How do you clean area rugs?

Cleaning your carpet does not need to be a difficult task. Many times our large area rugs get stained by everyday life. Messy pets, muddy footprints, or baby food can leave everything looking like a mess! Our team put together some helpful professional cleaning tips to make your life a little easier. Learn how to remove all those nasty smells and stains with our deep-cleaning steps.  

Preparing the Rug 

Before you can begin deep cleaning, be sure that you have an open space. If possible, set up a sunny outdoor space for your large area rugs. Accent rugs can be cleaned easily indoors. Clean any debris, hair, and dust by vacuuming the rug thoroughly. Once you have all the excess dirt gone, then it’s time to gather your cleaners. 

Always Test First 

There are a wide variety of carpet cleaners out there. Before you start applying these cleaners into your rug, be sure to do a spot test. Why? Some cleaners may actually bleach your carpet or damage it. You don’t want to spread the cleaner throughout the entire rug until you know that it will have the desired result. Also be sure to check to see what materials the cleaner is best suited for. You don’t want to use a cleaner for natural fibers on synthetic rugs or vice versa. Some handwoven rugs may need extra care.  

Carefully Work the Cleaner into the Carpet 

Once you have determined that the cleaner will not stain or damage your rug, then begin to work the cleaner carefully into the rug. You can use a variety of tools like a squeegee, rug, or brush to really work it in. Spray bottles reduce some time. Once you have saturated the rug entirely, then allow it to soak per the instructions on the bottle. Pick up excess liquid with towels, a sponge, or even a squeegee.  

Dry Both Sides 

Find a space big enough to dry both sides of your carpet. While ideally you have an outdoor sunny space for this, you can also set the rug to dry in a garage. Be sure to place towels down to catch excess moisture. Let the carpet dry thoroughly to prevent mildew smells. 

Vacuum One More Time 

Once the rug is thoroughly dry, be sure to vacuum the carpet once more for any excess fibers. Place the rug back in your home. Congratulations! You have cleaned your rug yourself! Now it is like brand new.