Nothing can be quite as disappointing as getting a snag or pull in your wool rug. It adds an unsightly mar that will likely catch your eye each time you walk into the room. There are many things that can cause a snag from children’s toys, moving furniture, or even pet’s toenails, but just because your rug has a pull, doesn’t mean you have to ditch it. There are ways to repair these unsightly flaws to keep your rug looking new for much longer.
If your rug has a high pile or is in a shag style, it can be as simple as snipping the offending snag with a pair of scissors. The other carpet fibers should hide the trimmed spot from view making your rug look like new again. However, if your rug has a shorter pile more like a tightly woven Berber, then it will take a little more work to repair that pull.
Short or Small Pulls
Take a good look at the snagged or pulled part of the rug, if it is a small pull, less than ½ inch, than you may be able to snip it off. Using very sharp scissors, snip the pulled part as close to the base as you can. You will need to tuck the two ends that are left down into the surrounding carpet fibers to hide them. You can add a small dot of hot glue to hold them in place if needed.
Long Pulls
If you have a snag that is longer than ½ inch, you will need to try a different method than what is used on the shorter pulls. Create a trench around the snag with masking tape because this will keep any glue from getting on the surrounding fibers while you work.
You will want to cut the snag away from the base of the carpet using very sharp scissors. Cut from both ends meeting in the middle. Pay close attention to the dots of adhesive that are evenly spaced along the thread of the carpet. You are going to attempt to re-glue your snag back in those same spots.
Using a carpet adhesive with a nozzle, place a bead of glue in an even line along the bottom of your masking tape trench. You should attempt to place the glue in the same spots that you noticed the adhesive.
Replace the fibers that you cut back into the trench on your bead of blue. It helps to twist the fibers a little as you set them. To make it easier to set them in the correct location, use an awl or another similar sharp tool. The ends will need to be tucked between the surrounding fibers to prevent it from snagging again.
Place a piece of wax paper and a weight on top of the repaired pull spot and leave it overnight. This will allow the glue to dry completely and secure the fibers to the base of the trench. Once the glue is dry, carefully remove the weight, wax paper, and the masking tape.
Pro Tip!
Never tug on the fibers that are pulled or snagged in an attempt to remove them. This can actually cause a small snag to become a longer trench in need of repair.
If you need more tips on repairing or caring for your wool rugs, contact NYCleaners! We are always striving to supply our readers with ways to keep their rugs and home furnishings in good repair.