Tips for moving rugs and carpets

Whether you want to renovate your home and buy new rugs and carpets or you want to move to a new home, packing and preparing them for a move is not an easy job at all. If you own rugs and carpets in your home, you may have experience with cleaning, washing, vacuuming. But moving rugs is not just rolling and wrapping. People are often being lazy when it comes to moving rugs, but keep in mind that improperly packing a carpet can only damage and destroy it.  If you are getting closer to moving day. And you want to take care of your rugs and carpets, and learn how to add value to your home, check our tips!

Gather all rugs and carpets in the same place

The first step when it comes to moving rugs and carpets is to gather them all in the same place. Don’t waste your time going from room to room, bringing all packing materials and tools, while you can gather all rugs in the same room. Ask your family members or friends to help you because carpets are usually massive and heavy. You can’t carry all by yourself unless you’re a strongman! Large rugs take too much space, so pick one large room and clean it. After that, you can store all the rugs there and have enough space to pack them all. Besides, you will leave more space in other rooms to bring in the moving boxes and pack the rest of your household easily! If you don’t have enough space to store safely your rugs, consider renting short term storage Manhattan and protect your rugs from pests and humidity during relocation. 

Clean your rugs before relocation

This is the most important step you should take before moving rugs and carpets to your new home. Even though this may look unnecessary, it is really important to clean them thoroughly. If you need to store your rugs until moving day, keep in mind that dirt and soil on the rug may cause deterioration of the rug over long-term storage. Cleaning means washing rugs, too, but before you start washing your rug, start vacuuming the dust and microscopic particles. But, this refers to having a regular and ordinary rug. If you have an expensive and delicate rug, make sure you vacuum it on a lower speed. Just to be sure, you can read the label behind your rug to see how to deal properly with cleaning it if such exists. If you don’t want to risk with washing you can check your budget and hire professional cleaning service. 

Consider your type of rug

Knowing your type of rug can be crucial and of great help when it comes to moving. Different types of rugs require different ways of cleaning and washing. This also means extra care during relocation. Small braided washable rugs can be placed in a zippered mesh laundry bag and washed gently. After washing you can dry them and put on the vinyl floor. Oriental, hand-made and custom rugs require special care. If hiring professionals is pricey you can protect expensive rugs by placing a piece of nylon screen over the rug and vacuuming over it. If you own custom and antique rugs, ask the merchandiser about the right way of cleaning it. Fur rugs are very trendy and cozy but hard to clean. But here’s the tip. You can shake unscented talcum powder on them and leave them like that for a few hours.

Protect rugs from pests and insects

Elders, but especially children, are extremely sensitive to dust and pests accumulating in the carpet, so it is necessary to vacuum the carpets before and after moving. Before you start relocating your rugs and carpets, you need to clean, vacuum and wash them deeply to protect them from pests and insects. Besides, Moths and other insects can easily damage your carpets. Sometimes they can damage custom made carpets and you can’t repair them. You can simply apply an insect or moth repellent specially designed for fabrics of your rugs, that should be enough for some time. But beside pests, you should protect rugs from humidity. It can permanently damage your carpet and it can get an unpleasant smell. Because of humidity, your rug can curl at the edges. And if your rug is already damaged by humidity, and edges are curled, you can pin the rug down to the floor.

Rolling rugs and carpets

If you have really small carpets and rugs in your house you can easily roll them. But if you have large and rugs with delicate fiber you should be careful. Some large rugs can be rolled while others you need to fold. But, think about your type of carpet. If you fold your rugs, you can easily damage them. It all depends on the type of materials. Most of the large rugs can be folded. You can fold them in half or thirds, you can pack them without any problems. What can be an issue is that folding can cause permanent creases. If you are not sure what to do, you can ask experts. 

Packing

When you finish folding and wrapping your rugs and carpets, it is time to start packing. If you pack your rugs the right way, you can easily move it wherever you want. Before you go to get packing supplies, DON’T use plastic bags and materials for packing your rugs and carpets! Instead, you can use large garbage bags! You can easily put them on both sides and cover your rug completely. To provide more protection and stability during transportation, you can use the ropes to tighten the rugs more and keep them from unrolling. When you finish, use packing tape or duct tape to prevent the garbage bags from falling from the rugs. We do this in order to make your local relocation enjoyable a bit more.

 Rugs and carpets – Hire professional movers

When you do all the tips we have mentioned, there is one last step left. How to move your rugs and carpets? If you own one or two carpets you can move them with your own vehicle. But if you own more, it is better to hire a professional moving company. Before professional movers come to your address, make sure you store the rug off the ground in a cool and dry environment. Also, check if something else lays on the top of the rug. For example, heavy boxes can destroy the rug’s shape. If your basement or attic where you store your rugs have windows, make sure to block light from them. And if you need professional help with moving your rugs to a new address, local movers Manhattan will help you relocate them safely and easily without worries! 

Don’t’s! 

When it comes to moving rugs and carpets we’ll show you two DON’Ts tips so you can act like a pro. First, DON’T wrap your rug in plastic bags! Even if the plastic bag can keep the carpet perfectly safe from the dust, water, and dirt during relocation, a plastic material won’t let your carpet breathe. This leads to moisture and mildew growing.  

Our second tip is DON’T ignore cleaning instructions and never use water to wash your natural fiber rugs! Just because most people use water it doesn’t mean you can clean any rug with regular soap and water because you will ruin natural fiber of your rug and bring much moisture. Water can also cause permanent staining. So, before you were you rug, read all instructions or pay professionals to do it. 

Secure rugs from dust

The best way to get rid of dust accumulating in your rugs and carpets is to vacuum them at least twice a week. But when you already clean your rug and roll it, that does not mean it is totally safe from dust. You need to secure rugs from the dust, by putting them in a protective fabric. But, don’t try to put rugs in plastic bags. If you do, your rug can’t breathe and when temperature changes it will cause condensation. Using a canvas sheet can be a better option for securing rugs.