Can I give my area rug a deep clean? This is a common question among those DIY enthusiasts who love to keep their carpets clean and tidy. The answer is probably yes, you may deep clean your area rug. We will get into the details about it a little later. As of now let us clear away something else. An area rug definitely brings a room together. But at the same time it also has to take a lot of beating. The beating ranges from spills, foot traffic to pets. After a certain point of time vacuum simply proves insufficient to keep your area rugs actually clean. That is when a deep clean becomes most important.
Even clean rugs become dirty on their own. They constantly keep absorbing fumes from gas fireplace, air pollutants that are present indoors and even steam that is produced while you are cooking. Having washable rugs is the best thing in terms of deep cleaning and washing. But every rug present in households is not of the washable variety. In that case you have to master the right skills to clean your rugs at home. There is no need to hire professionals to deep clean rugs. But of course if your one is too delicate (for example if it is an antique, Persian or Oriental rug) in that case hiring professionals for the cleaning task is obviously more meaningful suggest experts who provide the service of rug cleaning in London over the years.
The best way to clean rugs
The best way to keep any rug clean is using a vacuum cleaner every few days along with prompt spot cleaning. This combination of activities makes any rug last really longer along with maintaining great looks. But along with that you have to spare a little more effort and attention from time to time. This is true for every rug under the sun.
Actually, now it seems is the time to spill the truth. How you maintain and clean your rug depends solely on the type of rug you have. In other words that is to say different varieties of rugs have different ways to cleaning and maintaining. For example, those made from natural fibres have to be treated complete differently from synthetic fibre rugs. If you do not follow that then results will be disastrous and we can guarantee you that.
Wool rugs are only meant to be cleaned with cold water under every circumstance. This saves its fibres from damage or distortion. But when you are cleaning synthetic rugs, you can actually afford to be more aggressive. You can use hot water along with stronger cleaning solutions to clean those.
Then again there are certain types of rugs that are best cleaned by professionals. These categories include Oriental and Persian rugs and we have mentioned that earlier. Even those made from either silk or viscose should also be professionally cleaned every time.
Tools and supplies you require cleaning area rugs at home
Obviously, you will need a list of supplies and tools to clean an area rug in home. Professionals providing rug cleaning in London share their list which includes –
- Rug shampoo (alternatively you can replace it by any mild dish soap)
- Sponge or a brush with soft bristles
- Rubber gloves
- A bucket
- A garden hose
- Water
- A wet dry vacuum
Deep cleaning an interior rug at home
Before you get down to clean your area rug you should always first check the guidelines provided by its manufacturer. These guidelines are mostly found on a care label which is usually pinned on the underside of a rug.
Else the cleaning procedure is quite similar to that of cleaning carpets. Before anything else you must do a spot test to be on the safer side. We will discuss more about it in the lines below. By the way, the procedure discussed here is applicable cleaning various kinds of rugs including those made from shags, wool and even mats.
Step 1 – Take your rug outdoors, if possible, else clear away every object and furniture from it
In order to provide a thorough cleaning to rugs you need to take that outdoors. To get rid of dirt, debris and soil from rugs a lot of water is used during cleaning. Once the cleaning is over, a rug also has to be dried fast and in a proper way. Otherwise, its colours may run or fade away warns a rug cleaning professional in London.
Ideally you should carry out this activity on a bright and sunny day. Things become more difficult to tackle when rain comes between your cleaning efforts. It is good idea to place the rug on a drop cloth, tarp or a large piece of plastic at least before you start the actual cleaning instead of leaving it straight on the ground. This helps you avoid a bigger mess in course of time.
Step 2 – get rid of dirt and debris build-ups
If you vacuum your rugs at least every week it prevents stains from taking over the beauty of the décor items. While vacuuming it is important that you use only a suction vacuum. Avoid using the rotating brush. This way it is easier getting rid of dirt and dust build-ups before they can settle into the fibres of the rug. Moreover, this ensures the fibres of your rug are not damaged while cleaning. Professionals with years of experience in providing the service of rug cleaning company in London suggest you should vacuum a rug properly on both sides. It is important to make sure that even the last bit of the debris gets removed.
A vacuum cleaner with a beater bar proves most helpful to accomplish this task. The brush attachment, on the other hand, proves helpful to get rid of lingering pet hair from the rug. However, if you do not have pets then there is no need to worry about it.
Try to avoid using carpet shampoo or carpet cleaners on your rug. These chemicals could be too strong to damage its fibres. It is better to make use of rug shampoo to be on the safer side. There are lots of such products readily available in the market. You can even use any mild dish soap mixing it in a bucket of water. If you are dealing with synthetic rug then use hot water. But if it is a wool rug then make sure to use cold water.
Apply a very little of the cleaner on an inconspicuous portion of the rug and wait for some time. if there is no colour bleeding then you know for sure the cleaner is safe for your rug. Experts working at VIP Carpet Cleaning London suggest these are some of the basics that you should perform while cleaning your rug at home.
