How to Clean Area Rugs

Tap to Read ➤ Aastha Dogra

Here are some useful tips on cleaning area rugs. Read on to know how to maintain the beauty and elongate the life of your area rugs...

Colorful area rugs can enhance the beauty of any room. Whether you place them in between the sofas in the living room or in front of your bed in your bedroom or under the dining table, they can make any space warm, cozy and comfortable. Area rugs are often used on wooden flooring and tiles to give them a softer look and feel.

However, there is one hitch in using area rugs. If they are placed at such a place which is frequented by the residents of the house and the guests very regularly, they tend to get dirty easily. This problem is further compounded if there are pets or small children in the house. Given ahead is the stepwise procedure for cleaning area rugs at home.

Step 1

Lift the furniture or any other stuff that is lying on the rug. Next, remove the rug and carry it outdoors.

Step 2

Lay the rug on a clean surface and vacuum it. This should dislodge the dirt or any other debris in its fibers.

Step 3

Hang the area rug on a clothesline. Take a stick, gently stroke the rug with it.

This would ensure that any remaining dirt in the carpet gets removed. If the area rug is very large, involve your family members in the cleaning process as well and ask them to hold the two ends of the rug, while you stroke it with a stick!

Step 4

Gather all your supplies to clean the area rug. The things that you would need are - a carpet cleaning solution, hot water and a soft bristled brush. Buy a good quality carpet cleaning solution as a cheap one might contain chemicals that can spoil your rug.

Step 5

Put the carpet cleaning solution in a spray bottle and sprinkle it evenly on the area rug. Ensure that you cover each and every area of the rug, especially the edges, which are often missed.

Step 6

Take the brush and with it rub the surface of the carpet in a circular motion so that it enters deep into the fabric. However, see to it that you do not apply so much pressure that it spoils the rug!

Step 7

Take a large bucket and pour the hot water in it. Next, soak the area rug in the hot water for a minute. After that wriggle the rug. This will remove the cleaning solution and the dirt from the carpet. Again, if you have a large rug, you would need help from your family members to carry out this cleaning procedure.

Step 8

Keep the area rug in the sun for drying. This should remove any remaining bacteria on it. However, if the sun is very strong, do not keep the area rug in direct sunlight for long, otherwise it can fade its color.

Some Things to Watch Out For: If the manufacturer of the rug has given some instructions with regards to its cleaning, follow them to the tee. For instance, handwoven rugs should never be cleaned at home. Then, there are rugs which can be machine washed and others which should only be washed manually.

Secondly, before using the carpet cleaning solution on the entire rug, do a patch test to ensure that it does not spoil the fabric of the rug in any way. Lastly, if you do not want to carry on this whole procedure manually, you can consider renting out carpet cleaner machines.

These carpet cleaners come with full instructions as to how to carry out the cleaning procedure. Follow the instructions thoroughly and your rug will be cleaned within no time!

Here's hoping that with these tips you will have no problem in maintaining and cleaning them. A few more tips before you get to it-Vacuum your rug once every two weeks. Spot treat and clean the spills and stains as soon as they occur, as it is easier to remove them when they are still fresh.

Get your rug professionally cleaned every year. If you do this, it will ensure that your rug looks new and attractive for a long time.