Basic Care For Area Rugs

The good news as far as maintenance for area rugs is considered is they are generally smaller and much easier to care for than wall-to-wall carpet. Area rugs are more mobile and can be removed from the floor space for needed cleaning, maintenance, or repair much easier than it would take for a full carpet. Much like carpets, area rugs also vary in materials and craftsmanship, so the kind of cleaning and maintenance procedures would also vary depending on the type of area rug you have.

The basics

• Vacuum to remove dirt and particles. The most basic way to keep your area rug clean is to vacuum regularly. Dust, soil, dirt, particles, and other types of grit and grime will wear down your area rug if allowed to stay on it for long. Vacuuming once a week should be fine for most area rugs; you may need to vacuum much more frequently for rugs in high-traffic areas, such as those in hallways and living rooms.

• Brush for more thorough cleaning. Vacuuming takes care of most of the loose dirt and soil, but there are stubborn particles that will stick to the fibers of your area rug or at the very bottom. This includes pet hair and other smaller types of dirt. To reach these stubborn dust and dirt, you can brush your area rug in the direction of the nap. This may be a necessary procedure every couple of weeks or so. 

• Shake the area rug outside. For smaller area rugs, you can remove them from the floor space every once in a while and take them to your lawn or yard, then do an old-fashioned shakedown to remove dust, dirt, and other hidden particles. 

• Turn the rug over every once in a while. Many area rugs are reversible or look the same on either side. To lessen the stress and wear on your area rug, make sure to turn them over every few months or so.

Keep rug cleaning materials and solutions handy. Once you have found out from the manufacturer what cleaning solutions and equipment are recommended for your area rug, always have them handy in your home, especially those solutions for instantly cleaning spills, stains, and other unexpected incidents.