As rugs are the focal point of the room, you need to ensure that they look neat and clean. But they are the places where dust, germs, and other mud particles settle due to the foot traffic in your home or office. And keeping them like that without cleaning will result in spreading bacteria to other parts of your home, causing several health issues. Also, dirty rugs don’t look appealing when you have guests or clients visiting your property. So, to avoid this, you have to ensure rugs are properly and regularly cleaned.
Follow these simple tips to keep your area rugs bright and spotless
Set up an outdoor cleaning station
Select a day when the weather is bright and sunny and set up an outdoor carpet cleaning station in your backyard. This should consist of something you can hang the rug across so that no part of the rug is touching the ground. A clothesline will work, provided it is able to hold the considerable weight of a wet rug.
Vacuum rug on both sides
Before hanging up the rug, vacuum it on both sides to remove any loose dirt and debris. Once the vacuuming is done, take the rug outside to the cleaning station and hang it up.
Beat out or shake out addition debris
Once the rug is hung up outdoors, use a stick (or any other sturdy implement without points or sharp edges, like a cricket bat) to beat the rug. This will help to loosen and release the settled in dirt, debris and other contaminants. This will release a lot of dust, dirt and other debris into the air, so you may want to cover your mouth and nose.
Please note: this step may not be appropriate for delicate or valuable rugs, particularly those made of silk.
Test out your carpet shampoo
Next, you’ll want to prepare the rug for washing. Before doing this, you’ll want to test your carpet shampoo to make sure it doesn’t cause any colour or fibre damage.
Dilute a small amount of shampoo with water and test it on a corner of the rug. Leave it to settle in for a few hours. Wash it off and check for any fibre damage or colour fading or running.
Always use material-appropriate and specially formulated carpet and rug cleaners. DIY cleaning methods and alternative cleaners may do irreparable damage to your rug.
Wash the rug
After testing with the shampoo, you can start with the washing. Washing the rug according to the cleaner product’s instructions. Pay special attention to any stained areas. Use a rug cleaning brush to work the shampoo deep into the rug fibre. Allow the shampoo to settle into the rug for as long as the instructions specify.
Rinse and dry
After letting the shampoo sit in the rug for the appropriate length of time, it’s time to rinse it out. Using a hose, rinse the rug until the water runs clear. You may need to rinse the rug out more than once. Read more Cleaning Blogs Here >>
Once completely rinsed out, leave to rug to drip dry while hanging in a warm, sunny place. Don’t move the rug inside until it is completely dry. To avoid fading, you should be careful to not leave the rug in direct sunlight for longer than is necessary.
Give it one more vacuum
Once the rug is back in its place, give it one last vacuuming. The carpet fibres will probably be flat and lifeless from the washing. A thorough vacuuming will help to restore some life to the carpet after washing.
And there you have it. A bright, fresh and clean rug that looks good as new!
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