Finding the perfect area rug to make a statement in your dining room, living room, front foyer, bedrooms, and other locations in your home can be time consuming. The considerations of buying an area rug are budget, size, material, style, color, design, pattern, where to buy it, etc.

Now that you found the perfect rug to fit in your home, how do you keep it clean? With entertaining, everyday life, animals, children, and traffic, wear and tear happens. Spills happen. Dirt happens.

Want to know how to keep your area rugs looking their best? Follow these simple tips for stain removal, basic care and deep cleaning.

Rug’s Material

What is your rug’s material? It is important to know in prolonging its life, as different materials require unique cleaning methods and materials.

Basic Care

Better Homes and Garden says that “size, construction, and material determines the rug cleaning and care routine you’ll need to follow. Care for large area rugs as you would wall-to-wall carpet. That means most rugs will benefit from the following care routine:

  • Vacuum large area rugs to remove dirt: As with carpet, regular vacuuming is the most important area rug cleaning step you can take. If a rug is reversible, vacuum both sides. This removes grit and grime that can wear out your rug prematurely. Take care to not vacuum any fringe. (Turn off the beater bar when vacuuming a shag rug to prevent tangling the long fibers.)
  • Brush out pet hair: A vacuum will sometimes leave pet hair behind. Use a stiff brush to remove the hair, brushing in the direction of the nap of the rug.
  • Turn rugs every year: Foot traffic and sun can put extra stress on area rugs. Turn them once or twice a year to even out the wear.
  • Shake small area rugs: If the rug is small enough, you can take it outside and shake it or beat it vigorously to remove dirt and grit. Some areas have ordinances about shaking rugs outdoors, so check your local codes”.

Material-by-Material

Some rugs require special cleaning care. It is important to read the care tags for the manufacturer’s recommendations. If in doubt, call an experienced Carpet Cleaning Company for advice.

Here are some specialty rugs that may require special cleaning:

  • Braided or woven rugs
  • Oriental rugs, handmade, hand-knotted and antique
  • Coir, sisal, rush and grass rugs
  • Fur, sheepskin, and hair-on hides

Auburn Carpet takes great pride in our rug cleaning experience and results.  Many area rugs, including “oriental” can be manufactured by hand and using very delicate materials, while some are machine made with synthetic materials. We will inspect your rugs and give you our recommendation of cleaning based on fiber content and construction.

If you are unsure, please give us a call and we are happy to come to your home to inspect and test if necessary. Some synthetic rugs can be cleaned on site, but we prefer to clean delicate items off site in a controlled environment to ensure proper care, cleaning and drying. In our typical “home” service area, we will pick up and deliver your rugs at no additional charge!

Auburn Carpet Specialists are the area’s premier carpet cleaning service company, family owned and operated, that has earned a solid reputation for premium quality service and customer satisfaction. With more than 20 years of experience, we can truly call ourselves ‘Auburn Carpet Specialists’. We are located in Auburn, Georgia. Contact us today for a FREE Inspection and Estimate or call at 770-867-7541.