How to Make a Rug Fluffy Again

With time and general wear and tear, rugs become matted and flattened. They become riddled with tight tangles, and their fibres become so compressed that they lose their fluffiness.

The end result is a rug that’s lost its shaggy texture, looks lifeless and isn’t a cosy surface you can sink your toes into.

Got a rug like this and thinking about throwing it in the bin? Well, don’t do that just yet.

Before you dump your rug, follow the step-by-step guide below to re-fluff it.

 

Tips to Keep in Mind

Keep the following points in mind when fluffing up your rug:

• Work in small sections. Don’t try to rush the re-fluffing job. Take your time, and ensure that each patch of the rug has been treated with care. If not, you’ll end up with a half-fluffy, half-not-fluffy rug! It won’t look that good!
• Choose a method below that best suits the size of your rug. Some flattened rugs can be picked up and moved around, while others are heavy and can’t be lifted and taken outside. Adjust the treatments below to suit your rug’s dimensions.
• When you’re done re-fluffing your rug, trim the fibres that don’t sit flush with the rest of the fibres. If you don’t, your rug will look fluffy in parts but not all over.
• You will have to repeat the steps mentioned below a few times to restore the fluffiness to your rug. This is especially true for rugs set in high-traffic areas that often require more attention.
• Brush and vacuum with the rug’s fibres, not against them.
• Read the care tag on your carpet to ensure it can be cleaned using the methods below. For example, can your rug be steam cleaned? If not, use a different technique to re-fluff the surface.
• Make sure you know what your rug is made from, for example, cotton, wool, synthetic or polyester, so you can adjust the treatments below to suit the material.
• If you’re concerned about damaging your rug when fluffing it, do a small patch test!

Step 1: Clean the Matted Rug

Before you attempt to re-fluff your rug, take a few minutes to clean the rug. A clean rug is much easier to fluff up!

Do the following:

• Treat stains – You can make your own cleaner or use an off-the-shelf product.
• Hoover – This removes the ingrained and surface grime, like hair, dust and chunks of food.
• Brush – This removes the grime from the rug’s fibres.
• Repair – If the rug is damaged, now is the time to fix it.

 

Step 2: Re-Fluff the Rug

You can skip to the method that best suits your situation. Or use a combination of the techniques below on your rug.

Wet the surface, then blow dry it

For minor issues, say your rug has gotten flat because of heavy furniture, you can moisten the area and blow dry it. As you blow dry the rug, rub your fingers between the fibres to pull them apart or brush the fibres free with a stiff-bristled brush.

This is the same process as blow-drying your hair, where you pull your fingers or brush through your hair.

 

Shake the fibres loose

For small rugs that have sustained minimal damage, take them outside and give them a good shake to de-clump the fibres. After shaking the rug for a few minutes, you can comb it to untangle the fibres.

 

Whack the rug with a carpet beater to re-fluff it

In addition to shaking the rug, you can bang it with a carpet beater. The action will help to loosen the fibres. You can then rake the rug to fluff it up.

 

Brush the rug

You can comb most rugs to re-fluff them. However, this method works particularly well on flattened rugs that cannot be moved around (due to size) and must be brushed in situ. 

To fluff these rugs, you need to brush them in small sections. So, choose an end of the carpet to work from, then carefully brush the rug with a wide-toothed comb, a handheld carpet rake, or a stiff-bristled brush.

This method will take a while to complete, especially if you’re working on a large rug. However, it is very precise and gives you a lot of control over how you fluff up your rug. 

 

Use a pet brush to re-fluff the rug

You can also comb through your flattened rug with a pet brush, like Makerfire’s Dog Slicker Grooming Brush, to fluff it.

This is a particularly useful option because the brush’s long bristles are tailored to comb through thick fur, which can sometimes be matted. With this tool at hand, you’ll be able to tease the deep tangles free and breathe new life into your fluffy rug.

As mentioned above, this method isn’t going to be a ‘quick fix.’ Combing through an entire rug will take time, but with time and patience, you’ll get the end result you want.

 

Water and a fork

If you’ve got furniture marks on your rug, you can break them out with water and a fork. Simply wet the troubled area, then gently tease the fibres up and apart using the fork. When you’re done, you can leave the rug to dry naturally.

Depending on how bad the furniture marks are, you may need to repeat this method more than once.

In addition, consider ways of protecting your rug in the future. For example, put caster cups or pads on your furniture’s feet.

 

Stick the brush bar attachment on your vacuum cleaner and vacuum away

A simple way to make a rug fluffy again is to hoover it. In fact, if you stay on top of the vacuuming and carry out the task at least once a week, you may find that hoovering alone keeps your rug in ‘fluffy mode’.

Hoovering can remove a load of embedded grime from the surface, and the sucking motion draws the fibres upward. However, be careful not to use too much suction on the hoover. You don’t want to rip the fibres out and damage your fluffy rug. 

 

Use steam to fluff up your rug

For larger rugs and more serious issues, steam your rug to clean it and then fluff it using the combing techniques above. Steam essentially breaks down the dirt in the rug, making it easier for you to brush it later on. 

 

Iron the flattened rug

If you don’t have a steamer, use an iron instead. This technique isn’t suitable for big problems, its better suited to re-fluffing small, flattened patches or small rugs.

Lay a damp towel over the flattened patch. Fire up your iron, but choose a low to medium heat. Then, iron over the area for 15 seconds. Do not iron directly onto the rug!

After ironing the rug, leave it to dry and then comb it.

 

Step 3: Assess the Rug’s Fluffiness

Repeat the treatment to re-fluff your flattened rug

If you don’t feel that your rug is as fluffy as you’d like it to be, repeat the steps you just took. If a rug is particularly flat, a single treatment isn’t going to be enough to bring it back to life.

 

Change your re-fluffing method

If you’re unhappy with the method you tried and think you need to try a tougher alternative, go ahead. Choose another treatment from the list and re-fluff your rug. Just make sure that the new method is suitable for the material your rug is made from.

 

Consider professional cleaning

If you’ve got a rug that’s been subjected to a lot of wear and tear, perhaps it’s heavily soiled, it’s worth considering getting the rug professionally cleaned. 

Just do an online search for reputable carpet cleaners near you and reach out to them. Remember to:

• Ask plenty of questions. You must find out what the service involves and how it will be done. Plus, you need to iron out any concerns you have.
• Find out what costs are involved, including hidden fees.
• Your obligations (like moving furniture or supplying cleaning goods).
• Read reviews.
• Get your quote in writing.

 

How to Keep a Rug Fluffy

Here are some tips to remember when you have a fluffy rug:

• Clean the rug often to keep it fluffy. Hoover the rug weekly, especially if it’s set in a heavy traffic zone. And deep clean the rug at least once a year.
• Brush and rake the rug regularly to maintain fluffiness in between proper cleans.
• Shake out your rug if you can.
• Treat stains before they bed into the rug.
• If you’re worried about your rug losing its fluffiness, don’t leave it in a high-traffic area. Move the rug to a quieter spot in the room.
• Take time each week to maintain and re-fluff the rug often. Set a dedicated timeslot for the task.
• Ask people to remove their shoes before they walk on the rug. This will limit the amount of grime that can get on the soft surface.
• Ensure people wipe their feet before entering the house. This will prevent an excess of dirt from entering the home.