Rug and Mat Cleaning

Maintaining Your Area Rug.

Area rugs are a great addition to any room. They warm up the floor by injecting colour.

Then, if you add a pattern into the floor-space, it screams out and transforms the room.

An area rug also creates zones in your home’s living areas.

Owning an area rug comes with its downsides. Stains & debris are introduced, hence the reason for this post on rug cleaning.

The first thing to do is identify your rug’s material and look for the manufacturer’s label. The label shows where it’s made, cleaning instructions, care instructions and the type of fibre,, etc.

This is an important step in prolonging the rugs life. Not all rugs are the , and not following correct procedures can damage the area rug.

Different materials require different cleaning methods. There is steam cleaning, encapsulation.

In some cases, only spot cleaning. Hopefully, you find our rug cleaning guide beneficial.

Rug and Mat Cleaning

The guide will also introduce you to the many types of rugs available, & the tips on rug cleaning & stain removal.

Let’s start with Basic Rug Care.

You would be best to clean your rug as you would your carpet & upholstery.

Size of the rug & the material used often will determine the best way to clean an area rug. Here are some simple steps:

Start with Reading the Care Instructions:

It’s best to ALWAYS go by the manufacturers instructions, particular if the rug is under warranty.

Many rugs require special cleaning care. When you buy your rug, it would pay to take a photo of the care instructions and file away as often this label fades away. Follow these tips for taking care of specialty rugs

Have a Stiff Brush for Pet Hair:

Best to brush the rug before and after you vacuum. In most cases, vacuuming will leave pet hair behind. If you are in the market for a new vacuum or feel you could benefit from a new one, then click here.

Rug will need to be Vacuumed:

As with upholstery & carpet, it is best to regularly vacuum. It is advantageous to flip the rug & vacuum both sides.

Doing this will remove grit and grime that will wear out into the fibre and cause premature damage.

With the fringes, avoid vacuuming & turn the beater of the vacuum head off, more so with the shaggy carpet. This will prevent the fibres from tangling.

Annually Turn the Rug:

Foot traffic can damage the carpet or rug, so will the sun. Minimise this by regularly turning the rug. I say once a month, but it really wouldn’t hurt to do more often.

Shake small area rugs:

If the rug is small enough, simply take it outside and give it a good shake. Alternatively you can take your frustrations out and give it a good bash !!!!! This will remove the grit that the vacuum can struggle to remove.

The different types of Materials.

Woven or Braided?

Care needs to be taken and always check the rug for stitching breaks before and after cleaning. Remember to check the label. This will determine whether small braided rugs are washable.

Not all are, but if you own one, place them in a zippered pillowcase or mesh laundry bag. Wash only in cool water on a gentle cycle, rinsing thoroughly. Tumble dry on a low setting. Don’t do if manufacturer says not to, though!

Lay a blanket beneath them and place the braided rug either on a vinyl floor or a concrete floor.

Buy a commercial grade carpet-cleaning shampoo and sponge it in. Be sure to cover over the whole surface and gently rub it in. Again, make sure it’s not against manufacturers recommendations.

When finished  simply rinse or vacuum. Always be sure the rug is dry before putting the rug back onto the floor.

Cleaning Hand-Knotted, Antique & Oriental Rugs:

It’s not uncommon to find a beautiful Persian Rug in the kitchen. As this is the heaviest traffic area in the house, you need to take special care.Refer the care instructions above.

I do believe professional carpet cleaners should be engaged in when it comes to delicate vintage or antique rugs. If you are to attempt the full care of these type rugs, then special care is essential.

Using a vacuum, place a piece of material such as nylon screen over the entire rug weighing it down with weight such as books or bricks.

Completely vacuum over the entire screen. Alternatively tie a piece of nylon mesh over the vacuum attachment, regularly changing the mesh as it will obviously build up with plenty of dirt.

A minimum of once a year they should be professionally cleaned. As mentioned above, rotate rugs to ensure even wear plus the case of sun fading.

As a tip, always ask the seller of the antique rug best cleaning process as colours can easily fade. Learn as much as you can from the seller regarding the construction of the rug fibre, etc.

Persian Rugs in the Kitchen:

Persian rugs, oriental rugs also known as, are being used in kitchens more frequently.

They add such beauty to the kitchen flooring as it has so much personality of its own. The colours that jump out in all light coloured kitchens in particular.

The look never seems to go out of fashion, it’s such a tasteful look.

It’s easy to say that Persian rugs are impractical in a kitchen, mainly because lots of spills can occur.

However, most of the better Persian rugs or oriental rugs are made of wool. Wool tends to have a resistance to stains. On the likelihood that spills do occur, they often are camouflaged in the dark pattern of the rug.

Regardless of what people will think, Persian rugs/Oriental rugs are a colourful elegant statement addition to your kitchen.

The colours, pattern and design are unique and there are so many styles, patterns and colours to choose from making it easy to match the style of the kitchen.

Cleaning a Persian Rug

Now to work on the nitty gritties of cleaning your beautiful Persian rug.

By following these simple cleaning tips based on it being wool only, remember to check your rug’s label for cleaning instructions specific to the material.

Rugs that require dry cleaning may not be colorfast.This is extremely important otherwise you run the risk of colour loss.

First you need to Vacuum: You are likely to find all sorts of things dirt, crumbs, herbs, regardless they will be living in the kitchen rug.

Vacuum regularly, maybe 3 times a week or at least as needed to keep your rug clear of any dust or food particles. As mentioned above, smaller ones can be taken and let your frustrations out on it!

Light Spot Clean: Spills occurs and when it does, ACT QUICKLY!. Use a white terry towel cloth and blot the area affected. NEVER rub as this will damage the fibre and will push the liquid deep into the rug.

Always use cold water and continue blotting the stain away. You can use a soda to clean up rug stains like wine or beverage spills.Baking. soda is always good for cleaning as well as cooking. Use baking soda to soak up any liquids such as sauces,, etc.

Call in the Pro’s: Keeping your Persian rug in its best shape, and cleaned to the best of standards, call in the professional carpet cleaner. I’d say once a year.

Make sure to hand them the care instructions as even the professional carpet cleaner can accidentally remove colours from the rug without knowing the care instructions.

Rotate: As per above instructions.

Summary:

A thorough vacuum of your carpets regularly will guarantee your rug, regardless the fibre or style will last for years and will always look great.