After a few days or a week of use, you wash your rug as it gets dirty. Alternatively, somehow your area rugs get wet. The problem is- its edges curl up or create creases.
So, you tried leaving it laid out for a few days on both sides to see if the creases fall out naturally. But after a week, you noticed this method didn’t work. You also tried the rug to hang over a cloth horse for a few days- but you got no luck.
Now, you go nuts after trying out these methods to fix and remove the creases from your rug and ask yourself- how to flatten a rug that got wet?
Don’t be fret! We will help you to fix your problem by revealing 7 best ways that never fail. Without further ado, let’s dive into this article right here.
7 Best Ways to Flatten A Rug that Got Wet
Don’t know how to flatten a rug after washing? Then, follow the below tricks we mentioned to flatten your area rug by fixing wrinkles, creases, and bumps.
1. Try Out Steam From A hot Iron
After washing a rug or when it gets wet, it causes your mat to crease, or the edges may get wrinkled. The best way to flatten the rug is to steam it from a hot iron.
Just turn the rug over and steam the backing without pressing the iron to the material. While it’s still warm, we recommend you stack a few heavy books along the crease or wrinkles until it’s completely cool.
We hope this will flatten your rug by removing wrinkles or fixing creases.
2. Try The Towel Trick
Keep in mind; the backing of your rug is basically a glue that holds the fibers of carpets together. If the rugs get too wet, the glue will break down.
So, try the towel trick and when it’s still a bit damp, flip the rug over and place something heavy like a stack of books across the bend to let moisture do its job.
You can also iron the towel that you keep on the rug. But avoid overheating it as the heat can break down the glue also.
3. Use Velcro Straps
You can find velcro straps to hold rugs in place. We suggest you keep one velcro on the ground underneath the bumps and put the other piece of velcro above it. It will help to keep the rug stuck to the ground more firmly.
This technique will flatten your rugs by fixing creases or wrinkles. Use this method if you get no luck applying the folding or rolling techniques. We hope it works out.
4. Sandwiched the Rug Between Two Blankets
Soak your rugs with lukewarm water again and squeeze it as much as you can to drain water. Then, lay out the damp rug on a clean & dry carpet that is flat on the surface.
Make the damp mat smooth out until it is flat according to your desire. Next, lay another dry blanket on the top of the rug for a day. After this, we expect your floor rug will be flat and will stay that way.
5. Use double-sided carpet tape
Double-sided carpet tape works like a champ to flatten your wrinkled rugs. You can get this stuff in your local home improvement stores at an affordable price. Just stick the tape to the back of your rug and eliminate the paper covering the adhesive.
Next, lay the rug out on the floor and smooth it. Then, press the double-sided tape down the floor firmly. The carpet tape helps to keep the rug stick with the floor and flatten the wrinkles and creases.
6. Use A Hair Dryer
Removing the creases from your area rug is a piece of cake with the help of a hairdryer. Just flip the rug over and use a hairdryer to heat up the wrinkled area to flatten it.
When applying a hair dryer, make sure you hold it up to 7-9 inches away from your rugs. Otherwise, the heat that comes from the hairdryer can break down the backing glue.
Never use the hairdryer on the rugs with high heat settings. It may melt rug fibers.
7. Rent a carpet stretcher
Also, you can rent a carpet stretcher from a rental equipment store to stretch out your rug. The carpet stretcher will help pull the carpet taut and fix the wrinkles by stretching your area rug. It will save you bucks if you do this task by yourself.
However, you need to use the carpet stretcher properly. Otherwise, you will end up damaging your rugs. So, we recommend you hire a professional if you don’t feel at ease with this method.
FAQs
What happens when a rug gets wet?
If you fail to drain out the water properly and timely after a rug gets wet, it damages your rugs. For example, water can destroy the shape of the area rugs or cause the pattern to become smudged.
How do you fix a warped rug?
You can effortlessly fix a warped rug by ironing it out. However, we recommend you place a dry blanket over it and then iron it so that the direct heat can’t damage the fibers.
Why is my rug buckling after cleaning?
If your rug buckles after cleaning, understand the rug is not dry out completely. To prevent it, make sure you dry the rug properly before laying it out on the floor.
How long does it take for a rug to flatten?
It takes at least 24 hours for a rug to flatten after drying it out and laying it on your floor properly.
Conclusion
Flatten your rug that got wet is a piece of cake if you know the right way.
Throughout this guide, we discussed how to flatten a rug that got wet. We mentioned the 7 best effective ways to remove wrinkles and creases.
You can apply any of the methods or multiple techniques from the list to fix your issues. If any of the methods fail to flatten your rug, call a professional to solve your problems for you.