Do you know how to flatten an area rug when you’ve just unrolled it? We know that investing in a new rug is exciting, but getting your new rug to behave in its new home can be challenging! If you’re struggling with how to flatten a new rug, take a look at our top tips on flattening a rug and say goodbye to upturned corners, creases and folds forever.
Tips For Flattening A Rug
Step 1: Use Gravity
If you’ve just bought a new area rug, letting gravity do its thing is one of the easiest ways to flatten a new rug. After you’ve unrolled and placed down your new rug, straighten out the rug as best you can. Usually, the fibres will relax into shape, and the rug will slowly flatten on its own.
Step 2: Flip The Rug Over
If step one doesn’t work, another effective way to flatten rug corners is to flip the rug over after you’ve first unrolled it.
- If the corners are curling under, flip the rug over and fold the corners the opposite way.
- If the corners are curling upward, fold the corners the opposite way for a couple of days.
Try not to walk on the rug during this time as this can damage the fibres at the front.
You could also practice some rug gymnastics with a backwards roll. Simply roll your rug back up the opposite way to how it was before, and you should be well on your way to flattening your rug.
Step 3: Steam Or Heat Your Rug
If your new rug doesn’t straighten out on its own, try steaming or heating your rug with a hairdryer.
How to steam your rug:
Use a steamer to remove wrinkles, creases and rolled corners from rugs.
1. The first step is to dampen the corners of your rug and leave them to dry.
2. If this doesn’t work, take your steamer or iron (turned to the steam setting) and place a damp towel over the problem area.
3. Press your iron into the towel with quick, short bursts, so you don’t burn either the towel or the carpet.
4. After you’ve completed this process, bend the fibres back into place, brush the rug to reshape and lie flat to dry.
Remember: Always steam the back of your rug rather than the front, and don’t soak the fibres.
This method is particularly effective for synthetic, cotton and wool rugs. However, we advise you to take caution before heating synthetic fibre rugs. Make sure your steamer is not at a high temperature as this can melt the rug fibres. If you’re unsure, contact your rug supplier for advice.
How to use a hairdryer on your rug:
1. Use your hairdryer on a low heat against the back of the creased area of your rug, and move the hairdryer backwards and forwards, so the heat isn’t concentrated in one spot.
2. After the creased area is warmed, fold the wrinkle back in the opposite direction and leave it to cool.
3. Gently brush or comb out the rug fibres to reshape.
This method works well to flatten natural fibre rugs in particular, especially if the corners are curling up. Again, just take care when using heat on your rug, as this can cause serious damage.
Using natural heat:
If you’re here to learn how to flatten a new rug and don’t fancy taking an iron to it, just a few hours under the sun can remove any creases and help to flatten your rug with minimal effort. This can be as simple as placing your rug in a sunny spot in the house. Even better, if you have outdoor space, you can lay the rug out on a stone or concrete surface that’s already warmed to speed up the process.
Step 4: Rearrange Your Furniture
Lay your rug flat in the room and rearrange your furniture so that the heaviest points weigh down the curling corners of your rug. The weight from these objects will push back against the fibres and force out any creases.
Step 5: Use Heavy Objects
If you don’t have the space to rearrange your furniture, you can use heavy objects like books, plants, pottery (you name it) to flatten your rug’s problem areas.
Step 6: Try The Ice Cube Method
After rearranging your furniture to flatten your rug, you might find the furniture has left dents. Luckily, the ice cube method can help remove furniture dents from your favourite new rug!
Melting an ice cube in a dent overnight helps the rug’s fibres to swell back to their original shape. Why an ice cube? Well, you want to slow down the absorption process so that the shape returns to normal. Then, in the morning, dab up the remaining water with a towel and brush the fibres back into place.
However, take caution with this method. If the colours on your rug are prone to bleeding, you should use an alternative method so you don’t risk ruining your rug. This is also something to bear in mind when removing stains from a rug. You can find more tips for caring for your rug on our blog.
Step 7: Stretch Your Rug
If steps one through six, don’t work, take your rug to be stretched. Creating the space between rug fibres by stretching a rug can relieve any creases or pent up tension in the rug. We suggest leaving this method to the professionals though, as doing this DIY may cause more harm than good.
Step 8: Prevention Is Better Than Cure
Placing an anti-slip mat under your new rug is a great way of flattening a rug from the get-go, preventing future denting or wrinkling. Plus, where correct rug placement is concerned, these mats train your rug to stay in place so they don’t go walkabout across the room.
In the absence of an anti-slip mat, using double-sided carpet tape will hold your rug in place and, with slight tension, can straighten crinkles and creases in your rug as well as stop new ones from forming.
There you have it, our top tips on how to flatten a rug that has been folded. If our advice on flattening a rug has helped, please check out more handy interior design tips and tricks on our blog!