Rug Care

Rugs are important house implements to provide protection for any flooring system, especially in areas with high foot traffic such as entryways. While most people have taken to treating rugs more of like a chic decorative accent to add character in the room, it is still in essence a utilitarian piece that should be given proper care to extend its serviceability.

Normally, a well-crafted rug can last for years and can even be passed down as family heirloom with proper rug care. This would entail guarding it from well-known damaging culprits such as dirt, mildew, carpet beetles, moths, mildew and most important the daily wear and tear associated with foot traffic. However, if you have one of those fancy oriental rugs, you definitely can’t afford to see it develop in such deplorable state – not so a significant price tag it usually comes with. So here are some practical rug care tips that you can take advantage of:

As common logic would dictate, you simply wouldn’t want your expensive oriental rug to be constantly exposed to foot traffic as much as possible. So determine which area of the house is more exposed to extreme foot traffic and place sturdier rugs there such as synthetics. Regular vacuuming is highly important to take out the loose dirt and grime that have accumulated in your rugs. For wool rug care, vacuuming should also be complemented with power spray extraction to effectively remove moisture and prevent saturation of the rug. Steam cleaning is generally not advisable especially for braided and woolen rugs since the high temperature can actually adversely affect the durability of the rugs. For expensive rug care, every once in a while, you can treat your rugs to professional cleaning to ensure proper cleaning.

For regular area rugs, it is important not to wash rugs more than once a year since it is can also greatly affect its durability. That is why it is more practical to purchase less expensive rugs to be used in areas with extreme floor traffic. Never leave a rug damp since this will seriously ruin the rug. For small rug care, use your bathtub to give it a good cleaning using a mild detergent and a cup of vinegar. Remember to use a soft brush to gently scrub away the dirt and rinse thoroughly with water. Don’t leave the rug directly under the sun to dry, a minutes will do and finish drying it with a hairdryer.

Easing out of some minor stain problems is essential in any rug care since accidental spills are actually a quite common problem with rugs. The general rule of the thumb is to blot out the stain instead of rubbing it as you will only be successful in spreading the stain and causing it to penetrate the inner fibers as well. For red wine stains, a club soda should do the trick, or 30/70 peroxide and water moisture is also advisable. However it is important to do a patch test first or you may run the risk of accidentally bleaching your rug in the process. Leave it for 30 minutes and use a water and vinegar mixture to remove the moisture as much as you possibly can. For wax stains, you can use ice against it to freeze the wax so you can easily chip it off.

Antique rug care would usually require more diligence. A lot of people have who own an antique rug have actually opted to hand the rug on the wall instead of placing it on the floor to prevent it from exposure to wear and tear. General cleaning is required twice a year from a cleaning professional is more advisable in order to preserve its beauty and avoid accidentally damaging it.

Rugs have been known to enhance the beauty of the room and a great way to add accent to otherwise bare flooring. Knowing proper rug care can greatly help in extending the life and service of your rugs.