Like all furniture, area rugs tend to show their age as time passes. These easy steps will help you breathe life back into your area rugs once more and restore them to their former glory.
The great thing about Area Rug cleaning is that it is a weekend DIY task. There is no need to break the bank by hiring a professional- unless your rug is extremely delicate ( such as our Afghan handmade collection ). All you need is the right tools, cleaner and approach.
On the other hand, cleaning wool area rugs, such as the Modern Collection by Samarugs, have many approaches to attacking different stains. These steps are explored further in our "how to clean your wool area rug" article.
Note: It is always best to have a pair of extra helping hands to aid you in this task, as the size of a typical area rug will be far too large for one person to handle.
The first step is to prepare your workstation by gathering the supplies you will need for the project, which are listed below:
Thoroughly vacuum your rug on both sides to ensure no debris such as dirt or pet hair remains on your area rug. For extra measure, you could also take it outside and hit it with the handle of a broom or similar tool to knock even more dust out of the rug.
Performing an initial colour test on your rug is very important as it will allow you to ensure that the shampoo used will not damage the rug fibres or cause discolouration.
This test can be performed by applying the rug shampoo to the corner of your rug and allowing it to sit for a few hours. Once the time has elapsed and there is no form of discolouration or damage to the fibres upon closer inspection, you are safe to move onto the next step.
Note: Use rug cleaners specifically designed for the material your rug consists of, such as using a wool rug cleaner for cleaning one of our Wool collection rugs.
Now it's time to get down and dirty. Take your soft bristle brush and carpet shampoo and scrub in a circular motion until a lather develops. Allow the lather to sit on the rug for a few minutes, giving the shampoo time to work its magic and lift any dirt or stains that remain on the rug fibres.
Once you have allowed the rug shampoo to sit for some time, you can now hose down the rug. Ensure that there is no shampoo remaining and that the runoff water is crystal clear.
We are almost at the end of our rug cleaning process, with only a few more steps to go. You have come a long way and now know the correct way to clean an area rug. Now it is time for the drying process. The first thing you need to do is remove as much excess water as possible using either a wet and dry vacuum or a squeegee to wring as much water out of the rug as possible.
Once you have completed this laborious task, all you need to do is give the rug time to dry, preferably in your garage or laundry room. Ensure that the rug is out of direct sunlight, as this will cause colour fading to occur.
During the cleaning process, the rug fibres tend to become compacted and flattened. By giving the rug one last vacuum or even using a soft bristle brush, you can prop the fibres up once again, bringing life back into your area rug and into your living space at the same time. You are now at the end of a long and arduous journey but have gained a clean area rug and become an expert in cleaning them.
Although these methods are effective for the occasional cleaning, we still highly recommended that you consult a professional when dealing with stubborn stains or even rugs similar to Samargus handmade collection to avoid any mistakes that could be irreversible to your area rug. Samarugs offers professional rug cleaning services that make sure your area rug undergoes the best care possible during the cleaning process. An essential part of our process is to perform the correct chemical tests; this allows for the certainty that there will be no damage to the rug fibres, design or colour.