Tips on How to Clean an Area Rug

Have you ever spilled a glass of wine, or watched as your two-year-old ran with their cup of apple juice before you could stop them in time? Now your brand new area rug has a color that really doesn’t match your décor. Don’t worry! We have found all the best tips on how to clean an area rug and keeping them looking their best. Even rugs without spills or stains hold a lot of dirt and contaminants that we bring into our homes and need to be cleaned from time to time. Just follow our simple steps.

Basic Area Rug Care

Cleaning and caring for your area rug is based on the make, size and material. But for all rugs, these few steps will save you some time, help you avoid allergy problems and maybe prevent weird looks from your friends in the long run:

1. Vacuum to remove dirt. This is your rug’s make-or-break rule. Vacuuming regularly adds life to your rug. If it is reversible, make sure to vacuum both sides, so it stays reversible! If your rug has delicate sides or fringe , be careful not to vacuum those parts.
2. Take the pet out of the rug. Vacuums don’t always grab all the pet hair. Use a stiff brush to get what was left behind. Another trick is to wear rubber gloves and comb your hand over the rug. The rubber will instantly grab the hair.
3. Spare the burden. If possible, move your rugs around to different spots in your home or, if they are reversible, just turn them every six months or so. Wear and sun can put extra stress on rugs and this helps even them out.
4. Shake it off!

If the rug is small enough to hold, just go give it a shake outside. You can also beat the rug to get rid of extra dirt and dust. Some areas do have ordinances against this, so check your codes!

How to Wash Your Area Rug

Washing and drying is up to you, but check out our tips to guide you in the right direction. Consult care labels for small rugs to determine whether they should be spot-cleaned or professionally cleaned.

1. Professional cleaning: If your rug needs a good cleaning, your best bet is to call in the professionals, like E&B Carpet Cleaning for our 8-step cleaning process. Stains, especially old ones, can penetrate deep in your carpet. Here at E&B Carpet Cleaning, we take a similar approach to area rug cleaning as we do for our carpets. It’s an in-depth process that ensures your rug will be looking like new when we get finished! Click here for more information on our area rug services and to call us today.
2. Between professional cleanings, you will want to spot clean and treat stains. We have some tips and tricks that can help you out! Do you have a pet stain  on your rug? Or maybe you need some carpet stains 101 advice…we’ve got this handy guide that can lend a hand!

Whether you just bought a new rug, or have an old rug that needs to be brought back to life, these tips should help you keep your area rugs for the long run. Call E&B to have our professionals help you today.