The Simple Vacuum Hack That Will Help Remove Those Pesky Carpet Dents

Have you noticed that carpet rarely appears on home renovation shows these days? It's true; the number of people buying carpet has steadily declined in recent years. According to Floor Daily, carpet has been slowly disappearing from main living areas in homes for the last decade, with homeowners and designers transitioning to trendy laminate, hardwood, and ceramic tile floors. However, carpet still remains king in bedrooms and upstairs areas. And for some, it will always be an ideal flooring material throughout their home because it's affordable, it dampens sounds, and it adds a cozy element under your feet.  

Whether you love your soft flooring or you feel stuck with it, there's one aspect of carpet that's admittedly not so glamorous: furniture dents. If you've ever rearranged a carpeted room or moved out of an old residence, you've probably noticed that your heavy furniture leaves big indentations in your carpeted floor. These marks can be even more frustrating if you spot them after moving into a new home, as they were obviously left behind by the previous tenant. Furniture dents aren't just unsightly; they're notoriously tricky to remove. Luckily, this simple vacuum cleaner hack will help you revitalize your smushed carpets so they look and feel new again. 

According to Lifehacker's handy tutorial, the first step to un-denting your carpets is to grab an ice cube. Any size will do. Place the frozen cube in the center of a furniture indentation in your carpet and wait for it to melt completely. If a dent is more than a few inches wide, you may need to place two or more ice cubes on the carpet. You can cover all your dents at once and place multiple cubes around the room if you'd like to save time.

There's a good chance you're wondering why a melting ice cube. Couldn't you just pour water on the dent? Cleaning advisors at Floor Care Kits explain that the slow release of water from the ice cube helps the carpet fibers to gradually soak it up and reshape. You don't want to pour water directly onto your carpet, as this will most likely tamp it down further and present a risk for mildew and mold to grow underneath. The ice cubes shouldn't take longer than an hour to melt, so sit back and relax with a cool glass of water while you wait. 

Once your ice cubes have melted completely, lightly pat the carpet dry with a towel or sponge. Next, pull out your vacuum and switch it over to the crevice tool attachment. You might be tempted to use the brush tool or roll your vacuum over the floor as you normally would, but using the proper attachment will give you greater suction. As the air is forced through the narrow hole of the crevice tool, it will have more lifting power against the carpet fibers. Once you've fired up your vacuum, start dragging the crevice tool over the dents in your carpet and watch as they magically disappear and the carpet fluffs back to life. 

If you've done this and your carpet still looks a little smushed, Tom's Guide recommends using the edge of a spoon or coin to gently lift up the squashed fibers. For especially fine carpet or a shag rug, you can use a wide-tooth comb or fork. Once you've worked out the dents, give your whole space a good vacuuming and all the unsightly indentations should blend right in, good as new.