture to hide the dents or buy a rug to cover them. That won’t help the dents, but at least you won’t have to look at them anymore. Or…
You could just call a professional like Fresh ‘n Dri! We can be there today! Our heavy-duty cleaning equipment will do an amazing job on those dents and will still be gentle on your carpet. Our prices are reasonable and our service is fast. We’re ready for your call!
