3 Ways to Clean and Care for Your New Area Rug
Don’t let your new area rug stress you out. It can be easy to worry that the beautiful pattern you fell in love with will give way to dust, dirt tracks, and stains, or that the lovely plush texture will push into a flattened echo of its former self. But with the right rug, cleaning supplies, and techniques, that doesn’t have to happen. At Matter Brothers Furniture, we want you to love your area rugs on Day 1,000 just as much as you did on Day 1. Follow these tips and tricks to clean and care for your new area rug:
Buying a New Area Rug? Choose Your Cleaning Style
Today’s area rugs come in a wide range of fabrics. Just like carpets, you can find dirt-repelling, stain-resistant, vacuumable, and easy-to-clean varieties. Even more astoundingly, there are area rugs that can go in your washing machine. When you’re shopping around for a new area rug for any room in your home, consider all of the different maintenance options available. A slightly shorter shag that’s machine washable might be worth the trade-off!
How to Reduce Day-to-Day Wear
There’s also a lot you can do to ward off actual cleaning days for your area rug. Depending on the type of material and the style of rug, it may only have a limited number of deep cleaning sessions in it before the fibers begin to mat together or lose their vibrancy (think hand-made, high-value rugs). The more you can keep your rugs In good condition against daily wear and tear, the better. Consider these tips:
- Use a friction pad to keep your rug locked in place. This prevents your rug from wrinkling, folding, or getting rolled edges. You’ll preserve the fibers and stop creases from forming. Those creases can trap dirt and stains deeper into the material, so avoiding them altogether helps your rug stay clean longer. These mats also keep your rug from being tugged around by feet and furniture legs — or, even worse, inching a bit too close to the kitchen or dog bed.
- Put your vacuum on the right settings. Whether you have a steam cleaner, a traditional vacuum, or a robot vacuum, chances are it has multiple options for different carpet heights. Take a few minutes to research your vacuum’s different settings so you can make sure it’s doing its job correctly. It’s a Goldilocks situation: you don’t want the vacuum to go too light and leave dirt embedded in the fibers, but you don’t want it to “eat” the fibers and break down the fiber patterns.
When It’s Time to Wash Your New Area Rug
As long as you don’t have a delicate or fragile heirloom rug, you can take on this chore yourself! Follow these short steps to get the job done:
- Vacuum the rug to remove loose dirt and debris so it doesn’t get wet.
- Get a specialty rug shampoo that’s approved for your rug’s material, a sponge or brush, and a bucket of water. Mix the water and shampoo to make a gentle cleaning solution.
- Lather the cleaning solution on the surface of the rug. It should sit on the surface for at least five minutes (or longer for deeper stains). Remember: it’s better to scrub repeatedly rather than scrub harder and risk damaging the fibers.
- Gently rinse out the soap until the water running off the rug is soap-free.
- Dry the rug. Use a shop vac or a squeegee to remove excess water, and then let it dry on a flat surface.
- Vacuum or brush the rug to refresh the dried fibers so there’s no clumping or matting.
Find Your New Area Rug at Matter Brothers Furniture
We have a wide selection of area rugs at our Sarasota furniture store. Visit us today online or in person to find the perfect rug for your home’s design.
