Can I Leave Old Carpet on the Curb?

Carpets are nice and cozy until the edges start fraying and there are deep stains that refuse to budge. Unless you want your carpet to make your home look dirty all the time, you need to start looking into carpet removal soon. 

Signs That It’s Time to Get Carpet Removal

It’s not that hard to determine whether you need carpet removal or not. Just look at what the condition of your carpet will do. But we want to help you out. So here are the signs that will tell you it’s time to get rid of your old carpet:

Don’t let old carpets be a hassle; let our junk removal services swiftly and efficiently handle the removal and disposal for you, leaving your home fresh and clean.

There are Signs of Wear and Tear Everywhere

Did someone spill wine on your carpet at a party you hosted some years back and it’s still there? Can you see the edges of the carpet separating from the floor? Do you see unsightly brown spots where your dog might have had an accident in the past?

If you see these signs, then it’s definitely time to consider carpet removal. Stains are difficult to remove even with first-aid methods like blotting them out with a kitchen towel or spot-treating them with dishwashing liquid. More often than not, you need to get it professionally cleaned to make it look like new.

Your Entire House Smells Old and Dingy

No matter how hard you try to keep the air fresh and how much you use air fresheners to get rid of that musty and stale smell in the air, it’s still there. The thing is, there is NO AMOUNT of ventilation that can improve indoor air quality as long as your old carpet is there.

Carpets are practically a catch basin for all things airborne. The deep fibers of the carpet trap dirt and dust. This will eventually cause that old house smell to permeate in your home.

The Carpet Was There When You Moved in Ages Ago

Did you move in more than a decade ago? Was the carpet already there? Who knows how long it’s been there before you moved in.

The older the carpet, the more likely it is to harbor an entire ecosystem in its fibers. If you can only see it microscopically, you might see how many decades-old germs, bacteria, and viruses are already living there.

You Have Allergy Symptoms That Just Won’t Go Away

Since carpets harbor microorganisms and allergens, exposure to them could mean suffering from allergy symptoms. Don’t be surprised if you constantly sneeze when you walk in a carpeted room or you have an itch in your throat that just won’t go away. Your carpet is most likely the culprit.

Negative Effects of Old Carpets on Our Health

Are you not bothered by your old carpets? You would change your tune if you know how it affects your health. These negative effects of old carpets on our health will surely prompt you to get carpet removal.

Old Carpets Affect Our Respiratory Health

Carpets are made up of these tiny fibers that become a trap for minuscule particles like dust, cockroach allergens, mold spores,  dust mites, and pet dander. As if that’s not scary enough, harmful substances like pesticides and toxic gasses in the air can also find their way to these carpet fibers.

You disturb these fibers whenever you walk and tread on them. When you vacuum your carpet, some of these harmful particles transfer to the air that you breathe. As a result, you become more predisposed to respiratory illnesses.

Some people are more sensitive to allergens and microorganisms than others. People with a compromised immune system might suffer from respiratory problems.

You Could Get Skin Diseases

Imagine your kids playing on the floor – their thin and delicate skin rubbing against old carpets that contain millions of harmful bacteria. If you like walking barefoot, you also get in contact with these pathogens.

This exposure can cause skin rashes and a variety of fungal infections like athlete’s foot, ringworm, and yeast infection.  

People Living in Carpeted Homes Become Susceptible to Stomach Illnesses

According to studies, it’s not uncommon to find fecal matter in carpets. Also, many of the pathogens found in old carpeting can cause diarrhea. The Norovirus, or Norwalk virus, when it enters the system can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.

What’s even scarier is that you don’t need to be in physical contact with this virus. Even breathing the virus can cause these symptoms at least 12 hours after you breathe it in.

Some Carpets are Innately Toxic

Installers make use of adhesives and pads to stick the carpet to corners and the floor. What most people don’t know is that these pads and adhesives might contain VOCs or Volatile Organic Compounds. These are toxic and are proven to cause coughing fits and wheezing in babies less than a year old.

How to Remove Your Old Carpet Without Injuring Your Back

Carpet removal is back-breaking work. Many people think it’s as simple as ripping it off their floor. But the truth is, carpets are installed more securely than that – glues, tacks, and all. You will need considerably more effort than that.

But to ensure that you won’t injure your back doing carpet removal work, here are the steps you should follow:

Check to See If the Carpet is Under the Baseboard

One of the mistakes people make when doing carpet removal is that they remove their baseboards first, thinking that the carpet is tucked under it. That’s not the case all the time. Check where the carpets end first before you start ripping out your baseboards.

Remove All Your Furniture

Before you start ripping out your carpet, remove your furniture first or move them away from where you’re removing the carpet.

Start at a Corner

Use a small utility knife and pry the ends of the carpet at one corner. If this doesn’t work or you have a hard time pulling the carpet away from the corner, you can try cutting a small rectangular portion of the carpet first.

Use your utility knife to gently cut through the carpet, making sure not to cut your baseboard. Remove the cut up portion and then pull the carpet up into the cutout area.

Be careful with the tack strips at the perimeter of the carpet. They can hurt your hands, which is why you need to use a pair of gloves for protection.

Remove a Portion of the Carpet and Then Cut It Off

Every time you remove about a third of the carpet, cut it with the utility knife. Roll it and then put duct tape around it to prevent it from unraveling. It’s better to roll the discarded carpet in increments rather than have a big and heavy roll that is difficult to carry.

Inspect the Subfloor

Once you have gotten rid of your carpet, quickly inspect your subfloor. Look for remaining tack strips and staples. If you see rust on the metal parts, it’s highly likely that this part has been spilled with water in the past. For bigger damage, check to see if there is a leak anywhere in the house.

Walk on your subfloor panels and watch out for anything that might indicate damage. If you feel something uneven or you hear something creaking, you might need to have the subfloor fixed. Use a pair of pliers to remove lingering staples from the subfloor.

Can I Leave the Old Carpet on the Curb?

One of the most common questions people ask when it comes to carpet removal is if they can just leave their old carpet on the curb. There is no specific answer to this. However, most states and cities prohibit leaving big items on the curb.

Since carpets fall under the category of “big items”, you most likely can’t just leave it on the curb. You could try getting a hold of your local trash collection service to find out if they have limitations to what you can throw out. They might be able to pick it up but impose additional fees for the effort.

Alternatively, you can hire Jiffy Junk and we’ll come and pick up your old carpet. Our team can come into your home and rip out your carpet for you, so you don’t have to risk injuring your back doing so.

Carpet Removal Challenges

Carpet removal is not a job for just one person, especially if you have a big house. What’s even more challenging is removing carpets on the stairs. If your process is incorrect, you could even end up damaging the floor underneath it.

Carpets in basements are also tricky to remove. The basement is full of challenges such as mold and mildew. You don’t want to expose yourself to these harmful microorganisms as they can be toxic to the body. You need to wear protective gear to safely remove moldy carpets.  

After we are done removing your carpets, we’ll haul it for you in our dump trucks, so you don’t have to do the heavy lifting. Trust us, carpets are hefty, especially if they are riddled with dirt and dust.

Once your carpets are removed, you will be left with a big mess on the floor. But don’t worry because we’ll take care of that for you as well. Our team of experts will clean up the mess that your carpet has left on the floor.

That way, your subfloors are ready for new flooring. If you already have existing wood or concrete floors, you can see their beauty right away.

Can’t You Just Steam Clean Your Carpet?

Vacuuming your carpet is not enough to get rid of all the things that are living in there. Sure, it can get rid of some dust, but since carpets tend to have deep fibers, many of these microorganisms are trapped so deeply that your vacuum can’t reach them.

Steam cleaning is an alternative cleaning option. It makes use of a steam cleaner. Since steam is hotter than boiling water, it works effectively in eradicating microorganisms in your carpet. It also helps loosen up the fibers of the carpet, thereby unseating stains better than brushing it.

However, steam cleaning makes use of water, so your carpet will be drenched after the cleaning session. You need to dry your carpets completely and that can take a lot of time, especially if you have carpets everywhere.

Be careful not to use steam cleaning treatment if you have wood flooring underneath. Exposure to moisture could end up damaging your beautiful wood flooring.

Additionally, steam cleaning services can be pricey. It’s not something you can just get every time you spill something on your floor.

Should You Get a New Carpet After Removing the Old One?

It’s a matter of personal preference. However, you might want to consider the downsides of having old carpets such as those mentioned earlier. You shouldn’t have carpets if you:

Have Allergies

It’s important to remember that if you replace your carpet with a new one if you have allergies it is subjecting yourself to torture. No matter how cozy you might feel having a carpet, it just doesn’t justify having to deal with allergies all the time. Prioritize your health.

Besides, there are so many ways to make your home feel cozier. You can opt for an area rug instead. Wood flooring lends warmth to a home just as well as carpets.

You Have Respiratory Issues

If you have existing respiratory issues such as asthma, you shouldn’t be anywhere near carpeted floors that harbor allergens.

You Have Kids and Pets at Home

It’s hard to keep carpets clean when you have kids running around, bringing their dirty shoes inside, and pets shedding hair all the time.

You Like to Entertain People a Lot

Do you love to host parties in your home? When you have people over all the time, they will inevitably bring the dirt they picked up outside to the inside of your home.

You Live Near Busy Streets

Being near busy streets means you’re more susceptible to dust accumulation. The air’s just not as clean when you’re near streets with a lot of cars passing by.

Do yourself a huge favor and get rid of that old carpet. You don’t even need to do anything. Just call us and we’ll take care of it for you. You can breathe so much better without your old and dingy carpet around.