We all have that old, vintage carpet that has been with us through all the years. It has seen countless family holidays and events, and it’s still going strong–as you might like to believe.
Proper maintenance and care can and will extend the life of your old, vintage carpet. However, contrary to your belief, your old rug is not immortal. Sooner or later, you will need to replace it with something new.
Here are some signs to help determine when should you throw away your old carpet and get a replacement.
4 Signs You Should Throw Away Your Vintage Carpet
1. Irremovable Stains
When you find yourself covering up carpet stains with rugs and furniture, it might be time for a carpet replacement. This is especially true when professional carpet cleaning doesn’t seem to work anymore.
While professional carpet cleaners know some tricks for removing stains, old carpets become more vulnerable to stains over time. Even if you manage to remove the stains, your vintage carpet will just accumulate more in the future.
A new carpet will have a stain-resistant finish and it’s easier to clean in the long run.
2. Wear and Tear
A carpet that has better days will have all sorts of tears and rips. If you are positioning your carpet in a way that it hides all signs of wear and tear, it’s a sign that you should throw it away.
Polyester carpet fibers are especially known for their tendency to get matted and lose their form. Professional cleaning can only do so much to return the carpet to its former state.
Signs of wear and tear can be fixed by doing it yourself or you may hire a professional cleaner. However, if the tears and rips are quite large, you should consider getting a replacement.
3. Unpleasant Smell
Your old, beautiful vintage carpet might be a living room centerpiece, but nothing is as unappealing as when it exudes an unpleasant smell. If your kids or pets won’t even lay on it due to the nasty smell, your antique carpet should go.
The smell can be removed if you hire a professional for cleaning your antique rug. However, if the smell can’t be removed after cleaning, it’s likely that the smell has penetrated deep into the carpet fibers and can’t be taken care of.
Unless you enjoy having a stinky rug, it’s more cost-effective to get a new carpet.
4. An Old Carpet is an Old Carpet
While it’s tempting to hold on to grandma’s vintage carpet due to nostalgia, it’s a fact that carpets don’t last forever.
Even with regular care and maintenance, most carpets will only last up to 10 years. After that, the fibers will start losing their tuft and texture. You can continue to keep cleaning the carpet, but you simply won’t get the results that you want. Signs of a dying carpet include matting, color loss, wrinkles, and lack of padding support.
Time to Put Your Old Carpet to Rest
A vintage carpet might have sentimental value in a home, but it’s really not cost-efficient to keep holding on to one. Keep an eye for the above signs. If you find even one of the aforementioned issues arising, it might be time to put your old carpet to rest.