How do you get wrinkles and creases out of carpet? [6 Practical Solutions] (2023)

A rug or area rug adds a pretty touch to your room, but sometimes that rug refuses to lie flat or has some unsightly creases because it has been rolled up or stored in a clumsy way. Sometimes your carpet will wrinkle over time. How do you get those ugly wrinkles out of the carpet? We've done our research and have a few tricks for you to try.

How you straighten your carpet depends on whether you have wall-to-wall carpet or full rug. They share some similar steps to try. Try the following methods:

• Of course, leave the carpet lying around
• Use a steam iron
• Roll up the rug as opposed to the folds or creases
• Put large, heavy furniture in the folds
• Use a steam cleaner
• Specially for carpeted floors: Retension the carpet and reattach it

Now that we've mentioned the basic ways to get rid of your carpet or unsightly wrinkles, let's discuss them in more detail and address other questions you may have. Continue reading!

How to remove wrinkles and creases from carpets

Of course, leave the carpet lying around

If the wrinkly culprit is your rug, once unrolled and laid out, it will naturally settle down over time. Those wavy edges, creases, or creases will eventually resolve without intervention. You always have the option to let gravity take over and wait for the wrinkles and fine lines to go away on their own. Of course some may not have the patience for this or may find the wrinkles unsightly, in which case there are many other methods to try.

Use a steam iron

Sometimes a simple household iron can be the solution to your wrinkled carpet problems. Make sure the portable iron you are using has a steam function and that you have poured some water into the iron as per the manufacturer's instructions if necessary. Place a slightly damp towel over the crumpled area and use the iron to steam the crease or crease.

Check out this mini steam iron on Amazon.

Roll up the rug as opposed to the folds or creases

If the problem with wrinkles is a carpet, sometimes simply turning it upside down is enough. Roll opposite any wrinkles or creases you want to get rid of. Leave the rug rolled up for several hours and hope the wrinkles or creases will unravel.

Put large and heavy furniture in the folds

Placing large pieces of furniture over folds or creases can help smooth them out. Just make sure the crease or crease is flat before placing the furniture, otherwise heavy furniture may aggravate the crease.

You'll need to enlist the help of a friend or two to do this. One person must stretch the spot while the furniture is being placed, while you and your other friend lift and move the furniture over the spot. After some time, depending on the severity of the crease or wrinkle, the area will be flattened and smoothed.

Use a steam cleaner

If all else fails, consider using a steam cleaner for wrinkles or creases. If you don't have a steam cleaner, you can usually rent one for a fee. Or check if your friends have one. Follow the manufacturer's directions for using the steam cleaner and use it on stubborn creases or creases.

If you can't rent or borrow a steam cleaner, you can hire someone to steam your carpets. This is the most expensive way to rid your carpet of unsightly wrinkles.

Check out this steam cleaner on Amazon.

Wondering if you should tip a carpet cleaner? We have a post aboutDo you have any tips for carpet layers and cleaners?

Retension and repaint the carpet

If your creases are in a carpeted floor, you may need to re-stretch everything to get rid of the creases. Once a carpet begins to wrinkle, it will only get worse over time. It is better to face the problem directly to avoid further problems later. Follow the steps below to re-stretch the carpet.

Needed tools:

• Locking pliers (optional)
• electric stretcher
• knee kick
• box cutter

If you don't have some of this larger equipment, like a power stretcher or knee brace, you can usually rent it at most hardware stores.

unroll the carpet

First remove all furniture from the room, or at least furniture from the folds and back.

Then find the wall closest to where the creases are. This is the wall you want to stretch the carpet from.

Pull the mat over the handle bar on the baseboard. If you are having trouble grabbing the rug or need help removing the tack strip, you can use the locking pliers here if needed.

Check out these locking pliers on Amazon.

Sink the tines of the electric stretcher into the carpet where it needs to be stretched. The electric stretcher has a lever that allows you to stretch the fold.

Check out this electric stretcher on Amazon.

Then use the knee pads on either side of the electric stretcher to reattach the rug to the grip strip.

Check out this knee kicker on Amazon.

There will now be excess carpets; Roll it towards you at the baseboard and trim it back with the box cutter.

Check out this carpet knife on Amazon.

Ta-da! You now have a crease-free carpet.

What Causes the Carpet to Wrinkle?

Several factors can cause rugs to wrinkle over time. Let's take a look at some of the most common causes.

bad installation

Carpets laid without an electric tensioner will wrinkle over time. Poorly installed carpet indicators are folds or creases.

Temperature changes, humidity or excessive heat

Living in an environment with a lot of humidity or temperature fluctuations can cause the carpet and the padding underneath to wrinkle. This can sometimes be avoided by resting the uninstalled carpet in the room it will be in to allow it to acclimate for a day or two before installation.

Moisture from excessive carpet cleaning or spills without proper drying

Carpet and steam cleaning is great, but make sure excess moisture is vacuumed and the carpet is completely dry before replacing furniture. If left unchecked, excess moisture can cause your carpet or rug to wrinkle.

old carpet

Sometimes the carpet is just old and needs to be replaced. Over time, the rug will stretch on its own as it wears down, much like your favorite pair of jeans do after you've worn them for a while. Stretching out an old carpet can delay the need for a new carpet for a while, but eventually the carpet will need to be replaced.

How do you know if the carpet is taut enough?

Wrinkles and creases in the carpet surface are a clear sign that the carpet needs to be smoothed out. If there are no creases, you can simply lift the rug from the center of the room.

Pick up the pile with your fingers and try to lift the rug. If it doesn't lift much, that's a good indication that it's stretched properly. When you let go of the rug, watch how quickly it snaps back into place. When it snaps back into place, it's a nice snug fit and doesn't need to be stretched. If it slowly floats back down, it indicates the need for a stretch.

End

Wrinkles in your carpet can certainly be unsightly, but they're not impossible to remove. Many methods can be tried to remove these unsightly creases from any rug or rug. Try each method to find what works best for you!

Is the carpet difficult to install? read our post, Is the carpet difficult to install?about it!