Rug Cleaning – Top Tips
Taking care of and cleaning rugs can be a challenge as they are very heavy and are susceptible to dirt. They may require special treatment so it’s a good idea be familiar with cleaning options for your rug before doing anything drastic. If you have doubts about your ability to clean your rug, it might be best to seek professional help or send your rug to a rug spa.
Otherwise, keep on reading to learn about some rug cleaning tips.
Keep the rugs vacuumed
It’s always easier to clean anything if it’s well-maintained. Vacuuming rugs before washing them makes them easier to wash because small debris tends to stick to them. Make sure to vacuum your rugs often to avoid the build up of dirt. Don’t focus only on the surface. Vacuuming both sides of rugs is essential. Remember to sweep the floor underneath as well. There’s no point in cleaning a rug only to put it back on a dirty floor.
Keep pets away from rugs
Pets sometimes carry dirt, especially when playing outside the house. This is why they should be kept away from your rugs. Their fur also mixes, adds to, and remains on the material of the rug, making it more difficult to clean. Pets may leave paw prints on your rugs. If you have pets at home, it will help if you put tiles near doors and entryways to serve as your pet’s own rug. Paw prints are easier to remove from tiles than rugs.
Pet’s odor sometimes sticks to the rugs causing an odor problem. Here is a homemade solution for removing pet stain and odor:
- Mix together white vinegar, warm water, and baking soda in a spray bottle. Use two cups each of vinegar and water with four tablespoons of baking soda. Spray it directly on the area that’s stained or has an odor and let it rest for five minutes. Wipe it away with a clean cloth and then let it dry.
Wash rugs
Not all the dirt can be removed by just vacuuming. Washing is still very important in cleaning if your rug is washable. However, make sure to dust off and remove stains first before throwing your rugs in the washer. Don’t use chlorine bleach if your rug has a rubber back as it will disintegrate your rug. Use an oxygen-based bleach instead.
Clean off spilled drinks right away
Don’t allow spills to stay on your rug for a longer time than necessary. Clean it them off while it’s still fresh using a damp cloth soaked in a laundry detergent and water for spilled drinks that don’t stain.
Remove stains
For the best results, don’t just clean stains from rugs by washing. Use cleaning ingredients designed and specially made for removing stains from rugs available. If you don’t have much time, you can just buy them from your local stores or online. OR, if you have enough time, you have the option of making your own rug cleaning products. One of the things you can do is to use shaving cream. It removes stains quite quickly. All you have to do is put some shaving cream onto an old shaving brush and gently apply it on the stained part. Let it rest for a couple of minutes and then wipe it off with a clean damp rag. Another tip for removing stains is using white vinegar. It is a very effective way to remove not only stains but also dust mites.
For homemade cleaning products, you can do the following:
- Mix vinegar and a little dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle. Add warm water and a little baking soda. The result will be your own homemade stain remover. Use it with a sponge and an absorbent towel.
- In a small bowl, place together one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid, 4 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide and 5 drops of essential oil. Mix them well.
Pour this mixture, along with 1 ½ quarts of hot water, into your mechanical carpet or rug washer’s water reservoir. Make sure that you only use this to light-colored rugs as rugs with dark colors can be left with some white spots on them.
Remove grease
Grease is more challenging to remove than other stains. However, it is not impossible. You will need to use flour and a piece of brown paper to do it. Just sprinkle the flour on the part where there is grease and cover it the brown paper. Press it down. Let it rest like that for twenty minutes. During this time, the grease will move from your rug to the brown paper.
