How To Protect Your Carpet From Heavy Furniture
Getting dents in your carpet may seem unavoidable if you have heavy furniture. However, your carpet isn’t doomed to have dents forever, especially if you take preventative steps. Luckily, we have several easy tips for how to protect your carpet from heavy furniture.
Place furniture coasters on the ground underneath the feet of your heavy furniture to protect the carpet. Try to move your heavy furniture by ½” to 1” each month to reduce the risk of stubborn dents. Vacuum your carpet weekly or bi-weekly to keep it fresh and prevent dents. You can remove carpet dents if you melt ice cubes in them and pull the fibers up.
It also helps to steam clean your carpet a few times per year, so the fibers stay strong. Follow along as we explore how to protect your carpet from heavy furniture.
How Do You Prevent Heavy Furniture From Marking A Carpet?
1. Buy Furniture Coasters
Furniture coasters are lifesavers when you regularly deal with stubborn carpet dents. Not only are they inexpensive, but they are also durable, and you typically only need one set of furniture coasters. They rarely cost more than $3 per coaster.
Rubber is the best material for furniture coasters on carpets. Avoid felt coasters on carpets, as they’re mostly ideal for hardwood. Line up the coasters to fit under each foot of the furniture and gently set the couch, chair, or table down on them.
2. Move Your Furniture
The longer your heavy furniture stays in one place, the more likely it is to dent your carpet. Luckily, you can avoid this problem if you move your furniture slightly month. Even moving it just an inch will reduce the impact the furniture’s feet make on your carpet.
That way, the furniture won’t settle into one spot and stay there for a long time. You can make this easier if you set down furniture slides, so it isn’t too hard to move the couch, chair, or table. After a while, you can move the furniture back to spots it’s been before. Just make sure you don’t leave it there for more than 30 days.
3. Use A Plastic Mat
While they’re not ideal for big couches, plastic mats can protect your carpet from heavy chairs. Many people use plastic mats in their offices, so they can easily slide around on their swivel chairs. Plastic mats are great for mobility, but they can also reduce a chair’s impact on the carpet.
They aren’t a cure-all for dents, however. You must still move the chair and mat to vacuum underneath to keep the carpet healthy and vibrant.
4. Vacuum Regularly
It can be annoying to move your furniture to vacuum the carpet. However, this is one of the best ways to protect your carpet from heavy furniture. Ideally, you should vacuum the carpet 2 to 4 times per month to avoid dents.
Make sure to put some furniture coasters down when you move your chair or couch to vacuum. We know this isn’t fun, but it’s worth the trouble if you want to protect your carpet for years to come. Some people even vacuum their carpets weekly, and that can yield the best results.
How To Fix Carpet Dents
Carpet dents aren’t the end of the world, and they’re easier to fix than it may seem. You can even fix carpet dents from heavy furniture with several easy household remedies. Let’s look at the best ways to fix carpet dents.
Blow Dry Your Carpet
It may seem unorthodox, but you can use your household blow dryer to fix carpet dents. First, simply move your furniture and rub the dents with a warm, wet rag. You can also use a spray bottle to spray the dents, but that’s not quite as precise.
Next, set your blow dryer to the lowest heat setting so you don’t melt the adhesive under the carpet. Hold the blow dryer at least 4” away from the dent. Carefully massage the carpet with your fingers until the fibers stand up. Repeat the process with all the dents until they are dry.
Steam Clean Your Carpet
Not only can you remove dents if you steam clean your carpet, but it will also look more vibrant. You can do this with a carpet cleaner or with a standard iron. That said, it’s worthwhile investing in a steam cleaner if you have a lot of carpeted space in your home.
With an iron, you can simply place a wet towel or washcloth over the dent and iron it. Move the iron slowly and carefully to make sure you don’t overdo it. Don’t iron the dent for longer than 60 seconds or you may burn the towel or even the carpet.
Make sure to carefully move the iron, so you cover each dent evenly . When you’re done, gently pull the carpet fibers so they stand up straight when the carpet dries.
Use Ice Cubes
Look no further than the ice tray in your freezer when you must fix carpet dents. Between the moisture and cold temperature, ice cubes can help restore the dents in your carpet. First, you must move your furniture to expose the dents.
Next, simply place an ice cube in each dent. Let the ice cubes melt into the dents so you can work on the carpet fibers. Carefully lift the fibers while they’re still moist. Once the carpet dries, the fibers should stay up and the dent will be gone. You may have to repeat this process a few times, depending on how bad the dents are.
Replace Your Carpet
Is your carpet old and riddled with dents? If so, it sadly may be too difficult to repair the dents if the fibers are too old and compacted. In that case, you may simply need to replace your carpet.
Luckily, you can find dense carpets with thick fibers that are more resilient to heavy furniture. Look for thick carpet padding as well to protect the subfloor from heavy furniture and foot traffic. Don’t put any heavy furniture on your new carpet for 24 hours after the installation.
Summing It Up
The best way to protect your carpet from heavy furniture is to use furniture coasters. You can also prevent carpet dents if you vacuum your carpet at least 2-4 times per month. Move your heavy furniture slightly each month to give the carpet fibers a break and prevent dents.
Related Guides:
- Can You Put Heavy Furniture on Vinyl Plank Flooring?
- Can You Use A Bissell CrossWave On Carpet?
- How To Make Rugs Fluffy Again
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Nick Durante is a professional writer with a primary focus on home improvement. When he is not writing about home improvement or taking on projects around the house, he likes to read and create art. He is always looking towards the newest trends in home improvement.
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