Recycling Old Carpeting and Rugs

Too much ‘stuff’ makes me crazy.  I have lots of clothes, so when I buy new clothes or shoes, I try to purge the same number of items so my already large wardrobe doesn’t endlessly continue to grow.  Whenever Gray gets new toys, we see what he can ‘live without’.  Earlier this year, we decided to replace our like-new leather living room furniture with something more comfortable, and before we even purchased our new sectional, we’d already sold our current furniture, leaving the room empty for well over a month.

That’s how I like to roll – not letting our house explode at the seams.  But now we are talking about replacing some carpeting and a rug.  Before I could even think about what I want, I had to resolve an issue that would eat at me until I had an answer to this question: What will we do with the old stuff?

There is a group called Carpet America Recovery Effort that has an online tool with a map of recyclers that will take old carpeting.  Before just showing up with your old carpet, call first to see if there is a cost associated with recycling your carpet.  If you have a small amount or just a few scraps, you could put them to good use with these ideas:

• Turn them into furniture movers.  Cut old carpet in small squares and place a square under dresser, bed, or chair legs and then pull the item across the floor instead of having to lift and carry.
• Save your knees.  Roll up a piece and use it to kneel or sit on when gardening or doing yard work.
• Create a comfy place for Fido by turning it into a bed for your dog.
• Use it to clean the gunk, dust, and dirt in your window screens by dipping a piece into warm, sudsy water, and rub the pile side onto the screens.
• Place scraps of carpet under the feet of laundry machines to reduce noise.
• Use small pieces inside a dollhouse or even a playhouse or treehouse.

But before you decide to cut up your old rug, check into having it cleaned first to see if you can bring it back to life.  Our 6-step professional rug cleaning process helps extend the life of your rug by removing dirt that will scratch the rug’s fibers and leave your rug looking dull and lifeless.  To see if your rug can be saved, drop it by one of our locations or call Greg Henderson at 336-804-0045.