How to Repair a Car's Carpet
by Faith McGee
Car carpeting can look like a battle zone even after only a few months in an automobile. Food stains, cigarette burns and dirt wear down carpet fibers and ruin the aesthetics of the car's interior. This brings down the value of the car and makes the inside a less-than-enjoyable atmosphere when driving around. Repair a car's carpet to restore the look and enjoyment of the car.
Cigarette Burns
Step 1
Vacuum the car's carpet. Trim away the burnt carpet with a pair of scissors.
Step 2
Locate an inconspicuous area of carpeting, such as underneath the seat. Trim off some carpet fibers and place fibers on a plate.
Step 3
Spread waterproof glue on the hole. Pick up the carpet fibers with a pair of tweezers. Press the carpet fibers in the hole. Overfill the hole with the carpet fibers and place a paper towel over the area. Weigh down the paper towel with books or another heavy object and allow the glue to dry for several hours.
Step 4
Trim the carpet fibers, so that they blend in with the surrounding area of the carpeting. Vacuum to fluff up the car's carpet fibers.
Carpet Tears
Step 1
Vacuum the carpeting carefully around the tear. Thread a needle with string that matches the color of the carpeting and knot it at the end.
Step 2
Press both sides of the carpeting together with one hand. Push the needle through the underside of one of the sides of the tears, so that the knot won't be evident.
Step 3
Make a running stitch that goes from one side of the tear to the other, thus gathering the material and closing the tear. Make a knot when the tear has been sewn up and press the knot and underneath one of the stitches.
References
Tips
- Repair tears that are shorter than an inch. Any tear longer than an inch might need to be repaired by a professional.
Things You'll Need
- Vacuum
- Scissors
- Plate
- Glue
- Tweezers
- Paper towels
- Books
- Needle
- Thread
- Plastic floor mats
Warnings
- Avoid more tears by placing plastic floor mats in your car.
