All You Need To Know About Rug Cleaning

Rugs are an important investment in any kind of décor. Using a rug in a room helps add color to space and also provides a soft space for movie watching, playing games and slumber partying. However, unlike carpets, rugs are more delicate and susceptible to damage caused due to various environmental factors or if used to handle high volumes of foot traffic. Although professional cleaning is a good option for maintaining your rugs, the services rendered by professional are not cheap. Nevertheless, if you are willing to invest some time and energy, rug cleaning can be done at home easily. Take a look at how you clean you can clean and maintain your rugs at home to help keep them looking fresh and clean.

How To Do Rug Cleaning At Home?
Tools and Material Required
· Vacuum
· Soft- bristle brush
· Rubber gloves (optional)
· Sponge
· Bucket
· Mild fresh detergent or rug shampoo
· Squeegee
· Loads of water

Directions:
Step #1: Prepare the Rug: 
Remove all the dirt from both sides of the rug using a vacuum.

Step #2: Do the color fast test: 
Add some spoonful of mild detergent in a bucket of warm water or follow instructions of a store brought rug shampoo or cleaner. Avoid using hot water for cleaning as it may fade fibers or shrink colors. Do a color fast test by using g the solution on the small corner of the rug. Ensure that it colors do not run before proceeding to the next step.

Step #3: Wash: 
Lather the detergent or shampoo into the rug using a brush or a sponge. Let the solution sit and do its work on the rug for a few minutes before rinsing.

Step: 4: Rinse: 
Using a garden hose, rinse the rug thoroughly with water. Ensure that the water has no soap studs before you finish.

Step #5: Squeeze out excess water: 
With the help of a squeegee, remove the excess water from the rug. Take care to work in the rug nap’s direction.

Step #6: Dry: 
Place the rug flat on the floor. Allow the top side to dry completely before flipping over the bottom side for drying.

Step #7: Using a soft:
Bristle brush or vacuum loosens up the rug fibers that may have been compacted during the washing or drying process.

Tips to Treat Spots and Stains
· To treat dirty marks and stains on the carpet, use a homemade cleaner by combining warm water, with some laundry detergent and a dash of white vinegar. Soak a white cloth in this solution and gently work on the stain from the edges to the center. Remember to only blot and not scrub to remove the stain. Repeat it several times till the slain disappears

· To remove odors from rugs (lingering tobacco odors and pet smells) sprinkle the rug with baby powder or gentle talcum powder .Allow the powder to stay overnight to absorb the smells. Vacuum off the powder the next day.

· To clean spills of perishable items, avoid using hot water. Use a sponge to blot the spills and treat it with one part mild detergent, three-part acid and one part water. If your rug is not wool, add one part of ammonia for cleaning and disinfecting.

How to Maintain a Clean Rug?
#1: Vacuum your rug regularly: 
A great tip for rug cleaning is to vacuum the rug regularly. Vacuum your rug once a month by flipping it upside down and vacuuming the back of the back of the rug. Then flip your rug on the right side and vacuum the dirt. Take care not to vacuum tassels and fringe as it can damage them. Clean fringes and tassels by fluffing them with your hands.

#2: Roll rugs for storage or moving: 
Creases or fold caused on the rugs be folding them can damage your rugs and shorten their life span. If you are planning to store your rugs or transport them for dry cleaning or steam cleaning, it is best that you roll them beforehand.

#3: Rotate the rugs regularly: 
Foot traffic can often cause tracks into the patterns and fibers of the rugs. To prevent the formation of this insight wear, rotate your rugs regularly. Similarly, if you have a piece of furniture resting on your rug, moving your furniture regularly is essential to prevent formations of impressions or uneven fading on the rug.

#4: Maintain rug color and shine: 
To keep your rug looking clean and new it is essential that you maintain the shine and color of your rug. Combine one part of vinegar with three parts of water and gradually blot the rug in the direction of the carpet pile using a sponge dipped in this mixture. Take care not to soak the carpet but only dampen it with the solution. Allow the rug to air dry.

#5: Always fan dry the carpet: 
When drying a wet carpet, allow it air dry. Avoid drying the rug in the open sun, as the photo bleaching can lead to the degeneration of fibers and also ruin the colors of the rug.

How often should rug cleaning be done?
One of the best ways to know if your rugs are dirty and require cleaning is to flop the corner of your rug down onto the floor. If you find a little cloud of dust floating in the air, a cleaning is required. Additionally, if you notice an odor or find your rugs visibly dingy, it is time they require cleaning. 

To maintain your rugs is to clean them at least once a week. This is especially essentials if you use your rugs too often or have children and pets at home. Vacuuming should be done on a weekly basis or once in two weeks it the rug is not used very often. Spots and stains should be treated immediately to get prevent them getting into the rug fibers. Additionally, a thorough cleaning and rotation of your rugs every six months to a year is essential to keep them looking fresh and new.

Following a rug cleaning routine will not only help keep your rug in great condition, but also help keep a space clean and hygienic. Cleaning your rugs at home will not only help increase the life of your rug, but will help you keep it maintained without burning a hole in your pocket.