You can give your carpet a long life by taking a good care of it. If you know how to clean a carpet and clean it regularly and accurately then your carpet must be one of the healthiest carpets in the world. As everything is perishable and you cannot have them for forever, carpets also have a life period beyond which they are rendered useless. Eventually, a carpet wears out too and when it does, you should know that it’s time. Depending on the quality of the carpet and how much it has been taken care of, generally, its lifespan is considered around 5 to 15 years. It also depends on where you are using the carpet, how much traffic the area is receiving and how frequently it gets stains. For larger families that enjoy a good number of visitors, carpet wears out soon as compared to the smaller families.
So, how can you decide that it is really the time to replace the carpet and it is beyond saving? Let us tell you some signs based on which you can be sure that your carpet should be replaced.
Sign #1. The carpet has matt down
This is the first sign that easily gives away the replacement time for the carpet. Due to regular use and walking on the carpet, you can figure out that the fiber of the carpet has just settled down or we can say that it is no more cushiony and fluffy that it used to be. It has gone flat and you no more get a soft velvety feeling. It greatly depends on which kind of fiber you are choosing for carpet. Polyester carpets matt down early as compared to the nylon carpets. When the carpet has matt down, there is no saving and if you do not replace it soon, the carpet tears too.
Sign #2. There are stains on the right, left, far right… Everywhere
In a house with kids and pets; spills and stains are very common. You can use detergent, baking soda, bleach etc. for stain removal. There are many tricks online too through which you can remove the stains. Well, there are many cleaning options and professional cleaning services too but sometimes, replacing seems like a better option than cleaning. While you always clean your carpet after spills but some stains are too tough to remove. If you also have a couple of such tough stains on your carpet, you better replace the carpet.
Sign #3. You just saw mold growing under your carpet
Mold are not only harmful to your carpet, it is harmful to health too. Whenever your pet urinates on your carpet or someone vomits on it, cleaning it is not the only gross thing that you have to face. They can cause bacteria to build up underneath which ultimately causes a large spread of molds. It is better to get your carpet cleaned thoroughly and then let it dry completely. When the carpet is not dried to the fullest, the moisture acts as an accelerator to the growth of bacteria.
You should check the carpet time to time to stop the growth of mold in the early stage only, otherwise when it grows, replacing is the wise decision. These molds give out a musty smell or you can also buy mold test kit from the market to test the mold growth under your carpet.
Sign #4. Carpet padding is deteriorating
Your carpet may be looking Okayish from the upside but the protective padding below may be giving out. The padding is not visible but still it is a very important organ of your carpet. It provides the extra cushion to the carpet to prevent injuries during fall. It makes the carpet comfortable and insulates the floor. It acts as a buffer and absorbs the noise so as to keep the room quiet.
When the padding starts to giving away or getting wrinkles, you can feel it just by walking on the carpet. There would be certain bumps on the carpet making it uneven or it can also make noise while you walk on it. Do not let the carpet work with old padding because eventually, it harms the carpet and you may need to replace it even before it is the time.
Sign #5. Everything seems right but does not smell right
While sometimes on the top, everything looks normal and healthy but it may not be the case. The carpet starts giving out weird smell after prolonged use. It may be due to lazy cleaning or growth of the mold. While regular thorough cleaning is the perfect way to keep the smell at the bay, if it happens even after that, it is time to replace the carpet. Get an expert’s opinion if the carpet can still be cleaned to remove the smell or replacement is the only option.
Sign #6. Because looks matter too
Even if your carpet can do for a little longer, sometimes, you feel that it is no more the beauty that it used to be 10 years ago. If you feel like it is fading or the colors are no longer as vibrant as they once were, it is time to replace it. Sometimes, when you give your home a makeover or just a simple re-paint on the walls can make a carpet odd man out. As such to maintain the looks of your room, you need to replace the carpet with a new and better one.
So, it is all about how you can judge whether or not your carpet should be replaced. Now, when you have decided that you are going with the carpet replacement, do not think that it is a piece of junk which should be thrown away. It is better to contact carpet manufacturers who recycle the carpet by burning them such that there is no harm to the environment and there is zero waste.
An old carpet can still be used in bits and pieces as other household utilities. Let us see some of these amazing and intelligent re-uses of an old carpet.
Use the carpet when it cannot be used as a carpet:
It is not necessary that mold is growing throughout the carpet or every corner of the carpet is not usable. You can cut the carpet into pieces and save the ones which are absolutely safe to be used again.
#1. Carpets can be cut into small pieces and used beneath the dryer or other such devices which make noise during operation. This carpet piece would act as a muffler to absorb the shocks and noise that the machine causes.
#2. Carpets can also be converted into doormats.
#3. It can be used in pet house to cover the walls and provide some extra heat insulation.
#4. They can be used as car mats too. They can be cut according to the floorboards of the carpet and reused efficiently.
#5. One more interesting use of an old carpet piece is in the garden. You can cover your pots with it as decoration or you can lay them down to absorb the extra water.
#6. Old carpets can be framed and used as a piece of art or to be exact modern art which gives nice looks to your living room.
#7. When you have bought a new carpet for the living room, the pieces of old carpet can be used under the furniture legs to protect the new carpet from getting much pressure.
#8. Carpet pieces also make an excellent cleaner. They can be used to clean the windows to whiteboards at office and home.
#9. Its strips can be used on the walls of the garage to protect your car sides while driving the car in and out.
#10. While gardening, it can be used as a knee support.
#11. You can take help from the artist in you and use the good carpet scraps to make a small patchwork carpet.
#12. Old carpets can be used in outdoor events to give your party a nice touch.
You can also sell your old carpet online or give it to a friend who needs it. A carpet which is not usable for you may work for someone else. Whatever you do, make sure that you are not just dumping your carpet to pollute the environment.
Firstly, do a regular cleaning of your carpet, then keep inspecting it for stains and molds. If you see any indication of these things, get help from professional cleaning services. When the carpet cannot be worked upon, think of the best use of it. Either recycle it to use the scraps or give it away to be burned down and recycled.
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Author Bio:
The author of this post is a writer by passion and profession. She likes writing about latest trends in the home decor. She keeps in touch with many interior designers and provides the best solution to her readers. She is a huge supporter of Indian carpetandtextile. She is optimistic and makes the best use of every situation.
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