How to Unflatten Carpet – 3 Simple Methods

As a carpet or area rug owner, it is important to know How to Unflatten Carpet. You can unflatten carpet using a combination of water, a vacuum cleaner, a heat source, and a carpet rake. With the use of these tools and our methods below, you can restore and fluff any carpet that has sustained flattened fibers.

Furniture, footprints, and other heavy objects can flatten and compress the carpet. This damages the fibers and makes them very hard to re-fluff. Rest assured, flattened carpet fibers are not permanent. Now, let’s take a closer look at how to unflatten carpet.

See Also – How to Clean Carpets Like a Professional

How to Lift Carpet:

If you are wondering about How to Unflatten Carpet, here are a few methods of mine that always work.

Method One – Using Moisture

The first method for how to unflattening a carpet is to add moisture to it. When carpet fibers are flattened, they have lost their elasticity. If they are not given water, they will remain like this and become hard to re-fluff.

The easiest and most common way to add moisture is by using ice cubes. The ice cubes will melt and add water to the hard carpet spot. As this moisture soaks into the fiber, it will soften the area up and fluff the carpet back up again.

This is my favorite method for clearing couch marks on area rugs or carpets. You only need to add a few ice cubes for each spot.

Remember that after the water has soaked in, it is a good idea to vacuum the water stain. Vacuuming the water spill will help to absorb excess moisture and speed up the process.

This process will likely take between 2-4 hours.

Method Two – Using Heat

When it comes to bigger spots, say a giant compressed area due to a table, cloth, and ironwork best. Place a cloth over the flattened carpet, then use an iron to heat up the heavily flattened areas.

The carpet will protect your carpet fibers from burning. This method allows the heat from the iron to weaken the hard and compressed carpet. You only need to run the iron over the area for a few seconds and you will notice a difference.

For the best results, we suggest using a VacMop, such as the Bissell CrossWave, after you use the iron. Go over the area with the wet spot feature and your favorite cleaning solution. The warm fibers area is extra easy to clean. After adding the cleaning solution, use the vacuum and your carpet will be fully lifted.

Method Three – Use a Carpet Rake

If you have a fully carpeted room, a carpet rake may be the best option. Carpet rakes are exactly what they sound like, a rake that is designed to use for carpet. The tines of the rake are very effective for lifting the carpet fibers.

With a carpet rake, it only takes a few minutes to unflatten the carpet in the entire room. I have used a few carpet rakes before, but my favorite is the Grandi Groom Carpet Rake.

The Grandi Groom AB24 Carpet rake has been a household essential of mine for years now. It can be pushed or pulled through the carpet to untangle matted areas. With just a few passes, the Grandi Groom instantly lifts my carpet and has it looked extra fluffy. One feature I particularly love about it is that it evens out the carpet, something I have struggled with before.

I have used the Grandi Groom Carpet rake for pulling a few heavy rugs, area rugs, carpets, and much more. Its lightweight makes it easy to do so lengthwise while being careful not to damage the threads and fiber of the carpet.

Carpet rakes are not very expensive and can be found easily online or at any store around you. If you find that you are constantly having to deal with flattened carpets, this handy device might be perfect for you.

What Causes Carpets to Flatten?

Carpet fluff flattens for a couple of reasons. If a heavy object is dropped on the carpet, it will press down the fibers and matted them together. When this happens, the fibers become condensed and packed together, leaving a distinct indentation.

Another reason carpet becomes flattened is due to prolonged weight on a specific area. If you have a small table that is used daily, this will press down and flatten the carpet over time.

Flattened carpet fibers should be taken care of as soon as possible. Regular vacuuming helps to fluff up the fibers and keep them soft and pliable. After vacuum cleaning carpet is done, use a carpet rake or point attachment to right any flattened areas if you feel it’s necessary.

How to Prevent Flattened Carpet

Wouldn’t it be great if you could prevent carpet flattening permanently? While this is possible, there are things that can help reduce flattened carpets at home.

Use Rug Pads and Coasters

One of the best ways to help prevent carpet flattening is to use a rug pad. A rug pad is a small piece of fabric that can be placed under the rug to deter furniture and objects from flattening.

Alternatively, you can try using coasters. Coasters are a piece of wood or plastic placed on the floor. They help protect carpets from withstanding the full weight of certain objects, causing them to flatten.

Both the rug pad and the coaster will cushion the pressure applied by heavy objects and help to prevent the carpet fibers from becoming damaged.

Move Furniture periodically to prevent long term flattening of the carpet

Another way to prevent the carpet from flattening is to move the heavy furniture often. If you move your couches, tables, etc. every couple of weeks, you will help to prevent the carpet from flattening.

Use a VacMop

Using a VacMop is the perfect solution for flattened carpets. A Bissell CrossWave for instance can apply a liquid cleaning solution (adding moisture), as well as vacuum the spot up (fluffing up the fibers).

VacMops are great because they can be used on any carpet and they only take a few minutes to do the entire room. After using a vacuum to suck up excess moisture, the carpet is left looking fluffy and cleaner than ever.

How to Unflatten Carpet FAQ

Here are some commonly asked questions related to How to Unflatten Carpet.

How do you Fluff Carpet?

When using techniques like the ice cube or the iron, the carpet will initially be depressed. To raise the carpet, or fluff it up, you need to use a vacuum. Vacuums will help the carpet dry, you can also use a blow dryer. The drying process will fluff up the fibers and unflatten any areas.

Does Steam Cleaning Unflatten a Carpet?

Steam cleaning is a great way to unflatten, clean, and restore any carpet. Steam cleaning adds heat and liquid to the carpet fibers which helps to loosen the fibers. It also helps to lift the carpet as well.

Can Carpet Underlay Help Prevent Flattened Carpets?

Yes, carpet underlay is a great piece of material that can help prevent carpet flattening. As its name makes it sounds, this is an underlay that is placed underneath the carpet. The material is there to make sure the entire surface of the floor is fully padded and nothing will sit on top of it for extended periods of time.

Can Baking Soda Fluff a Carpet?

Yes. Baking soda is an effective way to fluff a carpet. The baking soda absorbs any excess moisture and draws out the dampness from the carpet fibers. This increases the fluffiness of the carpet fibers, leaving them soft and fluffy right away.

How Often do I need to Unflatten Carpet?

Carpets should be unflattened about once every month. prolonged flattened carpet is much harder to fluff back up. Therefore, I suggest moving furniture that causes flattened carpeting at least once a week.

Is Flattened Carpet Permanent?

No, It is usually due to objects sitting on top of the carpet for extended periods of time, causing the carpet fibers to compress and matte together. By using a carpet rake, ice, an iron, and a vacuum cleaner, you are able to restore the original fluffiness that you bought it with.

How to Unflatten Carpet Final Thoughts

There you have it, I have shared with you some on how to unflatten carpet. We hope these tips helped you learn how to get your carpet looking new again. I hope after reading this article, you are more confident about restoring your carpet and are now able to tackle any situation that is thrown at you.

We hope this article has answered any questions you have regarding How to Unflatten Carpet.