Area rugs add color and versatility to your home. Depending on the type of rug you have, it might have been an expensive investment. Cleaning a rug regularly with area rug cleaners and making sure routine maintenance is taken care of will help it last for years.

Area Rug Cleaning

Vacuum oriental rugs and other area rugs on a regular basis. Area rugs pick up dirt and grit from our shoes–not to mention oil from our bare feet–that settle into the rug’s fibers and begin to break it down. Regular vacuuming keeps your rug looking beautiful.

When you vacuum oriental rugs, remove all furniture and vacuum the surface. Then flip the rug over and vacuum the back of the rug. Cleaning a rug in this fashion helps get out any dirt that’s embedded in the rug’s backing. Flip the rug back over and vacuum the surface one more time. If you sprinkle baking soda on your rug a few minutes before the final surface vacuum, it will deodorize and refresh your rug.

Don’t vacuum oriental rugs with fringe at their ends. Fringe can get caught in the vacuum cleaner’s beater brush, ruining the fibers (and possibly breaking your vacuum cleaner in the process).

When cleaning a rug, don’t bring it outside and beat it. Today’s area rugs are not meant to stand up to that kind of harsh treatment, and require other area rug cleaning techniques. Beating them could cause the backing to fall off or the threads to loosen.

Area Rug Cleaning and Maintenance

Rotate area rugs regularly to help them wear and fade evenly. Turn the rug 180 degrees every 12 months, more often in high-traffic areas or rooms that get a lot of sunlight.

Cleaning a rug immediately is important if there are any spills–make sure to do so before they can set into stains. If you spill plain water on your area rug, dry it with a hair dryer. For more heavy-duty stains, club soda is one of the best home area rug cleaners. Club soda gets out most stains, including red wine. Don’t use commercial area rug cleaners–they leave behind a residue that attracts more dirt.

Have your area rug professionally cleaned at least once every two to five years, depending on traffic. Don’t dry clean rugs or take them to a carpet cleaning company– the chemicals these companies use can severely damage a handmade area rug. When cleaning a rug, don’t try to steam-clean your area rug at home, either. Handmade rugs aren’t designed to hold up to this type of area rug cleaning, and the moisture from the steam cleaner could ruin your rug and the floor underneath.