Very often, your newly bought rug doesn’t have the best look, it might be curled and rippled because of the transportation. You’ll have to do some tricks to get rid of these ripples and make them lay flat. Below, I will explain how to flatten the rug easily, how to flatten rugs of different types of materials, and prevent the rug from curling in the future. Read on, I hope you will find them useful.
Are you tired of tripping over or scared of falling? This may happen if you have a curled rug at home. There are many methods to lay your rug and make it stay flat. First of all, try to moisture your rug with a little bit of tap water. After that, iron the rug on the edges to make it flat. There are many ways to dampen your rug, for example, you can use a towel soaked in water or a steamer. When you just use water for flattening the rug be careful and check what the producer says about the material and water use for cleaning. Some rug materials do not tolerate water and steam cleaning, for example, wool rugs.
That’s why the method above is great for synthetic rugs such as nylon or polyester. Another method to straighten the synthetic rug is to moisten the ripple on the rug with warm water from the backside. Warm water will soften the folds well and warm the base of the rug. It will take some time to soak in the base. After that, the ripple should be moistened with hot water. Quickly bend the rug along the ripple line in the opposite direction. Keep it in this position, for about 10 minutes. In most cases, this should be enough to return the rug to its flat shape. However, this method shouldn’t be used for the rugs with a glued backside (for example, many hand-tufted rugs are done with this technique). Because such treatment may result in the base detaching from the rug.
If motoring the rug didn’t help, try to put a wet towel over your rug and then iron the entire rippled section over the towel. You can also try to iron the rug directly. Use a wool setting on the iron to prevent burning the rug.
A few more tips I’ve personally tried to flatten my rugs at home:
- Roll the carpet backward (inside out) and let it sit for a while.
- You can slightly stretch the rug and place some heavy things in places with wrinkles and ripples to flatten the carpet under the influence of the extra weight.
- If the weather outside is sunny and hot, (in the summer or the South!), you can use the sun to reduce the internal stress in the structure of the rug. I know it sounds fantastic but that works. You should take the rug outside and spread it out in the sun. After a couple of hours, the rug will flatten as the internal tension in the structure of the rug will decrease. The ripples will smooth out even faster under the rug’s weight, or if you twist the rug in the opposite direction.
- I also often use the steamer for the rugs, it’s a good way to straighten and smooth the rug. It’s also the fastest way to flatten the rug. Be careful not to steam the rug too much cause it may damage its structure.
- You can use ice. You need to put the pieces of ice on the rippled areas on the rug. When they melt, and the pile under them becomes soft, carefully align it, as in the first method. Remember to put a foil under the rug, so that when the ice melts, the floor (hardwood, parquet, laminate) does not get wet. Extreme moisture is harmful to these materials. When done, carefully dry the rug.
How to Flatten Rug Edges and Corners
Sometimes we need to flatten the corners and edges of the rug, depending on how the rug was rolled. They may look downward or upward, and you of course need to have them straight. If the corners are looking upward, you have to fold the corners under the carpet and let them stay like that for about a day.
If after this time they will still look upward, you have to simply flip the backside of the rug to the top and then let it lay like that for a night. Bonus tip: I the corners and edges keep curled, you can use the painters’ tape to keep them straight for a night, this should also help the process.
How to Flatten a Wool Rug
If you want to straighten a ripple on a woolen carpet, cover the ripple with a damp cloth (or a towel) and apply a hot iron very carefully. I would try on the less visible area first, to see how the rug will react to the heat and moisture. Keep the iron on the wool setting for this procedure.
How to Flatten a New Rug?
Now that you know how to deal with rug ripples, and what causes them, let’s see how you can straighten a new rug. When you order the rug online (or even in some stores), it will usually come packed as a roll. This way is just easy for transportation and saves storage space.
For us, rug owners, it means that when a new rug comes to the house, you have to make some procedures to flatten it, and have all the edges and corners lay straight. If you leave the rug flat, sooner or later it will come to a flat desired shape. But should we wait for so long? Our goal is to make the rug flat and safe as soon as possible. Below, I’ll tell you how.
- I usually use the steamer for this process. You can substitute it with a towel or a wet sponge. First, you have to wet the edges of the rug when it was freshly unrolled. Let the rug dry, and see if the dampening helped. If it didn’t, continue with the next technique.
- Dampen the towel or a clean cloth, and then put them on the rug edge. Iron on top of the towel. This should work! If the rug is still curled, I have more tips for you below.
- Put the rug upside down, and then leave it for a few days in the area without foot traffic. It’s not recommended to walk on top of the rug that’s being flattened.
- You can use heavy objects such as books, boxes, and put them on the rug corners for a few days.
- Instead of the books, use the furniture. You can put the legs on the corners and leave the rug in such a position for a few days.
How to Prevent Rug Ripples
Why Does a Rug Get Ripples?
Many times it’s easier to prevent the problem than fight it. There are many common causes of rugs getting rippled.
Causes of wrinkles on the rug:
- Long-term storage of the folded rug;
- Careless transportation of the product;
- Improper washing or drying;
- Prolonged exposure to a heavyweight on the surface.
Humidity and Rug Rippling
A wet environment and high humidity are the enemies of the rugs. They not only cause mold and mildew development, but they also cause rug curling. This often happens in countries with a diverse climate. The difference in temperatures is not good for the rug structure. In humid regions, the moisture penetrates the rugs even faster. If you live in such an environment, I would recommend drying your rug regularly and putting it upside down from time to time to prevent the curls. During the hot summer months, it’s recommended to use air conditioning or a good dehumidifier.
Dragging Heavy Items over the Rug
If you want the rug to live longer, don’t drag heavy items on top of it. Remove the rug to a safer place and then place it back to the position. This includes the dragging of furniture, suitcases, etc. Uneven pressure on the rug will make it stretch and create ripples.
Use the Rug Pad
I can’t recommend it enough! A nicely selected rug pad will always keep the rug in its place, and prevent the edges from crawling.
Conclusion
Everyone may have a situation when buying a new rug or storing an unused rug for a long time gets ripples and bends. This may even happen after the washing (wet cleaning) of the rug with water and incorrect drying. I hope my tips have asked your question about how to flatten a rug. If you follow these procedures carefully, it shouldn’t take long to reach the desired effect.