Carpets look dingy over time through traffic and basic wear and tear. In some cases, you’ll need to replace the carpet, but many times there’s a simpler route. The best carpet rakes are tools that look a lot like yard rakes. They help reset the carpet fibers back to their original position. They also help stir up dirt and debris lodged deep in the carpet for better cleaning. Basically, it manipulates the lay of your carpet. The best carpet rake can increase the longevity and the appearance of your carpet.
Why Should I Use A Carpet Rake?
As you walk over your carpet, the fibers compact down small amounts. You might not notice right away, but over time the fibers cease to bounce back. Have you ever moved a piece of furniture and noticed that the carpet looks so much fluffier where it lay protected underneath?
It looks that way because it’s never been compacted down under the weight of foot traffic. The more compacted the carpet, the harder it is to get out all the dirt as you vacuum. That trapped dirt combined with the flat look of compacted fibers ages a carpet.
A carpet rake helps pull up the carpet fibers, first so you can clean them more deeply, and second so that they return to their original lay.
How Do I Choose The Best Carpet Rake?
Rake or brush
If you have long shag style carpet or a thick pile, a carpet rake is a better choice. It has fewer bristles than a brush, but they are long and further apart. They reach deep into the pile to fluff things back up.
Carpet brushes are shorter and have more bristles. They are best for short pile carpets because they’re dense but softer.
A few of the rakes can remove deeply embedded pet hair to help clean and restore. Not all rakes can handle pet hair, so if that’s an important part, be sure to choose one that can.
Heavy or light use
If you’ve got a huge carpet and several pets or children, you’re going to be frustrated with a small hand-held rake. It’s going to take forever, and you’ll be on your hands and knees that whole time (ouch).
Alternately, if your carpet is a tiny living room or hallway and you have no pets or children, you’re going to feel pretty silly wielding a huge tool and then trying to store it in a closet. Consider the job.
Type of wear and tear
We mentioned above that pet hair needs a particular kind of tool. If you’ve got a lot of pets, particularly the long-haired type, you need a rake with tines that can handle pulling out that kind of fur.
The same goes for deeply embedded dirt and debris. You’ll need tines that can get into the base of the carpet to loosen up that kind of soil.
If you don’t have a lot of traffic and your carpet isn’t that soiled, softer, shorter bristles will help fluff the carpet and loosen dust.
The Ten Best Carpet Rake Reviews
Carlisle 4575100 Commercial Grade 18″ Carpet Rake
The first rake on the list is a commercial grade 18-inch rake with deep, strong tines. It’s a commercial grade rake with a 54-inch handle and an 18-inch wide reach. The tines are rigid nylon that’s strong enough to handle thick carpets but won’t damage the fibers.
Nylon is an excellent choice if you have a softer or shag carpet. Metal will break the fibers apart and cause more damage in the long run. This model is suitable for a carpet that covers a large area and where the foot traffic damage extends well beyond the entrance.
Nylon isn’t going to pick up pet hair as well as rubber, but it will get down into a very soft, thick carpet to loosen dirt and debris. This one is best for non-pet households (or a small pet that isn’t allowed the run of the house) with thick but soft carpet fiber.
Pros:
-nylon tines are better for soft carpet
-the handle is 54 inches long
-wide 18-inch reach
Cons:
-not good with pet hair or short carpets
Evriholder FURemover Broom with Squeegee made from Natural Rubber, Multi-Surface, and Pet Hair Removal
Rubber has electrostatic properties that draw fibers to it. If the wear on your carpet is mainly due to pet hair lodged in the fibers, Evriholder’s carpet rake is a good choice. It has an adjustable handle that extends up to 5 feet, and the head has a width of 12 inches.
It’s a multiuse broom and rake. There’s a squeegee on the back to help drag carpet hair across the surface, and you can use both the brush and squeegee on other types of surfaces to clean.
The rubber bristles aren’t going to fluff the carpet, so if your carpet is compacted by high foot traffic, this might not be the right one. If you have short carpet that’s covered in a fine layer of pet hair, this is a better fit.
Pros:
-great at removing pet hair
-multiuse cleaning tool
-telescoping handle
Cons:
-not for compacted carpet fibers
BCW Carpet Rake
BCW’s carpet rake is a plastic bristle style rake with rounded edges. The head has a width of nearly 12 inches, and it can be attached to a vacuum.
It’s designed to adapt to both vacuum use and for use with a pole. The plastic bristles get into the fibers of medium length carpet to fluff and clean simultaneously when attached to a vacuum. You get a deeper clean as the bristles dislodge caked in dirt and debris.
It doesn’t come with the handle, so you’ll have to find or make one yourself. It fits on most vacuum attachments at the end of the hose. It’s a lower cost alternative to some of the commercial rakes.
Pros:
-fits most vacuum hose attachments
-plastic bristles are suitable for medium carpets
-good budget investment
Cons:
-doesn’t come with a handle
Grandi Groom Carpet Rake cleaning 18″ head tool AB24
Grandi Groom’s carpet rake is a plastic bristle rake with a broad reach. Plastic is good for getting into the carpet fibers of soft carpets and shag without stripping the fibers.
The teeth are widely spaced so you’ll get more traction with shag style carpets. Bristles that are close together snag and rip carpet fibers and cause more damage than when you started.
The plastic tines and the wide bristle width aren’t going to dig up much pet hair. If a lot of your carpet wear and tear is due to pets, this might not be a good choice.
If the wear is caused by compaction from foot traffic, this rake has a softer touch and won’t damage more delicate fibers. It’s a useful tool for moderate wear and tear and occasional use.
Pros:
-plastic bristles are easier on soft carpets
-wide tines won’t rip shag
-broad reach
Cons:
-pretty much useless for pet hair
Groom Industries Handi Groomer Rake
If you want a tool that stores more efficiently than standard carpet rakes (as in your glove compartment), this hand groomer is a little different from the rest of the list. It’s intended to be used in small areas to tease out compacted pet hair, small messes, and severe tangles in shag carpeting.
It’s too small to use over an entire area of carpet, but if you have a stubborn spot of shag or other long fiber carpets, it’s easier to maneuver a hand tool to untangle the problem. Also, if you regularly transport pets in your car, it helps clean stubborn stains on materials there. It can also handle fringes on the ends of carpets.
It’s going to be frustrating if you’re expecting to use this tool on a large area, but as an accent to a full-sized rake, or as a quick detangler on trouble spots, this is an excellent compact option.
Pros:
-store it just about anywhere
-single row of tines is useful for untangling trouble spots
-multi-use (car, rug fringe, other pet messes)
Cons:
-not intended for full carpets
OXO Good Grips Furlifter Self-Cleaning Carpet Rake and Pet Hair Remover
Oxo’s Furlifter is a self-cleaning rake that helps pull up trapped pet hair and gently dislodge dirt and dander. It’s self-cleaning and stores upright.
You push the rake out from the base when you want to use it. When you return the base to starting position, it removes hair from the bristles of the rake. It’s double-sided with plastic micro bristles that quickly sweep up the hair over large areas.
It’s best for short pile carpets. It requires some elbow grease, so if you aren’t able to drag the bristles firmly, it might not work as well for you. It isn’t going to fluff deeply matted carpet, so it’s best for short carpets.
Pros:
-cleans up a lot of pet hair
-self-cleaning
-stores upright without propping.
Cons:
-not for long pile carpets
Roberts 70-127-3 Carpet Rake & Groomer
Roberts carpet rake has specially designed bristles for deep pile carpet. They reach down to the base of the carpet to dislodge dirt and fluff the pile, improving the appearance of carpet fibers over time.
It has an extra long handle (51 inches) and a 12-inch wide head. The handle can be disassembled into three pieces, so you have a lot more choices for storage. The handle is a little flimsy because of these weaker points, but you can easily replace the handle if you need to.
The tines are plastic, so it’s easy on soft carpet and delicate fibers. It uses a push/pull method to get the fibers up to their original lay. It also helps remove vacuum lines in a deep carpet.
Pros:
-handle disassembles for storage
-tines are easy on delicate carpet fibers
-specially designed bristles help dislodge dirt in deep carpet piles
Cons:
-the handle has weak points
For Your Water Carpet Rake
FYW’s Carpet Rake has an extra long handle and a width of about six inches. It’s useful for concentrating on the compacted carpet around high traffic areas. Maneuvering all the way up to thresholds is simple.
The plastic bristles are easy on carpet fibers. It’s best for medium and long pile carpet or soft carpets. The bristles aren’t stiff enough to get through a short pile. Also, the plastic doesn’t attract pet hair very well, but it will work on compacted areas and help remove vacuum lines.
The long handle makes it easier to maneuver down a long space such as a hallway. The width of the head might not be convenient for wide areas, but it will work if you’ve got stubborn tracks around areas like the front door. It loosens dirt well to make vacuuming more thorough.
Pros:
-a small head is good for tight spaces
-bristles are easy on the carpet fiber
-long handle for leverage
Cons:
-won’t work for super compacted areas or wide spaces
Groom Industries Perky Carpet Brush
The Perky Carpet brush is Groom Industries’ tool for short pile carpets. It helps perk up denser pile to improve the look of the carpet lay. This carpet rake maneuvers around furniture and threshold areas better than their larger, commercial style rake.
It’s one of the best carpet rakes for releasing pet hair on your short pile. The tines are closer together and drag pet hair up from the fibers, making vacuuming easier. It also agitates the carpet to release dirt and debris trapped closer to the base.
Since pet hair accumulates around the perimeter of rooms over time, it’s a good tool for maneuvering around the edges. The handle comes in three pieces and will require assembly.
Pros:
-smaller and easier to maneuver
-works on short, dense pile
-good for room perimeters and thresholds
Cons:
-handle is flimsy
VacSure Premium Carpet Rake/Pet Hair Remover Vacuum Attachment For Canister Vacuums
VacSure’s carpet rake attaches to all vacuums that accept 1 1/4 inch inner diameter attachments. The bristles are the right balance between firm and flexible to help fluff and agitate carpets without damaging fibers.
The neck of the attachment has a 360-degree swivel so you can get around furniture and maneuver around corners. The head is 12 inches wide and suitable for treating large areas of carpet.
The teeth are plastic, so it’s best for low to medium pile carpet. Shag carpet will probably get caught in the tines. It’s an excellent all-purpose rake that complements your vacuum for high traffic and heavily soiled areas.
Pros:
-vacuum attachment combines two tasks in one
-bristles are firm but still flexible
-works best on short pile
Cons:
-shag carpet will clog the bristles
On a scale of one to ten, how sick are you of your carpet’s wear and tear? What kind of carpet are you revitalizing? Let us know in the comments below.
