We know that your rugs were a big investment, and that they add a lot of character to your home. That’s why it’s so important to keep them in good shape. Here are our rug cleaning experts’s best tips to keep your rugs looking great for years to come!
1. Get Familiar With Your Rug
The first step to taking good care of your rug is to know it. Each rug is different can requires different care. Make sure that you know what kind of yarn it’s constructed with, what kind of backing it has, and any special instructions from the manufacturer in order to care for it.
2. Protect Your Rug From Your Furniture
The feet of your furniture can tear, snag, dent, and stain your rugs. To prevent this, be sure to use protectors on the feet of furniture that sit on top of rugs to prevent large divots or damage to the pile. If you must put furniture directly on rugs, ensure that furniture legs are clean by wiping them down before placing them on the rug.
3. Rotate Your Rug Regularly
Another way to help prevent divots in rugs is to rotate them. Once or twice a year, take all of the furniture off the rug and rotate it 180 degrees (90 if it’s a square or circle rug). Not only will this help to avoid divots from future, it will spread out the foot traffic on the high traffic areas of your rugs, preserving it for longer.
4. Schedule Regular Professional Cleanings
Even if you rotate your rugs, high traffic areas such as in front of couches will see a lot of dirt build up. In addition to looking dirty, this dirt can wear down the fibers of your rug and damage it over time. Be sure to have a professional care for your rug and give it deep clean to keep it in good shape.
5. Avoid Direct Sunlight on Your Rugs
Exposure to direct sunlight can cause your rugs to fade. Be sure to limit your rug’s exposure to direct sunlight. You can do this by strategic positioning of your rugs and furniture, or by keeping the blinds closed when the room is not in use. If you do have a rug in a sunny area, such as a sunroom, use an outdoor rug that has been made to hold up.
6. Manage Shedding
New rugs are prone to shedding, which is fibers fall out (or appear to, often these were never really attached in the first place). To help manage this, vacuum 1-2 times a week initially. If your rug develops stray loops sticking up taller than the rest of your rug, be sure not to pull on these. Instead, you can carefully cut them. Do not pull on stray loops; always cut them back to size.
7. Vacuum Your Rug Regularly
Once your rug has stopped shedding, you still want to vacuum it regularly. Once a week is sufficient for most rugs. If your rug sees a lot of foot traffic, vacuum it more often. Make sure to use a vacuum that has an adjustable pile height setting and set it correctly for your rug. If you have a high pile rug, it can be damaged by a vacuum on a low pile setting, and a high pile setting won’t really clean a low pile rug.
8. Remove Pet Hair Properly
If you have a pet, you know that some rugs seem to grab onto pet hair and that regular vacuuming won’t fix this. Fortunately, there are specialty tools for removing pet hair from carpet, including a carpet brush, carpet rake, or even a standard squeegee tool.
9. Handle Stains and Spills Promptly
Of course, try to avoid spilling on your rug. If you do make a mess though, be sure to clean it up in a timely matter. Use a clean damp cloth to blot up the spill. Be careful not to rub the stain, as this can press the spill further into the fibers instead of it. For solid spills, scrape up the spills with a thin spoon. As it dries, vacuum it up.
