Seeing a scorch mark on your carpet can be devastating whether it’s from a candle, iron, or cigarette. Figuring out how to get burns out of carpet fibres is challenging but not impossible. So, if you’re stuck with an unhappy accident, don’t fret! Our carpet cleaning Croydon professionals have all the answers you’ll need in today’s article. Stick around.
How to Get Burn Marks Out of Your Carpet
Scorch marks don’t have to be the end of your beautiful carpet. While you can’t technically restore the carpet to its original condition, you can make scorches and minor burns unnoticeable and even remove an unpleasant smell from your carpet. You can start with the least drastic fixes depending on the scorch’s size. Your options include sanding, fluffing the fibres, or replacing the whole spot.
Sand Out the Scorched Area
Sanding out a scorch mark can be a little exhausting, but it’s where you need to start with more minor burns. Use sandpaper to buff the rigid fibres gently. Cut the stubborn threads out if you can’t reach them through. Then, gather the fall-out with a broom or a vacuum to clean up the area. You can also soak the area with a carpet cleaning solution. Once it’s all dry, you can judge whether you need to move on to the next step.
Fluff Up the Fibres
Using tweezers, pull some fibres from different spots in your carpet that are the same colour as the burnt spot. It’s best if you pull the threads from hidden nooks and crannies. Just make sure you don’t overpluck one place and bald it out.
Then, get some sturdy carpet superglue spray and add an even layer over the sanded-out spot. Remember that you need a few safety precautions and good ventilation with spray products. Now, you’ll need to ball up the fibres and blob them into the glue, but try to fluff them around to match the texture and wave. Once you’re happy with the coverage, use a thin cloth to cover the area, and then get something heavy to press it all into place. It’ll take a while to dry, though.
Replace the Burnt Area With Carpet Patches
Unfortunately, the only way to get a large burn out of your carpet is by cutting the burnt area and replacing it entirely. You can either order a patch from the original manufacturer or cut up a piece from a hidden spot in the carpet.
First, you need to cut away the burnt area of the carpet without going overboard. Then, you’ll have a bare layer of backing exposed where you can lay a generous amount of carpet glue. That’s the easy part, though. The key here is to find the ideal placement for the patch. Ideally, the texture and fibre flow should be identical to the surrounding area. After it’s completely dried, you can gently comb the new fabric to blend it in with the carpet.
Contact a Professional Service
If you can’t handle the replacement, always leave it to the professionals. They’ll be able to find perfect carpet matches and place the patch so it’s virtually indistinguishable from the carpet. They might even be able to get it to last longer. The main downsides are the extra costs and having to deal with a potentially long waitlist before your appointment.
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Cover It Up
If there’s no hope of getting the scorch mark out, you can at least try to make it seem presentable. It could also be a temporary fix until you order a replacement patch or get professional service to your house. For one, you can place any furniture on it, like a sofa or a chair. You can also rotate or adjust the position of your carpet where the area will be hidden under a larger item. On the other hand, if the burnt area is in the middle of the carpet, a table would be the ideal solution.
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Handy Tips for Preventing Burn Marks on Carpets
To save yourself the hassle in the future, check out these preventative tips and tricks:
- Don’t leave the iron on the ground.
- Always have an ashtray at arm’s reach.
- Avoid carrying hot plates and pots from the kitchen to the carpeted room.
- Roll the carpet up before starting any DIY projects around the house.
- Never store your carpet near heat sources.
- Try your best not to leave candles unattended.
Fortunately, a lot of those are also general fire safety guidelines. So, you’ll be hitting two birds with one stone!
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FAQs
Let’s move on to some common questions regarding dealing with burn marks on carpets:
Q. Can you return a burnt carpet to its original state?
Oddly, the carpet will never be as good as new, but a replacement patch can get you close enough. However, it’ll take a lot of skill for a proper instalment.
Q. What can you do if you can’t find a matching patch?
If you can’t find the perfect colour match, but the texture is fine, you can always dye the patch separately with fabric paint. The most crucial part is to let it dry completely for at least 24 hours before touching it. Of course, you must keep toddlers and pets away from the carpet.
Q. How long do you have to let carpet glue dry?
Each brand has a different recommendation for the dry period. However, leaving it overnight is usually a good place to start.
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Conclusion
Having a small burn mark on your carpet doesn’t mean you have to throw the whole thing away—not if you know how to get burns out of carpet fibres. Minor burns can be sanded and cleaned, while deeper burns can be covered with fluff. However, extensive burns need patching with a matching patch of carpet scrap. You can also place a piece of furniture on top of the burnt area to cover it. Either way, you won’t be throwing away your beautiful carpet. Our regular blog posts let you read more about how to keep your home carpet clean.
