Tips for rug cleaning and maintenance

1.    Place doormats in front of entrance doors

Your first task is to stop dirt from entering your space by placing doormats at entrances. They should be like a brush in order to collect the dust and dirt coming from the outside.

2.    Regular cleaning

Keeping the rugs clean means regular hoovering, immediate removal of spots and stains, as well as deep cleaning once a year. Regular hoovering stops the impurities from penetrating deep into the rug and damaging the pile. Hoover the whole surface of the rug at least once a week or more often if needed.

Deep cleaning will get rid of the dirt which penetrated into the deeper layers of the rug and in that way extend the life of your rug – contact a professional rug cleaning company to do this.

3.    Keep the consistency of the rug

Move the furniture from time to time in order to prevent the pile from becoming flat in certain places. Put protective pads on furniture legs and move them occasionally to prevent the pile from becoming flattened in a certain direction. Avoid direct exposure to sunlight in order to make sure that your rug does not become discoloured and that the colours remain clear and consistent. 

4.    Remove stains immediately

Stains make the rug look untidy and in order to avoid that, react quickly and remove them as soon as possible. Use a white absorbent cloth to collect all the material which created the stain. Chemical products for stain removal must first be tested on an inconspicuous area (corner of the rug) the size of a postage stamp. It is important to choose suitable agents for different types of stains and strictly follow the instructions regarding the amount and time recommended by the manufacturer.

5.    Proper choice of cleaning agent

If you deep clean your rug yourself, use only those maintenance agents with a pH value of 7 (neutral).In order to make sure that the agent is suitable, put it in a saucer and place it on a radiator to dry. After 24 hours, take a look and see if there is any grease left – if there is, the agent is not suitable and should not be used to clean the rug.

6.    Suitable colour 

Choose a suitable colour for your rug for each room in your home, taking into consideration whether the room in question is a dining room, kitchen or a bedroom in which you spend less time. Stains and dirt are less noticeable on colourful rugs, unlike monochromatic rugs which are light or very dark.

7.    Additional tips

Never put furniture on a freshly washed rug until it is completely dry. If the rug is very dirty or damaged, it is better to contact a rug cleaning company.

First shake the rug out thoroughly and then hoover it. Make a solution using 300 ml of apple cider vinegar, a little over half a litre of water, the same amount of lemon juice and one sachet of baking soda. If you want, you can add a few drops of an essential oil to this mix – lavender, citrus and similar, which will further freshen the rug. Dampen a sponge with this liquid and scrub the rug. Leave it to dry. The result is a clean rug which smells nice, has no spots and stains and which will not cause any irritation because it was cleaned with completely natural substances. Use only recommended rug cleaning agents and follow the instructions for their use. When it has been washed, the rug needs to be rinsed well. Never apply any rug washing detergent directly onto the rug which has not been cleaned and hoovered because it will glue in the dirt and make cleaning more difficult. 

Be aware that if wine, coffee, hot chocolate or other liquid gets spilled on your shaggy rug, you should not grab a sponge and rub vigorously to remove the stain because the fibres and the  thread around the stain will expand and become conspicuous. It is better to dab the stain carefully using a soft absorbent paper while it is still fresh, and then apply a little alcohol and water on it, or a mild detergent solution.

If you wash your rug in a tested rug cleaning company, the stains will be removed by using chemical agents, after which the rug will be shampooed by using a machine with a brush which rotates and creates rich foam. 

This shape of the brush enables the cleaning agent to reach all the layers of the shaggy rug. The rug is rinsed with strong jets of water. The foam is removed by hoovering – but this system is recommended only for rugs without firm backing.

Rugs made of polyester microfibre are highly resistant to stains thanks to the properties of polyester. These rugs do not fade and are extremely easy to clean and maintain. 

Stains caused by liquids should be removed with a paper towel or a dry cloth – do not rub, but absorb. Solid pieces of dirt should be picked up and hoovered before cleaning, never rub them in. Apply a small amount of a recommended neutral rug stain removal detergent on a dry cloth and rub in gently. When the stain has been removed, soak a clean cloth in water, drain it and press onto the spot where the stain was to remove the detergent. Use a dry cloth to dry the spot completely.