Cleaning Area Rugs
(Continued)

Properly cleaning area rugs will make sure your rug continues to look as good as it did when you bought it. The following are additional things you should do to keep your rug properly clean.

Shake your rug out

If you have a flokati rug or a leather shag rug, experience has shown that shaking the dirt and dust out is preferable to vacuuming them. This form of cleaning area rugs makes sure your rug does not suffer undue wear. Bamboo rugs, and rugs made from sisal, can be shaken or vacuumed, but you should be sure to check the care instructions. Small rugs can be shaken by hand; larger ones should be beaten over a clothesline.

Vacuum both ways

Go over your rugs with a vacuum in both directions. This can help make sure that you are getting all of the dirt and dust out, and will encourage your rug not to mat in a particular direction.

Change your vacuum bag

When thinking about cleaning area rugs, remember that as your vacuum bag gets full, it will also get less efficient. Never let it get more than half full, because it can damage the motor and cause quite a mess on your rug, besides.

Mind the fuzzing

If you have new rugs, be particularly mindful of the fuzzing that occurs when loose fibers come loose. This may simply mean that your newer rugs have to be vacuumed more often in the first year that you have them.

Oriental Rugs Cleaning/Washing

Both the beauty and life of handmade woolen rugs depend largely on their cleanliness and care. As a guideline, handmade rugs should be washed regularly, every three to five years, depending on their use and the amount of traffic they bear. The most effective method is to get them cleaned when they look soiled.

WARNING Never clean handmade rugs chemically or by steam. These methods remove natural oils and cause the material to become brittle, which results in more rapid wear. Do not wash handmade rugs in a machine. Do not squeeze or wring out a handmade rug. Do not soak submerge a handmade rug in water, unless it is absolutely necessary. Surface cleaning is usually sufficient.

The best way to clean the entire rug is by washing it using cold water and a mild detergent. Don’t try this at home, however; it should be done by a competent cleaning expert.

Stain Removing

The following general method of cleaning area rugs for removing stains may not apply to all rugs, because of different materials and dyes used.

SPILLS. Take care of any kind of spill at once. If taken care of right away, most spills may be removed without leaving a permanent stain.

Once you remove the spill, dry the wet area, either with air. You can do this draping the rug over something to let air under the rug. You can also use a hair dryer set on cold to dry the rug. While drying, remember to comb the pile in the same direction as the rest of the rug so it dries in the proper direction.

Take some time and make sure that you are in a place where you can think about what your rug cleaning needs are going to be. This can keep your rugs looking better and feeling more pleasing to walk on over time!


Return to the Top of Cleaning Area Rugs (Continued)


Return to Area Rug Cleaning & Care


Go to My Area Rugs Guide Home