Former Great British Bake Off champion Nancy Birtwhistle has shared a remarkably straightforward technique for eliminating those frustrating indentations that furniture leaves in carpets, requiring only two common household items that most people already own.
The Common Carpet Conundrum
Unsightly carpet dents can appear for various reasons, from heavy furniture sitting in one spot for too long to simply rearranging your living space. These depressions occur when the weight of objects compresses and flattens the carpet fibres, creating visible hollows that can mar your flooring's appearance.
Nancy Birtwhistle's Proven Solution
Nancy Birtwhistle, who won the fifth series of The Great British Bake Off in 2014 and has since become a Sunday Times bestselling author with her eco-friendly cleaning guide, demonstrated her method in a TikTok video that has captured homeowners' attention.
In the footage, Nancy places a standard cotton tea towel over the carpet dents before using her iron's steam setting, carefully gliding the appliance across the cloth without making direct contact with the carpet itself. She then shared compelling before-and-after photographs showing the indentations had been almost completely eradicated.
Simple Steps for Success
For those wishing to replicate this technique, Nancy recommends setting your iron to a medium heat setting and holding it approximately above the cloth for 30 to 60 seconds. Crucially, you must ensure the iron never touches the carpet directly, as this could cause irreversible damage to the fibres.
She captioned her demonstration simply: "Carpet dents sorted. Clean and Green page 165" – referencing her popular book Clean and Green: 101 Hints and Tips for a More Eco-Friendly Home, which offers sustainable, natural cleaning solutions designed to minimise environmental impact.
Important Considerations and Warnings
Before attempting this method throughout your home, experts recommend conducting a patch test in an inconspicuous area to ensure compatibility with your specific carpet type. While this approach works effectively on most standard carpets, antique or particularly delicate rugs may require professional consultation to avoid potential damage.
The book containing this and numerous other household tips has received considerable praise from notable figures. Television presenter Kirstie Allsopp described it as "the book I've waited all my life for", while Queer Eye favourite Jonathan Van Ness commended Nancy's "incredible energy" and ability to "create art out of everything in her life".
This simple yet effective solution demonstrates how everyday household items can solve common domestic problems without requiring expensive specialist products or professional intervention, aligning with Nancy Birtwhistle's philosophy of practical, environmentally-conscious homemaking.
