Area Rugs without Curl-Ups – Is it possible?

We all have those little things in life that annoy us. For some people it’s when their spouse puts the milk back in the fridge with barely more than a swig of milk left in it. For others it might be sitting down to watch a favorite movie and encountering a DVD that always skips, right at the best parts. For me, it’s my area rugs. No matter what I did, they constantly seemed to curl up at the edges. I know it seems like a small thing, but they are an investment, and I want to be able to enjoy them without feeling annoyed.

So, I set out to find a solution once and for all. I learned a few things along the way about having them without curl-ups. I thought I’d share them here, so that you my friend can have one less little annoyance in life.

Here are a few ways to stop or correct area rug curl-ups:

Proper storage
First of all, I found out pretty quickly that I’d been storing them all wrong. I like to change out my hallway rugs according to season and every time the weather changed I’d dust off my rugs, roll them up, and store them in the hall closet. WRONG! Keeping the rugs rolled all that time was contributing to the curl-ups. Now when I store them away, I lay them flat on a shelf. Pretty easy, huh?

Adhesive tape
Double-sided tape is a great solution not only for fixing curl-ups, but also for keeping them in place. You can pick up the heavy-duty kind that will easily accept the wear and tear of daily foot traffic at your local hardware store. Simply place the tape under each corner of your rug and it should do the trick. Just be careful that it will easily adhere to the tape without damaging it.

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Steaming
If you need quick results, you could try steaming the curl-ups flat with a handheld clothing or drapery steamer. It’s a good idea to hang each one as you’re steaming it to prevent from burning yourself with the steam. When you’re finished, scrub each corner with a wet sponge and allow it to dry. This should soften the material and help it to lie flat again.

Ironing
A similarly quick method of getting those curl-ups to relax is ironing. It’s not a great idea to apply an iron directly them (especially if they’re made from a delicate material such as silk), but what you can do is cover the curled area with a wet towel and then gently apply the iron over the towel. Keep your iron on a medium setting and the steam from the towel should help the edges flatten out.

Take it to bed with you
Ok, not literally, but what you can do is place the them between your mattress and its box springs or bed support. You’ll have to leave it there for a few weeks, so be sure that it’s laid perfectly straight.

Treat it to some serious reading
A stack of heavy books placed on top of each corner is another fantastic solution to fixing your curl-ups. Try something like a couple of encyclopedias (if you haven’t replaced yours for Wikipedia) or some of the big textbooks from your college days. This is another method that takes some time – about 2 weeks to be exact – so you might want to move them to a place where you won’t constantly be tripping over The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Et tu, Brute?

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Flip it
The easiest method for dealing with curl-ups by far is simply to flip them over and leave it that way. Within a week or so, you should notice some improvement in the way it looks.

I hope you’ve found a method here that will help you fix your rug curl-ups. Above all, always follow the cleaning and care instructions that originally came with your rug order. They’ll help you keep it looking great and save you from more headaches in the future.

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