How to Remove Burns from a Carpet

Sometimes the romantic candlelight on St. Valentines can leave more than just a small wax stain on the floor. Other times, you can just drop the iron, and in just a millisecond, you have an iron burn mark on the carpet that you can see from a mile away.

So, if you:

• Have accidentally burned or scorched your carpet;
• Are looking to remove rubber burns from a rug;
• Want to know how to get rid of burn marks.

Then this article is for you!

So, keep on reading if you want to learn the best tips and tricks on removing different types of burns from your carpet and somewhat fix the problematic patch. And… if you are really out of luck and have to deal with a wax residue along with the burn, see our helpful post on how to get wax out of your textile covering.

What’s the difference between scorch marks and burn marks on carpet?

Before you proceed with the cleaning, there is one main thing you have to learn, and that is how to distinguish whether you have an actual burn or it’s just a scorch.

Sometimes, you will notice that only the top of the fibres of your carpet is damaged. This is what we call a scorch. It happens when the item, which is burning your carpet, stays on the surface only for a second, and the damage is not severe. And then, you have serious burns, which cannot be cleaned or removed, and a change of the whole area is needed.

Need a professional carpet cleaning? Rely on experienced carpet technicians and get high-quality results. Learn more here!

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Can burn marks be removed from carpet?

Whether you can remove burns from carpet depends on the level and size of the damaged area. You can divide the burns into three separate categories:

Based on the material of your carpet, the burn will affect the fibres differently:

How to get light burn out of carpet

If you have only a light surface burn, one where only the tips of the fibres are burnt, then the process of removing the mark is really easy. Prepare yourself with a pair of sharp, small scissors, a mixture of light carpet detergent and water and a sponge.

Carefully cut the tips with the scissors, making sure that the height difference between the unharmed area and the burnt one is not so drastic. Dip the sponge in the mixture, lightly tap the area and follow up with another sponge dipped in clean water. Leave it to dry. Repeat again if it’s needed.

If you have a short pile carpet, consider using fine-grit sandpaper on the damaged area. Go over the marks gently and vacuum the residue after you’ve been satisfied with the result.

How to remove small burns from carpet (cigarette, hookah)

Small burns are commonly caused by a dropped cigarette or a hookah coal. But following these steps can help you if you wonder how to get rid of burn marks on your carpet:

1. Cut away all the burnt parts of the carpet fibres, either with a pair of scissors, a knife or a razor blade.
2. Find an area in your carpet that is not normally visible, like under a sofa, a bookcase or in a closet and cut away carefully some fibres, enough to replace the ones that were damaged.
3. Cut away some fibres from an area in your carpet that is not normally visible, like under a sofa, a bookcase or in a closet. Cut enough to replace the ones that were damaged.
4. Apply a small amount of superglue to the area that needs fixing and put the healthy fibres in place of the burnt ones.
5. After the glue has dried, trim the area until it’s even with the rest of the carpet.
6. If this doesn’t help, mix a solution of 1 part hydrogen peroxide (3%) with 10 parts water and soak a cloth with the solution.
7. Blot the stain gently, without pressing too hard, until the burn mark starts to fade away. Start from the outside of the mark and work your way inwards.
8. Spray with cold, clean water to rinse the solution from the carpet.
9. Blot as much as you can with another clean cloth and leave the rest to dry.

You can also use hydrogen peroxide (3%) to clean milk stains out of carpets.

How to remove larger burns from carpet (iron, curler, straightener)

Larger burns are formed mostly by dropped irons, hair straighteners, and curlers. Unlike small burn marks on the carpet, large ones are more challenging, and in that case, the carpet burn repair may require more time and effort. Here is how it’s done:

1. Cut out the burned particles as much as you can.
2. Take a mild carpet detergent and clean the spot.
3. Rinse with cold water.
4. Find a carpet scrap or an offcut with colour and fibres that will match the one you have.
5. Cut out a piece that is slightly larger than the area you are treating.
6. Put it over the damaged spot. Keep it in place and start cutting around the edges of the new piece. Make sure to cut the carpet below but not the carpet padding or the underlay.
7. After you are done, put away the burnt carpet piece.
8. Place the new one, and if there is any difference in the height, you can trim it with scissors until it blends perfectly with the surrounding area.
9. To stick the piece, you can use either glue or double-sided tape. If you choose to go with glue, make sure to let it dry completely, at least for a couple of hours, before stepping on it.

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How to get rubber burns out of carpet

Rubber burns, or to put it more simply – a friction burn, is one that can be created when moving furniture around or from vacuum cleaner belts. They are not as severe as actual heat burns, but they still need to be taken care of properly and fast.

You will achieve the best results and get that burnt rubber out of your carpet by using the following detergents:

Before you start treating the burn marks on the carpet, equip yourself with protective gloves and make sure that the area is well-ventilated. To be extra sure, you can also put on a mask. Cleaning solvents like these can be very dangerous if inhaled or if they get in touch with your skin. You can also use some of the solutions above to remove paint stains from carpet.

No matter which detergent you have chosen, always do a test on a small inconspicuous area and keep an eye out for any unwanted results. If the tested detergent is proven to be safe for your carpet, you can continue.

1. Dip a clean cloth in the chosen detergent and gently apply it to the affected area. The amount should be enough to cover the stain completely, but not too much, so you don’t get it soaked.
2. Take a toothbrush or any other soft-bristled brush and moisten it with clean, cold water.
3. Push the solvent into the marks with the brush.
4. Let the cleaner sit on the stain for a couple of minutes. This will loosen the material, stuck to the carpet from the burn.
5. Take the same cloth you used in the beginning to blot the area as much as possible. The stain will slowly transfer from the carpet to the cloth, so make sure to turn it regularly.
6. Repeat the above process until all the rubber burns are removed.
7. After you are done and satisfied with the results, you will have to clean up the area from all the solvent remains. You can use a white foam shaving cream or a foam carpet cleaner.
8. Take another clean cloth and put some cold water on it. It needs to be only damp and not dripping. Use it to remove the rest of the foam residues.
9. Blot the whole area dry with a soft, absorbent pad.
10. Do not get tempted to use a hairdryer. It will not speed up the process, most likely it will just damage the freshly cleaned carpet fibres.

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Can I hide the burnt mark?

The most straightforward tip about how to remove a burn mark from carpet, of course, is to put something over it.

One of the most stylish options is to go for an area rug. It must be a bit wider than the spot you want to cover and, of course, it needs to match the design of the room.

Turn this unfortunate event into a reason to move some furniture around and create a brand new look for your room:

The options are endless so if you have the imagination, you can turn every flaw into an improvement to your home interior.

Fantastic Services offers hot water extraction and dry cleaning at attractive rates, visit our main website to learn more.

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Professional carpet cleaning

How to get a burn out of a carpet depends on the size and type of the mark. Light surface burn can be easily fixed, whereas if the burn is too large more time and effort will be needed. However, the sooner you act, the better your chances are of getting the stain out.

But if you don’t want to risk damaging your carpet with some of the DIY methods above, you can always count on a reliable carpet cleaning by Fantastic Services to do the job for you. The carpet technicians are widely familiar with all kinds of stains and have been in many different situations, so they know the best possible outcome for each one. They will always use the most efficient, eco and family-friendly detergents to ensure that no additional damage occurs by accident.

Bear in mind that carpet technicians will not patch, cut or replace a part of your carpet, they could only clean it as much as possible. For any odd jobs like this, you can always hire a handyman to complete the task.

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Takeaways

• If you don’t want to consider just placing a piece of furniture over the mark, we recommend that you try to remove the burn out of the carpet, only if it’s a small scorch or slight surface burn.
• You wouldn’t need any strong detergent to remove light burns from the carpet, and the process is not hard to conduct.
• For larger stains, you will have to patch a carpet or use a hazardous liquid to remove the burns completely.
• If you are inexperienced, it’s always better to trust a professional to do it, no matter if you will need the help of a handyman or a carpet cleaning technician.

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Did you find this article useful? Did you manage to remove the burns from your carpet? Let us know in the comments!