Fixing carpet dents

When you think of a dent, you might think about that small golf-ball sized ding on the fender of your car, or the side of an appliance that got squashed when moving it in. But dents can happen to floors as well.

Just move a heavy piece of furniture that has been sitting on your carpet, and look where the legs were. That is a carpet dent, or indentation, and you might try to fluff it back up or pull up those carpet yarns that have been flattened. But they are stubborn, squashed down into the backing of the carpet, or even crushed into the carpet padding, and will fight off any effort you put into bringing them back up. So if you got ambitious and moved your furniture around and have some dents that have to go, here are some tips.

One of your options is to simply wait. In time, most carpet dents (and the squashed padding underneath them) will work their way back up. But this could take months, even a year, depending on the carpet fibers, as some are more resilient and will bounce back faster.

One popular way to remove a carpet dent is to add moisture to the area, but slowly. Putting an ice cube in the dent can do the trick, but you have to help it along. Get a screwdriver, kitchen fork, or other sharp object and, as the ice melts and the fibers absorb some of the moisture, start working the carpet yarns back out and up and give them a gentle grooming. This should help remove most of the dent.

Once the carpet is dry, put your vacuum cleaner to work. Using the suction hose, vigorously work it over the dent and use the vacuum’s force to help finish the job. Dent still there? Do the ice trick again; it might take a few attempts.

If you still have a carpet dent you can’t handle seeing anymore, don’t despair. A thorough cleaning by your favorite carpet cleaner (hopefully us!) could help finish the job. Give us a call at 770-765-1221 and explain the issue. After all, it pays to call your pro!