How to Flatten and Smooth Out a Rug

Flattening a Rug

Unroll the rug and give it 2 days to rest. If you don’t need the rug to be perfect immediately, consider giving it some time before you resort to other methods. Just unroll it on a flat surface and let it rest for 1-2 days. Many rugs will naturally flatten over time, especially rugs new from the manufacturer. While you wait, it helps to slide your feet across the rug to work out any larger rises or wrinkles. Or, use a long, sturdy tube to roll across the rug, like a wrapping paper tube or a PVC pipe.

Flip the rug over and let it lie flat for several hours. If your rug is mostly flat already, this is a great solution. Just flip it over so that the grippy side faces up and let it rest for 1-2 days. Eventually, gravity will do its work and pull the rises in the rug down to the floor, flattening it out. If you want to keep the underside of the rug clean, make sure you leave the rug somewhere it won’t be stepped on, like in a spare room.

Roll up the rug in the opposite direction. This is one of the simplest (and cheapest) methods. Roll up the rug in the direction opposite of how it was first rolled, and keep it like that for 4-5 hours. After, unroll it again every couple hours to check its progress. It may take up to 24 hours to flatten out. Note that if you keep it rolled up like this too long, it might just curl in the opposite direction, so it’s important to keep an eye on it.

Let the rug sunbathe for a few hours. This method uses the sun’s natural heat to straighten things out. On a sunny day, lay the rug out flat and let it rest for as long as you can. Over time, the heat will relax the fibers and help them flatten out. This is especially handy if you can find a sunny room, so you don’t have to leave the rug outside. Of course, keep an eye on it! If you leave your rug outside, it’s vulnerable to animals, weather, and messy feet.

Secure the rug to the floor with carpet tape. Carpet tape is double-sided tape used to keep carpet flat, and it works just as well with rugs. First apply the tape to the underside of the rug, then position the rug where you like and press it down to the floor, pulling it taut as you do to make sure it doesn’t form hills or wrinkles. Position the tape around the edges of the rug, the corners, and make parallel lines 1–2 ft (0.30–0.61 m) apart along the underside. This is easiest with two or more sets of hands, so that you can pull the rug taut and lay it down on the floor. Note that this is a more permanent solution, and it’ll be harder to remove the tape and move the rug if you want to reposition it.

Slip a rug pad under the rug. Rug pads are grippy pads that cling to the underside of the rug and the floor beneath them, like a less permanent carpet tape. Get a large roll of rug pad and cut it to size, but make it about 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) smaller than the rug itself so it doesn’t show. Then, just lay it on the floor, and lay the rug down over it. If you use a rug pad, pro contractor Sam Adams says to “peel it off every once in a while and sweep underneath it.” Otherwise, the grit under it can have a sandpaper effect that may damage hardwood floors.

Steam the rug. This method is a little more work-intensive, but also more surefire. Check the care label on the rug to see if it can handle a little heat or steam. Then, use a carpet or rug steamer to steam the rug all over, preferably when it’s already laid down where you want it. Use low heat and just a little steam at first, and take care not to pause or linger on any one spot, or you might risk damaging the rug. Carpet and rug steamers can often be rented at your local grocery or hardware store. If this sounds daunting, hire a professional! Pro rug steamers know how to handle all different kinds of rugs, and will do the job for you. For a fee, of course.

Uncurling Rug Corners

Roll the corners under the rug with your hands. Most curled corners can be dealt with by hand. Just roll them up tightly under the rug, in the opposite direction of their curl, hold it there for about a minute, then unroll them and let them lay flat.

Aim a hair dryer at the corners for a minute or two. Again, this method uses heat to relax the fibers. Grab a hair dryer and set it to low heat. Point it at any furling corners, holding it about 1 ft (0.30 m) away. Aim it at the rug for about a minute, until it’s nice and warm, then use your hands to flatten the corner, or to bend it the other way if it’s stubborn. You may have to do this multiple times for the rug to hold its new shape.

Add corner grippers. Corner grippers are like rug pads but for—you guessed it—just the corners. Some are double-sided adhesive, which are good for stubborn rugs, while others only stick to the rug itself, which is great if you want to frequently move the rug. Stick ‘em to the corners, then use your feet to press the corners into the floor.

Let 2-3 ice cubes melt onto curled corners. This is a viral trick that many people swear by. First, place a heavy object on the very tip of the rug’s corner to weigh it down. Then, spread 2-3 ice cubes on the corner area and let them melt. The moisture loosens the fibers, and the small amount of water dries quickly, so it won’t mold or mildew.

Smoothing Wrinkles & Creases

Weigh the rug down with something heavy. Grab some heavy books, paperweights, boxes—anything with a little heft—and just plop it down on the trouble spot for 1-2 days. Over time, the weight will flatten out the spot. After a day or so, remove the weight and check your progress. You may need to add more weight or keep it on the rug for longer, if the rug is particularly stubborn.

Iron the rug on low to medium heat. Check the care instructions on the rug’s tag to see if it can handle a little heat. If it can, prep a clothes iron on low heat. In the meantime, spread a damp towel over where the wrinkle is. When the iron is hot, run it slowly over the top of the rug’s trouble spots, applying gentle but firm pressure downward. Keep working until the wrinkle or crease disappears. Only iron on top of the towel, never on the rug directly. Be careful to keep the iron moving, and not to linger on any single spot, to avoid burning the rug. Increase the heat bit by bit if the iron doesn’t seem to be heating the rug beneath the towel.

Spray wrinkled spots with wrinkle release spray. Wrinkle release spray is used by rug sellers and professional cleaners to flatten rugs and keep them straight. It’s simple to use: just aim it at the rug from about 1 ft (0.30 m) away, spray it a few times, then roll it up in the opposite direction and leave it for 5-6 minutes. When you come back, the rug should be nice and flat. As with any spray or solution, test the spray on a small, unnoticeable spot to make sure it won’t discolor or damage the rug. If nothing happens after a few hours, you’re good to go. Spray instructions do sometimes vary by brand, so default to the instructions on the spray’s label, if you’re unsure.