How to Make an Old Carpet Look New Again

Probably, that’s a little weird, but I like the process of making “a treasure from thrash. No wonder I decided to make my old carpet look new again one day. But how can I do it? And is it always possible to make an old carpet look new again? I’ve examined a bunch of posts on the topic, so now I am ready to share my knowledge with you.

Usually, it is not hard to make the old carpet look new again. For that, you should: 1. Clean the carpet deeply. 2. Use the stain remover to get rid of old spots. 3. Refresh carpet colors with salt and lemon mixture (for light carpets) or tea brew (for dark carpets). If the carpet colors are entirely faded, take it to the carpet dying expert to do that job for you. Read further to know, how to check if the carpet is worth restoration. 

I don’t agree with the idea that the great carpet should cost a fortune. On the contrary, I believe that old things are worth renovation as they vibe with your space. They have a life behind them. The old carpet has seen lots of events, which happened in your life. It’s important to keep such a thing in your family home.

Nevertheless, if the carpet is faded, if its plush is flattened and there are stains on its surface, you should restore it to give it new life. So, what should you do to breathe new life into your old carpet? And is it always possible?

Is It Possible to Make an Old Carpet Look New Again?

I’m sorry to say it, but not each carpet can look new again even after a string of measures you take to give it a new life. Sometimes you have to admit, that it is impossible to renovate your carpet. But how do you know, if the carpet you have is worth renovation or not? I am ready to share my experience! You can use these tips to examine your carpet and understand if you can breathe the new life in it. Besides, you can use my advice while searching for a second-hand carpet at a flea market.

So, follow this list to know, if it is possible to make this particular carpet look new again:

1. Check, if the front side of your carpet contains any stains

The old carpet has old stains. That means, that if there are visible stains from oil, coffee, tequila, or any other liquids on its surface, there’s a high probability, that you won’t renew it. It is very hard to get rid of old spots, which are ingrained into the carpet fiber. So, don’t buy such a carpet in a second-hand shop or at a garage sale. If the carpet you own has some old stains and still, you dream to renew it, later I’ll give you some tips. Nevertheless, old stains are hard to remove, keep it in mind.

2. Examine the clues on the carpet surface

If you see 1-2 clues at the carpet surface, gently take one of them with your fingers and try to pull the thread. If the thread was pulled from the carpet fiber easily, that means, the carpet pile is not steady enough. So, probably, the carpet fabric will fall apart very soon. In this case, you should do the carpet renovation procedures very cautiously. Or you may even refuse the idea to make this particular carpet look new again.

3. Look very attentively at the purl side of the carpet

The purl side of the carpet is not less important than the front one. Examine it very thoroughly and make sure, that it doesn’t contain any stains or bald spots. The ruined purl side is evidence of the fact, that the carpet is not worth renovation.

4. Have a look at the carpet edges

The carpet edges are the other important factor, which shows if the old carpet has a chance “to survive” or not. If the carpet edges curl and contain old dirt, it will be very hard to give a new breath to an old carpet. Probably, you can trim the edges and then sheathe them again. But in this case, the carpet will be much smaller.

So, if you’ve examined the carpet properly and decided that it is worth putting some effort into and make look it new again and then continue reading. 

How to Revitalize an Old Carpet

So, you’ve made up a decision, that your old carpet should have a new life. Now you just need to know, how to do it. So, here are my favorite old carpet makeovers.

Of course, carpet renovation highly depends on the condition it is. I’ll start with tips, which work as “an emergency” for old carpets. With their help, you can refresh the carpet look and make it fluffier again. 

Clean your carpet with a powerful carpet cleaner

I always start the renovation process with a deep cleaning. If the old carpet looks good, very often refreshing it with the deep cleaner is enough to make it new again. Of course, the cleaner should be suitable for your specific carpet. So, re-read the care tag of your carpet one more time, find out, from what material it is made of, and get the cleaner, suitable for it. 

Check my post “Best Safe Cleaning Products for Carpets and Rugs”, if you are hesitating, what detergent to choose? You may clean the carpet with a brush. If the dirt is too old, you can rent a carpet cleaning machine to do that job for you. Some of my readers prefer to get the old carpet to a professional cleaning service to make sure, their piece got that deep cleaning it deserves.

Get rid of stains

If some stains remained on the carpet surface after proper cleaning, take some time to get rid of them. Nothing makes your carpet look old more than spills and stains, which were not cleaned immediately. To clean all the old stains, get the powerful stain remover.

Renew the carpet color

One of the most evident “marks” that shows, the carpet is in pretty bad condition is the discoloration. My readers often ask me, “How do you make a faded carpet look new?” 

There are several tricks, on how you can do it. 

1. Refresh the colors of the light carpet with a lemon and salt mixture

To refresh the colors on your carpet patterns, you should make the lemon and salt mixture. Pour out the pack of salt into the bowl. Extract the juice of one lemon and add it to the bowl with salt. After that put the salt, mixed with lemon juice, evenly spreading it on the carpet surface. Then leave the mixture on the carpet for 15-20 minutes. Then sweep the salt mixture with a broom from the carpet surface. Finally, enjoy the new look of your favorite piece.

2. Refresh the colors of the dark carpet with the tea brew

Keep in mind, that you can use the tea brew with the dark carpets only as it can color its fiber a little. So, take some black tea leaves (for black and brown carpets) and green tea leaves (for dark blue and green ones) and pour them with water. Then squeeze the tea brew through cheesecloth to make it slightly damp. Spread the tea leaves evenly over the carpet surface and let it dry. In 15-20 minutes vacuum it or sweep it with a broom. 

How Can I Make My Old Carpet Fluffy Again?

Furniture leaves ugly dents on the carpet surface. To get rid of them, use a steam cleaner. The powerful steam cleaner moisturizes the carpet fabric. After that, the dents will disappear quickly. To know more on the topic, check “How to Prevent Carpet Dents?” 

To lift the carpet pile, use the rake. With its help, you’ll easily make the flattened carpet pile fluffy again. If you don’t have the carpet rake on hand, just get the fork or any soft brush and comb the pile with it.

To dive deeper into the topic, watch the video:

Conclusion

To conclude, there are several ways to revitalize the look of the old carpet. The first and main thing you should do is to clean your piece deeply. After that old dusty carpets become new and bright and gain a light fresh smell. Then I recommend you to get rid of stains or hide them from the public eye. Read above how you can do it. Finally, you should struggle with carpet discoloration. You can do it at home with a handmade solution or take the carpet to the dying company. 

Never throw away the carpet, which has a special vibe with your place. Put some effort to restore it and enjoy its great new look!