By keeping your area rugs clean, you can prolong their life and safeguard your investment. Pet hair and other filth can gather on area rugs, particularly in high-traffic areas where people bring dirt from their shoes. Fortunately, the filth can be reduced with routine rug cleaning.
Since you can usually take area rugs outside for a thorough cleaning, maintaining them is far simpler than maintaining wall-to-wall carpeting. Here’s how to clean any area rug, regardless of its substance or level of dirtiness.
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Things to Think About Before You Begin
Set the scrub brush and carpet cleaner aside! Before you clean your area rug, consider the following. Start by looking for the material information or care instructions provided by the manufacturer. That can help you determine what kinds of cleaners and techniques to use on your area rug.
Furthermore, the size of your area rug may affect where and how you clean it. While larger area rugs may need to be cleaned in place more like wall-to-wall carpeting, smaller and thinner rugs are easy to take outside or to a more water-resistant position for an easier clean.
The Frequency of Area Rug Cleaning
An area rug’s cleaning life can be extended with routine maintenance. To keep stains and filth from setting in, vacuum your area rug at least a few times a week—daily if it covers a high-traffic area. Also, pick up spills as soon as you see them.
At the very least once a year, and more frequently if your rug experiences heavy traffic or wear and tear from children and pets, schedule a deep cleaning for area rugs. Remember that smaller rugs are frequently suitable for machine cleaning, so you might be able to give them a quick scrub whenever they start to show signs of fading.
How to Use Carpet Cleaner to Clean an Area Rug
Vacuum the rug
After thoroughly vacuuming the area rug to free up any trapped dirt, turn it over to see the filth that has become more deeply ingrained.
Give the rug a thorough shake
Smaller area rugs should be shaken well outside. (Think about donning a mask to prevent breathing in all that filth and dust.) For additional dirt removal, you can also hang the rug up and use a rug beater or clean broom.
Initiate the Cleaning Procedure
If your area rug passes the spot test, clean it as instructed by the manufacturer. This could involve cleaning the rug with a clean cloth or sponge and a professional carpet cleaner or diluted liquid dish soap, or it could involve running the washing machine on a mild cycle while enclosing the rug in a mesh bag or pillowcase to help protect it.
For non-colorfast rugs, use waterless cleaning techniques wherever feasible. Try putting some cornstarch, baking soda, or dry carpet cleaning granules on the carpeting, letting it sit, and then vacuuming it.
Rinse the Grease and Dirt Away
To remove any last bits of dirt and cleaning solution from colorfast rugs, rinse them with water mixed with a tiny bit of white vinegar, being careful not to leave too much water in the rug.
Speed the Drying Process
On a sunny, breezy day, clean your area rugs. To expedite drying, place them outside on a drying rack or cover a railing with them. If you’re cleaning your area rug indoors, use white towels to remove any extra moisture, and turn on fans to speed up the drying process.
Taking Out Typical Stains from Area Rugs
Stains appear on area rugs because of the heavy circulation they receive. The most important factor in this situation is time; you want to remove stains from your rug as soon as possible, so take immediate action. The most typical stains and their methods for getting rid of them from your area rug are listed below.
Coffee
Mix a quarter teaspoon of white vinegar, a teaspoon of mild liquid dish soap, and a quart of warm water to get rid of coffee or tea stains. After rinsing and blotting the stain dry, apply the mixture. Continue as needed until the stain disappears.
Food
For food stains that are based on fat (butter, margarine, gravy, or oils), use a dry solvent spot carpet cleaning. Make sure store-bought carpet cleaners are safe for your rug by reading the manufacturer’s cleaning directions before using them.
Tomato sauce
Using a sponge moistened with lukewarm water, blot the stain. Next, combine one quart of warm water, one teaspoon of mild liquid dish soap, and one-quarter teaspoon of white vinegar. Apply a spot dab of the detergent mixture. You might also use an oxygen and citrus cleanser. After giving it a quick rinse with a mixture of one part white vinegar and two parts water, pat dry.
Soft drinks and wine
In a medium bowl, combine one teaspoon of liquid dish soap, one-quarter teaspoon of white vinegar, and one quart of warm water. After applying the mixture to the stain, blot dry and rinse with lukewarm water.
Gum
Start by getting rid of as much gum as you can. To harden the gum, place a small baggie filled with ice cubes on the stain. After the gum has solidified, remove it using a spoon or dull knife, and then vacuum the area. To remove any remaining discoloration, use a dry-solvent cleaner.
Wax
Similar to the gum treatment, scrape off extra wax, then add an ice-filled baggie to solidify the stain before continuing to scrape. Next, use rubbing alcohol to wet a cotton ball or clean white cloth, then blot the area to get rid of any leftover wax residue.
Paint
Spot clean latex or acrylic paint with a quart of warm water, one teaspoon liquid dish soap, and a quarter teaspoon white vinegar. Use a cotton ball or white cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol to remove any remaining color residue. Use a sponge and unscented mineral spirits to wipe oil-based paint stains. Take care not to let the solution seep all the way to the backing of the rug.
Human waste
Treat the stain with a citrus-oxygen cleanser or the detergent solution (one-quarter teaspoon white vinegar, one teaspoon liquid dish soap, and one quart of warm water). After giving it a good rinse in warm water, pat dry.
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