Rolled Up Area Rugs

Protect the rug from moths and other insects.

Rolled up area rugs.

Ensure that the rug is straight and aligned when you begin to roll. Rolling the rug up with the pile facing in can put unnecessary undue strain on the rug s backing causing stretching or in time cracking. Never roll your rug the opposite way it came rolled up. This is particularly important for rugs with a strong stiff backing.

A tight roll helps prevent shifting but don t roll too tightly as it may damage the warp vertical strands of fiber and the weft horizontal strands of. Unrolling the rug reveals that it no longer lies completely flat and. Roll area rugs along the width so the rolled rug is as short as possible. Place your area rug on the floor upside down.

This makes for easier handling and stowing in the truck. That s right flip that rug over then roll it up. Also rugs and carpets can be quite large even when they are wrapped and rolled away in a storage area. To avoid damage try another way.

Always hold the hair dryer 6 to 9 inches away from the rug and use a sweeping motion. It s possible to melt rug fibers so use a low or medium heat setting and keep the hair dryer moving back and forth at all. Don t soak the rug if using the steam or wet towel method. If you reverse roll your rug listen for cracking that could indicate weakness.

To keep your rug safe and protected follow these steps to prepare it for storage. To flatten your rug use heavy plants books upturned furniture or mattresses to push back on the fibers. Begin by laying out the rug in a face up position. If you don t have a large enough patch of sun flip the rug over and use a hair dryer to heat up the creases of the rug and release them.

This is typically the best approach because the pile is not as strong as the area rug s foundation. Not only is this unattractive but it could also be a safety hazard if someone trips over a raised crease. Normally a damp towel works fine something that will be dry in an hour or so. When you unroll the area rug you are typically left with creases that prevent the rug from laying flat.

Rolling your rug in the opposite direction sometimes helps get rid of curls and allows the rug to lay flat. Tightly roll up the rug and secure it with a piece of twine. Since rug bumps and folds are usually caused by stretching dampening the edges of your rug should flatten it. This makes for easier handling and stowing in the truck.

This is particularly important for rugs with a strong stiff backing. Thoroughly clean the rug. The pile should be facing away from the person that will be rolling the carpet. Leave the rug rolled up for about an hour and unroll it to see if the rug will lay flat.

Learning how to store rugs correctly isn t a long arduous process.