Nice carpets can give a home that sought after warm, homey feel. Dingy old carpet, on the other hand, usually do the opposite. If you’re living with dingy old carpet, then you know all too well that it can make a home feel shabby and even dirty at times.
Replacing old carpet is – in my opinion – the best way to deal with it. Unfortunately, I know all too well that that isn’t always possible. The cost of replacing old carpet can be very high, even if you do go the DIY route.
The fact of the matter is, that some people just have to deal with dingy old carpet, at least for a while. Here are some tips to help you live with it.
Have Old Carpet Cleaned
Sometimes, having your old carpet cleaned may be all that’s needed to spruce them up. You can rent a carpet cleaner for a reasonable price, but hiring professionals may be the best way to go if you can afford it. Professional carpet cleaning tools are generally much more powerful and better able to clean dirty carpet. You might be able to find a good deal on a professional carpet cleaning on websites like Groupon.
Use a Carpet Rake
A carpet rake is a tool used to rake and lift the pile of the carpet. This tool can be used prior to vacuuming to help remove more dirt. It can also be used to perk up old carpet that has been matted down. You can also use a squeegee for this purpose, which is especially helpful for removing pet hair.
Invest in Carpet Remnants
This is probably one of the easiest ways to deal with old carpet – just cover it up! It can also be expensive, though, especially if you have several square feet of old ugly carpet to cover. A more economical approach to buying area rugs may be buying large carpet remnants. You can usually purchase large pieces of carpet from carpet and flooring stores or home improvement stores for much less than you would pay for an actual area rug.
Make Your Own Area Rugs
While commercial area rugs are usually quite expensive, homemade area rugs can be dirt cheap or even free! If you have lots of fabric scraps or even lots of old clothes around, you could make your own unique and colorful area rugs. There are a few different methods used to make fabric scrap rugs, including crocheting and braiding long strips of fabric.
Remove Old Carpet
If your home is older, a beautiful hardwood floor may be lurking under your dingy old carpet. Peel up a corner of your carpet in an inconspicuous area to see what’s underneath. If the floors under your carpet look salvageable, you can remove your old carpet. Even if the floor isn’t in great condition, you can always refinish them or paint them with a good quality floor paint, which will usually be much less expensive than new wall to wall carpet
