Have you ever snagged your shoe, purse, bag, or something else on your car carpet? It may not seem like a big deal now, but those snags can eventually turn into tears or thinning spots. Or the damage could be from an old burn! Whatever the case, small areas can be repaired at home. Today, we’re going to walk you through how to repair car carpet in a few easy steps.
Preventive Measures
Before we show you reactive fixes, there are a few things you can do to help prevent damage to your carpet. You can purchase custom-fit weather mats to avoid damage all together. You can also vacuum your carpet regularly to keep debris off it, as well as wear shoes that won’t snag (high heels and golf shoes are hard on carpets!).
You can also lay some ground rules, such as no eating or drinking in your car. This can prevent stains, which are harder to remove than small tears in many instances — especially if you have lighter fabrics.
Where to Get Extra Car Carpet
There is usually extra carpet in your car for you to use. You just may not know it, because it is hidden under the seat or, in some cases, up under the dash. You can cut a small portion out of the unseen places, which saves you time and the headache of trying to match color and texture.
How to Fix Cigarette Burns in Car Carpet
Cigarette burns are unsightly and can leave a nasty odor in your carpet. Thankfully, if there is only one or two, they’re relatively easy to patch up.
First, clean your carpet and vacuum it so all of the ash and residue is picked up. Then you’re going to carefully cut out the burnt section with scissors. Don’t get too scissor happy — only cut out a small portion around the burn in a square or rectangle.
Once you have matching carpet, trim off some of the fibers on the replacement piece and cut the section to fit where the burn was (if not already done).
Next, ensure there aren’t any carpet fibers bending into the hole (where you cut out the damaged part). Use tweezers to make sure everything is bent back or standing straight up around the hole, and on the replacement piece.
Once everything looks good, spread waterproof carpet glue on the hole. Don’t use too much so it will dry evenly, but don’t use too little that it won’t hold. Follow the instructions on your glue of choice for the best result.
Press the replacement carpet into the hole and fix the fibers again with tweezers, as needed.
Place a paper towel over the area. Weigh down the paper towel with books or another heavy object and allow the glue to dry for several hours.
Once dry, you should trim the carpet fibers so that they blend in with the surrounding area of the carpeting. Vacuum to fluff up the car’s carpet fibers.
Repairing Car Carpet Tears
Repairing a tear requires a bit of sewing knowledge. If you don’t know how to sew, you may want to leave this to the professionals. You’ll need a sharp sewing needle, a thread that matches your carpet, and some patience.
Step One
Vacuum the carpeting carefully around the tear. You’ll want to get everything up without making the damage worse, so try to avoid using rough brush extensions.
Step Two
Thread a needle with string that matches the color of the carpeting and knot it at the end.
Step Three
Press both sides of the carpeting together with one hand. You may need to call a friend to help if you can’t hold the carpet together and sew at the same time. You’ll need it to be tight to get a good result!
Step Four
Push the needle through the underside of one of the sides of the tears first, so that the knot won’t be evident.
Step Five
Make a running stitch that goes from one side of the tear to the other, thus gathering the material and closing the tear.
Step Six
Once you’ve gone the entire length of the tear, make a knot and press it and underneath one of the stitches. You should be good to go!
The Patching Method
You can also follow the same method as repairing a cigarette burn for carpet tears by using a small patch of replacement carpet and glue. However, this method will not be as seamless.
Trust the Professionals
If you want a seamless repair, or if the damage is too substantial to fix, trust the experts at VIP European Auto to get the job done. Our experienced technicians take the time and put in the effort to get your car looking like new. Give us a call today for a free estimate!
