Rugs can give warmth and depth for practically any space. If you have any rugs in high-traffic areas (living room, foyer, or bedrooms), dirt is more prone to become embedded into the carpet fibers. The more foot traffic that walks over your rug, the more dingy and dirty your beautiful rug will become. It’s not impossible to clean your rug, but it may take some time and elbow grease to get it thoroughly cleaned. If your rugs are in critical condition, or very expensive, the best solution is to hire a professional carpet cleaning company to clean your rug the proper way.

The Easy Cleaning Process

Begin the cleaning process by vacuuming both the front and back side of the rug.

Next, you will combine cold water and mild dish washing liquid soap in a bucket. To brush the carpet fibers you can either use a soft brush or a sponge.

Now, you will brush in a linear motion that is in the same direction as the nap. Make sure you scrub enough over the especially dirty spots, in order to loosen up the dirt particles that may be lodged towards the bottom layer.

After you are done scrubbing the rug, you will want to rinse it thoroughly with cool water. If your rug is small enough, you can rinse it in the bathtub or outside with the garden hose. Once you’ve finished rinsing, make sure to squeeze as much excess water out as you possibly can. To let your rug dry properly, it needs to be stretched out completely to efficiently air dry. Check the rug periodically for dryness, when the entire rug is finally dry you will want to flip it over so the opposite side can dry.

Now, if you have pretty large size rugs, they will have to be cleaned outside. But, the cleaning process is essentially the same, it will only require more time and effort to clean the larger areas.

Cleaning Up Spills…Quickly!

If you spill water on your rug, you need to get it dry as soon as possible. You can use a clean cloth to blot up the water, or you can use a hairdryer (Tip: Do not set it on the highest heat setting) to dry the area. Do not concentrate the hairdryer on just one spot, move it back and forth over the wet area.

For any spills which consist of a colored liquid (soda, wine, beer, juices, alcohol), sprinkle baking soda over the spill and allow it to sit for 3-5 minutes. The longer you allow the baking soda to sit on the stain, the better the color of the liquid will be absorbed by the baking soda. After you allow the baking soda and the liquid to sit, vacuum up all the powder. Wet a clean white cloth and wipe the area gently in the same direction as the nap. It’s important to not harshly scrub over the stain, since this can potentially push the stain further into the carpet fibers.

If maintained and kept properly, your beautiful rugs can last longer than you expected!