How to Keep Rugs from Slipping on Carpet - 4 Simple Solutions

Just like on hard surface floors, an area rug can slip on your carpet. With a rug on carpet, the most common issue is the rug bunching up, wrinkling, and having minor slips which are annoying to readjust.

Unless you want the extra workout of bending over to fix the rug every time you pass, you may be looking for a way to keep that rug in place.

In which case, you’re in the right place!

While there are many ways of holding your area rugs in place on a carpet, some can end up damaging your carpet and rug. That’s why you need to be careful about how you keep rugs from slipping on your carpet.

In this article, we’ll look into why rugs still move on carpet and some of the best ways to keep your area rugs in place on your carpet without damaging either your rug or carpet.

Why do rugs move on carpet?

Rugs move on a carpet because they follow the carpet’s pile movement with foot impact. The weight of the footstep moves the carpet pile, which then transfers to the rug.

Most carpets are installed with the carpet pile facing the entryway because doing so makes their colors look richer. Because of that, the rug will tend to move in that direction when you walk on it.

(No, your rugs aren’t bee-lining for the door because they don’t like you – blame the carpet!)

Furthermore, the longer and plushier your carpet’s fibers, the more your rug will tend to move because the longer fibers will have less grip on your rug.

4 ways to keep a rug from moving on carpet

Now that you know why rugs move on carpet, let’s cover a few ways for how you can stop it.

1. Use a Rug Pad

An anti-slip rug pad is the best way to prevent a rug from sliding or bunching up on a carpet. A carpet-to-carpet non-slip rug pad like the Carpet Lock Rug Pad holds your area rug in place on the carpet with its joint natural rubber and felt.

The non-slip rug pad’s bottom felt surface fastens itself on the carpet fibers giving it a friendlier hold on the carpet pile. Meanwhile, the natural rubber top grips the rug and keeps it from sliding off the pad.

Since this anti-slip rug pad has a felt surface, it offers additional cushioning, providing a more comfortable and padded feel. But that’s not all. The added layer absorbs noise in the room, significantly reducing the sound that your neighbors can hear.

The best part of using non-slip rug pads to hold your area rugs in place is that they prolong the life of both the carpet and area rugs.

Check out: what is a rug pad for more information.

Cost: high
Effectiveness: high
Ease of Installation: easy
Damage Risk: low
Longevity: long term

2. Caulk Inexpensive Rugs

Silicone caulk is another excellent way to keep your inexpensive rugs from sliding or bunching up on your carpet. However, we only suggest considering doing this with inexpensive rugs, because there is a possibility the caulk could damage your rug permanently.

Silicone caulk is very easy to install — apply it to the edges of your rug and add a few lines across the center of your area rug. Then flatten these beads with a putty knife so the dried caulk won’t feel like a hard strip when walking over your rug.

Leave the caulk to air dry (usually for at least 24 hours). Once dry, put your rug on top of the carpet and let the rubbery strips grip your mat.

The main drawback of using caulk to hold your rug in place is that you may pull at the carpet’s fibers when removing the rug, especially if you have a high-pile carpet. Moreover, you may peel off your area rugs’ fibers when removing them for cleaning.

Note: You can use also use hot glue on rugs to prevent slipping.

Cost: low
Effectiveness: medium
Ease of Installation: easy
Damage Risk: high
Longevity: short term

3. Use Double-Sided Rug Tape

A double-sided rug tape is fantastic for keeping moving rugs in place on a carpet. The best part is that it’s effortless to install. All you need is the right double-sided rug tape, which you’ll place along the edges of the rug. Then peel the backing off and stick it to the carpet.

Since the tape is adhesive, it will hold your mats firmly to your carpet, keeping the rug in place and making it easier to vacuum.

One major drawback is that the wrong carpet tape may pull at the fibers of your carpet and rug on removal. Plus, when you pull up the rug, the tape will often lose it’s grippiness, so it’s only a one-time use solution.

Cost: low
Effectiveness: high
Ease of Installation: easy
Damage Risk: medium
Longevity: short term

4. Anchor The Rug With Furniture

Anchoring large rugs with furniture is one of the best and easiest solutions to a moving rug, but it does require some finesse.

When anchoring a sliding rug with furniture, be careful not to hide the rug’s beauty. Your main goal should be to maintain the aesthetics the rug adds to your home décor.

We recommend placing furniture like heavy sofas and upholstered chairs along the edges and corners of your area rugs. Alternatively, you could have a heavy coffee table or ottoman placed in the middle of your area rug. This way, the mats are held in place yet still visible.

One major drawback of using furniture to keep your rug in place is that the side that’s not anchored can still move or curl up at the corners.

Cost: low
Effectiveness: medium
Ease of Installation: easy
Damage Risk: low
Longevity: long term

FAQs about how to stop rugs creeping on carpet

Still have questions? We’ve answered some of the most commonly asked questions about rugs on carpet here.

Do rug grippers work on carpet?

Yes, rug grippers work on carpet. However, they don't work well on plushier carpets with long carpet piles because the grippers will move along the long pile. You can use rug grippers on low-pile carpets for a better grip on your area rug. For high-pile carpet, a rug pad will serve you better.

Is it weird to put a rug over carpet?

No. In fact, there are a lot of possible benefits from putting a rug over carpet. Here are a few:

Can enhance the aesthetics of your home by bringing complementary colors together, making your overall décor more cohesive.Can help you cover up stains and worn-out fibers on carpets.Adds comfort and makes the surface have a more padded feel when barefoot.Can help absorb noise, especially if you live in an apartment.

How do you stop a carpet runner from moving on carpet?

You can keep a carpet runner from moving on carpet using:

• Non-slip rug pads made explicitly for carpet-to-carpet anchoring like the Carpet Lock rug pad made of felt and natural rubber
• double-sided rug tape
• Silicone caulk

How do you anchor an area rug over carpet?

You can anchor an area rug in place over a carpet with rug grippers that hold the edges of the mats in place on the carpet or with furniture. With furniture, arrange your furniture over the area rug to stop it from moving on the floor. Good furniture for this are heavy pieces like heavy coffee tables, sofa chairs, couches, and dining room tables.

What is the best double-sided tape for carpet?

The tricky thing with double-sided tape for carpet, is it can damage your rug and carpet. While we don’t claim to be the experts on carpet tape, the Sugarman Creations Strongest Double-sided tape has generally good reviews. You can also check out this review of different carpet tapes from GearHungry.

Will double-sided tape damage carpet?

No. If you use double-sided tape with a silicone adhesive or one made of both silicone and rubber, it won’t damage your carpet. It doesn’t damage your carpet because it doesn’t leave a sticky residue or pull at the fibers of your carpet upon removal.

In contrast, carpet tape with only rubber adhesive will damage your carpet because it will peel off or pull at your carpet fibers on removal.

How do you remove double-sided tape from carpet?

Heat the areas installed with the double-sided tape with a hair drier or heat gun to melt and soften the adhesive. Then pull the rug tape from your carpet. Since the adhesive is melted, you won’t pull on the carpet fibers or leave any residue on the carpet.