What Can I Do With Old Carpet Pulled out of Our House?

Household Uses

• A carpet that has an outdated design or style can still be useful in your home. If you don't want it in your living room, for example, look for other options where it may be suitable. A cold basement room might feel a little warmer with the carpet added. Even if the carpet isn't the most modern looking, it can still be ideal for a kids' basement playroom. Another use is cutting it into a long strip and placing it between the door to your garage and your garbage cans or work bench. This way, you don't need to walk on the dirty floor in your stocking feet to take the trash out.

Outdoor Uses

• If you have a garden shed, see if the carpet would be usable in some manner in the shed. If the shed houses a lawn tractor, placing a piece of the carpet under the tractor would collect any dripping oil or gas to protect the shed floor. Carpet also works as a flooring option for a greenhouse and, because it offers a degree of insulation, you can place it around your compost bin to encourage the composting process during the winter.

Donation

• When the carpet is still in adequate condition and relatively free of stains and wear marks, someone else may appreciate it. Offer it for free on a local classified website or Freecycle. You can also contact a thrift shop or an organization such as Habitat for Humanity to see if they could give the carpet to someone in need.

Recycling

• If the carpet is stained beyond repair and you've already used some of it for other applications around your home, bundle up the carpet and visit the recycling depot in your community. There someone can tell you if the carpet contains materials that can be recycled or if it has to be discarded in the landfill. Or contact the Carpet America Recovery Effort (see Resources) to find a carpet recycler in your area.