How to Fix Matted Carpet In High Traffic Areas

If you have carpet, especially in high traffic areas such as stairs or the walkway as you enter your front door, then you will have asked yourself how to fix matted carpet in high traffic areas.

Many people have asked us how to fix matted carpet in high traffic areas, and our best advice is to first try vacuuming thoroughly to re-fluff the fibres. If this doesn’t work then you can try using moisure, such as the ice cube method, on affected areas.

There are a few other ways you can try as well to fix your matted carpet depending on how severe your problem is.

Let’s take a look at why carpets matt in the first place so you can understand the methods behind fixing this problem in the future.

Why Is Your Carpet Matting?

Carpets can matt for a variety of reasons, and it can be quite disheartening when it happens because it can ruin the look of a carpet with ease.

Depends On Material

Some materials are much more prone to matting than others. Examples of carpet materials that matt easily are polypropylene and polyester, while materials such as nylon or wool tend to not matt easily at all.

So, if you notice that your carpet is matted in a short amount of time it could likely be due to the material it is made out of.

Frequent Compaction

Materials that are more prone to matting to start off with will get compacted easier.

If the fibres become compacted, this can make them stick together and hold debris and dirt easier, leading to matting. This is exactly why carpet in high traffic areas is so much more susceptible to becoming matted – it is compacted much more frequently than carpet in other areas.

Dirt And Debris Build-Up

Imagine just how much dirt and debris are carried onto a carpet on a regular basis. This residue is collected into the carpet and can cause fibres to bind together, or even weigh some of them down causing a deformed shape.

This can be made ten times worse if you don’t regularly vacuum and clean your carpet. Matting could end up being the least of your worries if you don’t maintain your carpet properly, as this can lead to other issues that might ultimately require your carpet to be replaced.

Furniture

Furniture is a sure-fire way to cause carpet matting by impaction.

Sofas, beds, chairs and just about any other heavy furniture that stays in one place will compact any carpet beneath it leading to matting. There are few ways you can prevent this from happening as well, but luckily there is an easy fix that we will discuss shortly.

How Can You Fix Matted Carpet?

Now you understand exactly why a carpet might start matting, let’s take a deep dive into the best tips you can use to fix a matted carpet in a high traffic area.

Vacuum

A thorough vacuum of a matted carpet should help to release any dirt or debris that could be causing the carpet to matt in the first place. This will encourage the fibres to slowly form into an upright position, essentially fluffing your carpet and making it look new.

This is the most simple and straightforward fix for matted carpet but usually only works if the extent of the matting is not severe. It’s always worth vacuuming at first though because of how easy it is to do, and you could always surprise yourself and fix the matting pretty much straight away.

Ice Cube Method For Compacted Areas

At first glance, you’re probably wondering what an ‘ice cube method’ even is and how this relates to a matted carpet, but it’s actually a great way to fight against compacted areas that have been fully pressed down by furniture or other heavy objects.

In these cases a vacuum, no matter how strong, will have little impact at lifting the squashed fibres – but moisture can help.

Simply find the indentation and place an ice cube right on top. Once the ice cube has melted, you need to comb through the fibres using a brush to straighten them back up.#

You won’t believe this method until you try it, trust us.

Thoroughly Clean Your Carpet Using A Solution

A lot of the time the key to re-fluffing a carpet is to clean it properly either using a solution at home or by having a professional carpet clean done.

This will remove even more of the dirt and grease that has built up in your carpet than a simple vacuum and can work wonders. We love to first apply baking soda to the carpet and working it in with a brush to try and promote the fibres to stand straight.

Leave this overnight and then vacuum it away. Once you’ve done this spray your carpet with a mixture of water and vinegar using a spray bottle.

You could always opt for a professional clean or even renting a carpet cleaner if you want a greater chance of re-fluffing your carpet.

What Are The Highest Traffic Areas In The Home?

Areas where footfall is the highest tend to be stairs and also walkways between rooms.

One of the most common places for matting to occur is actually in entrances to the house as these are not only frequently walked on but are also where the majority of dirt or debris from outside may be brought in.

If you’ve ever noticed carpets in high street shop entrances you’ll see just how bad carpet matting can get…

Can Carpet Matting Happen In Low Traffic Areas?

Just because high traffic areas are the most prone to matting it doesn’t mean that low traffic areas will never do the same.

In fact, the only difference is that it will take much longer for the carpet to show signs of matting in low traffic areas. For example, a carpet in a bedroom will take much longer to start matting than a carpet in a hallway, but it will still happen over time if you don’t follow the guidance above.

Is There A Difference Between Matting And Pile Packing?

Matting and pile packing are essentially the same things.

Both are used to describe what happens to a carpet when the fibres become almost ‘squashed’ into the pile, making it appear like a solid block of fibres rather than the free-flowing appearance of a normal carpet.

So, don’t be confused if you see these terms as they’re the same thing.

Final Thoughts

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you have any other questions regarding how to fix matted carpet in high traffic areas then feel free to contact us here!