Owning an area rug is just part of the battle. Maintaining it might seem like it’s a pain, but it will certainly show in your home, and people will notice that you have cleaned your rugs, etc. Area rugs are subjected to a lot of abuse, and although this depends on where the location of the rug is, it’s important to maintain them all. Be aware that when cleaning the rugs in your home, it will take a bit of time, so make sure you don’t have much planned for that specific day. Some people only have a few rugs in their home, and they might not even be placed under any furniture- but there are people who not only collect area rugs, but also have over 15 in their home, including ones underneath furniture, etc.
Before actually cleaning your rugs, it is important to rotate them at least once a year. Now a rug will suffer through wear and tear naturally, but rotating it evens it out. Rotating an area rug that stands as a platform for your furniture makes a difference, and letting the rug rest for a couple of hours can definitely help as well. Some people actually purchase backup rugs that go in place of the rugs that are already used under your furniture- this will allow you to also clean your rug so that you can do it all over again. Rotating your rug will also avoid excessive fading and/or deterioration.
The second cleaning tip is very important to many area rug owners, but can be a nuisance. Vacuuming a rug is important because many rugs either attract dirt from excessive traffic or from furniture. Depending on the size of your rug(s), they can either be shaken (for smaller rugs) or vacuumed (mainly for a larger rug) - but a vacuum can be used either way.
Do not rush into cleaning your rug, know your rug and its materials first!
Lastly, if your rug gets really dirty to the point where a vacuum will not take care of it, you can actually shampoo your rug with cold water and a mild detergent. Many people use their bathtubs to clean their rugs because they are larger than a sink. Putting detergent in the bathtub with cold water will get the job done, but it’s not always necessary to liquid wash your rug(s), so try and vacuum them first, and then take the next step to wash them.
Once you have finished cleaning your rug(s), you will definitely feel refreshed. This needs to do regularly, but you don’t have to clean them every week. While you may rotate your rug once or twice a year, vacuuming would be a regular deal. Normally a housekeeper vacuums their home every week, but there are certain parts of one’s home that needs to be vacuumed every week. Take the initiative to clean your rugs though as they only show off their beauty when they are nice and clean.
Jean Lynn
