Whether they are Oriental, woven, sisal, coir, sheepskin, fun, or braided, rugs are a gorgeous addition to any home. They do much to define and tell the owner’s personality, style, and taste. We’ve talked quite a bit about how to clean our favourite rugs, and we’ve shared that information with you. Today, we are going to share some equally important, if not more so, care tips, and those are for the various types of area rugs that one can find in homes, which are made of many different materials and constructed in just as many different ways.
The fundamentals should be our starting point!
How to Wash a Small Rug
Assuming that your rug can be laundered in a machine, use the washer’s program for delicates (always cold water). Tumble dry (low setting), and that’s it. If you throw the rug in the washer, the fringe will likely get tangled. To avoid that and to keep from ending up with a rug with a knotted fringe, you should divide the fringe into hanks and wrap each one with white string (not coloured, which may bleed and ruin your fringe). Also, to be entirely sure your fringe comes out as it should, place the rug inside a pillowcase or a mesh laundry bag before washing.
How to Dry Your Rug
People often hang their rugs over a clothesline. This is a common mistake that should best be avoided, for doing so could distort the shape of your rug. Instead, drape wet rugs over a slatted picnic table or a clothes-drying rack. An upright counter would also work for small rugs. Just ensure you lay towels or old sheets on it first to protect the surface—before you drape the wet rug over it.
How to Store a Rug?
When it’s time to put away your thick winter rug, don’t even think about doing it yourself; have a pro clean and properly wrap it up for storage. Store it in a climate-controlled location where the only metal materials present are those in your rug’s natural fibres. Come summer, the same applies to your area rugs: Clean, wrap, and store in a cool, dry space until you need it again.
How to Care for Your Rugs?
We’ve discussed at length how to look after your rug, whether it be an exquisite Oriental carpet or just about any other kind. However, we always recommend not discarding the rug’s care tag. Keep it whole or file it for a later date.
The same applies when you decide to have them dry-cleaned. The labels that come with a rug will give all the info you need. Should your rug be spot-cleaned? Dry-cleaned? Laundered (for small rugs)? Don’t make your own decisions based on how easy to clean the carpet seems to be. If a rug is labelled dry clean only, be assured that even if it is a cotton one, it is not colourfast. That means you could hand wash it, but if you did, you would most likely see some significant colour bleeding.
Note: While it is strongly recommended to keep your rugs clean and believe they will look great, there are times when adequate maintenance feels almost impossible. Take, for instance, the small rugs that live in your home’s entryways. You can vacuum them. However, I’m here to warn you that these rugs could potentially be detrimental to your vacuum cleaner. Consider taking those small entryway rugs outside, hanging them up, and giving them a thorough thrashing with your broom.
It is essential to test your rug before you do any spot-cleaning.
Specific Care per Type of Rug
A rug can be fashioned in numerous ways and from a variety of substances, and it is well worth the designer’s time to investigate the rug’s makeup. What follows is fundamental advice on caring for some of the most beloved and popular rugs.
1. Braided and Woven Rugs
If you can wash it, follow the instructions provided above. In addition, examine the stitching before and after you clean a braided or woven rug to determine whether any breaks have developed. If you find breaks, it is advisable to have a professional clean and repair your rug next time rather than risk cleaning it yourself and possibly causing more damage.
To clean a large rug, put it on a firm surface and use a foam carpet cleaner (many can be found at your local supermarket) to work it into the rug. It’s not advisable to vigorously clean the rug while it’s propped up on a wall like a surreal art installation. After following the product’s instructions (and, of course, the directions may vary widely among different products), make sure to rinse the rug thoroughly (preferably with a hose) and allow it to dry completely in a safe, flat position.
2. Oriental Rugs
To vacuum an Oriental rug, you can tie a piece of nylon mesh over the vacuum attachment. This prevents damage to the delicate weaving and ensures that you can still pick up dirt and grit before it can work itself down into the pile. After that, either use a piece of nylon (as described above) and vacuum through it or vacuum the rug while it’s weighted down with books (again, as described above).
When it comes to removing stains from Oriental rugs, treating them right away is essential—mainly when the substance spilt happens to be wine or some other beverage. For such instances, it’s best to use baking soda, along with a few other items that we will describe shortly. And that’s only the beginning! Knowing how to care for an Oriental rug helps ensure that it remains in excellent shape and lasts for a very long time.
Caution: direct sunlight will harm the fibres and make the colours of the rug fade. To ensure this doesn’t happen, pivot the rug periodically so that it experiences even amounts of wear and tear and install window treatments that sufficiently shield your valuables and your costly Oriental carpet from the sun’s damaging rays.
3. Natural Materials (i.e., sisal, grass, rush, & coconut)
Typically, these rugs have an open weave. This construction allows dust and dirt to sift through and reach the floor beneath, so it’s of utmost importance to them that people vacuum often to keep pollen and other allergens from accumulating in their homes. If dust does accumulate, it can trigger both asthma and allergy problems for any number of people.
When it comes to stain treatment, rugs made from natural materials should have the least contact with water because it weakens their fibres. This is not to recommend that you not use water by any stretch of the imagination. Still, it is to say that you would attempt to work very quickly with soapy water applied with a soft brush and, when you could consider your rinsing phase done, use towels on the surface of the rug in a blotting manner to soak up as much water as possible.
Place a towel or plastic drop cloth on the floor below the rug to safeguard your flooring.
This type of rug is usually reversible, so turn it over after every vacuuming to ensure even wear. Since dirt tends to accumulate on the floor beneath, the next step is to remove the rug and vacuum that area, too. This is a good time to clean the floor with a hard-surface vacuum or a broom. Finally, if you want to give your rug a good freshening, take it outdoors and beat it with a broom (gently) to dislodge any dirt and dust caught in its fibres.
4. Sheepskin and fur
Applying talcum powder to sheepskin and fur rugs can yield miraculous results. Work some into the carpet and let it sit for a time. Afterwards, brush it through the hairs on the carpet and hastily shake it out. This will get your rug ready for reinstatement and invigorate it, making it look fresher and fluffier. Following that, you want to set up a mild solution to wash the backing of the rug. Use lukewarm water and a mild liquid detergent or dishwashing soap. Make sure to dip a cotton cloth into your wash and then wipe the back of the rug with it. When rinsing, don’t use running water. Instead, use your cloth and wipe it with water to rinse.
