7 Ways to Reuse and Recycle your Old Carpets

You select it with a lot of excitement and careful attention. You search and search for the most beautiful one and once you’ve spotted the one that you were looking for, you pay big money for it and bring it home with utmost care and love. You lay it on the floor of your house with much hope and show it off to your friends with great pride. It awes them! They ask you about the details of it and where to get it from. All this attention and popularity that you’ve got ever since you bought it has been good for your self-esteem – all thanks to your stunning carpet!

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But as time passes by and as you get older, you realize that your carpet has aged as well. The erstwhile fluffy, smooth and comfortable carpet that used to cover your floor is now dingy, discoloured, stained, and on the verge of getting completely damaged. Its life cycle is finally coming to an end and you’re saddened by that fact as over the years, you have grown emotionally attached to it. You wish you could bring it back to life in some way or another just so that it continues to stay with you.

If this is the kind of situation you’re finding yourself in, then we have a solution for you. This post looks at what you can do with old and used carpets and make them look good again. Actually, there’s a lot you can do — all it needs is some innovative thinking, creativity, maybe a little professional help, and voila – your carpet will be back to making you its proud owner. Here are 7 ways to reuse and recycle your old carpets to make them a part of your home decor, again!

Things To Do With Your Old Carpet

Use Old Carpets as a Rug

A carpet is pretty huge in size and I bet there will be parts of it that can be considered good enough to be reused. If you find removable stains on your carpet, you can easily get rid of them using baking soda or vinegar and it should be back to looking spotless.

It’s now time to get those scissors out and cut out the unwanted parts and keep the portion that looks good. Add lace or tassels around its circumference. There you have it – a pretty rug that’s perfect to be placed in your bedroom or on your patio to add a touch of elegance to it.

Get in Touch with Local Recycling Organisations

Contact your local recycling organisations or companies to see if they do carpet recycling. With the recent increase in call for environmental sustainability, these companies and organisations have started recycling of post-consumer carpet. Organisations such as the Carpet for America Recovery Effort (CARE) in the United States is an advocate of this.

In Singapore, you may check the National Environment Agency’s list of local collectors, traders and recyclers.

Use Old Carpets as Floor Mats for Your Car

The good news is that you no longer need to buy those expensive floor mats for your vehicle. What you can do instead is cut up your old carpet into the shape and size of mats and simply place them in your car. Not only will you end up saving money, but these mats will be much softer and better looking than the regular car floor mats. Moreover, you could even make rectangular foot mats and place them in your home.

Creating New Paths with Old Carpets

Use your old carpet as a pathway in your garden. You could use the whole of it, or you could cut up long strips out of it and lay it out in your garden. You can also use bits and pieces of your carpet to protect your flower/vegetable garden from the growth of weeds. Simply place them upside down and cover up with mulch or hay for a weed-free pathway. Simple, smart and cost-effective!

Old Carpets as Sound Absorbers

Use your old carpet to line up the walls of your shed/basement and turn it into a sound studio. Throw those loud basement parties and enjoy the music to the hilt as the carpet lining will prevent the sound from reaching the neighbors to a great extent, thanks to the carpet’s noise absorbing properties. Never thought of carpets that way, did you?

Use the Old Carpets as a Dog Bed Cover

This is an easy idea for reusing your old carpet in an innovative way. Simply cut the carpet in large pieces, double them up, stuff them up with some foam and stitch around the edges. What you have just created is a dog bed cover. And thanks to the smooth surface of the carpet, your dog is going to love the comfort it will offer him. You should be able to make a couple of these from your carpet. Dispose of them as and when they get soiled or torn to pieces (dogs love doing that, don’t they?).

Old Carpets to Weather-Proof the Kennel

Why should your poor dog get wet in the rains despite taking shelter in his kennel? Use the carpet to cover the entrance to the kennel to prevent rainwater from entering it. Cut a piece out of the carpet and nail it over the entrance making it look like a thick flap. Additionally, you could also line the outside walls of the kennel with pieces of the carpet to provide your dog with an additional layer of insulation from the rains. Alternatively, line the insides of the kennel walls and floor during winters to provide the dog with warmth.

Old Carpets as Saviour from Cat Scratches

Okay, enough about the dog. It’s time to think about the cat now. Cats have an annoying habit of scratching surfaces and ruining them. Well, this can be prevented by covering cat furniture with pieces of the old carpet. Or simply keep a piece of it in the house to serve as an exclusive cat scratcher. Trust us, your kitty is going to love you for doing this!

Conclusion

Besides all the above-mentioned tips and tricks to reuse your good ole carpet, you also have the option of recycling it. Simply return it to your retailer and he will know how to take care of the rest. You could also sell it to an interested buyer.

For your next carpet purchase, you could consider bringing home a non-toxic and eco-friendly one made of natural materials. There are several other considerations to keep in mind when you choose your next carpet.

And when you do buy them, please do treat them with tender loving care and consider carpet cleaning specialists accredited by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, Restoration Industry Association and Carpet and Rug Institute.

What’s Next?

Check out our other services or know more about our carpet cleaning services in Singapore.

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