Keeping Your Area Rugs In Good Shape

Keeping Your Area Rugs In Good Shape

Area rugs bring that subtle splash of colour to the space, a stylish addition to the rooms they are placed in. Cosy and warm underfoot, they are key pieces of furnishing in the household, and definitely you want yours to last for long. From the rugs at the entrance of the house to those set up in front of the sofas, under dining sets, in the bedrooms and in the kitchens – they each have their role to play. Proper maintenance is needed to protect the rugs and enable them to give you extended service life, and this includes routine rug cleaning.

Gritty dirt

One of the main causes of wear of the area rugs is the dirt and debris that pile up in them. Granted, trapping this dirt is their role, keeping it from spreading onto the rest of the open floor. However, this does not mean that rugs themselves are immune to the wear effects of the debris. Those particles are abrasive, acting on the fibres of the area rugs like tiny bits of sandpaper. As the days and months go by, more dirt is held in the material, increasing the rate of wear. The key is managing this build-up, through vacuuming and rug cleaning.

Taking the area rug outside, hanging it up and beating it out with a rod is not as effective as it looks. For starters, while it shakes out the large dirt particles, there will still be the fine particles held within it, as well as the stains from the spills. Moreover, there’s the immediate health risk that comes with the wave of dust that is released when you beat out the rug. For those in the upper floors of apartments, your neighbours will not exactly be pleased when there is a shower of dust and debris that comes cascading down on them. A fast and safe rug cleaning method is needed.

Getting Rid Of The Pesky Rug Bugs

Bugs making their home in your area rug can be unsettling. Coming in different sizes and colours – and voracious appetites to boot, they feed on the rugs and pose health risks to the household members. You’ll notice that the bugs love hiding out in the dark and undisturbed sections of the room, whether it is the sofa corner or the backside of the rug, as well as along the cracks that are in the planks of the wood floor. Skimping out on the vacuuming and regular rug cleaning allows the bugs ample time and conditions to multiply, putting the structural integrity of the furnishing units, as well as the health of your loved ones on the line. Regularly washing the rugs will dislodge the grime buried in the fibres that attract the bugs to the lush pile. The frequency should be higher for the rugs that witness heavy usage. In addition, if the rug is going to be stored away for a while – such as when you’re switching things up to change the decor with a differently coloured and styled area rug, it should be thoroughly washed and allowed to dry before storage.

DIY vs Professional

You could choose to give your rug a thorough wash yourself, but this comes with its hurdles. The first is the equipment needed for the task. Vacuuming alone doesn’t get rid of the dirt embedded in the fibres of the area rug, and deep cleaning requires powerful machinery that gets to the core of the material to flush out the gunk. You don’t want a case of spending hours working on the different area rugs in your premises, only for the stains to come wicking back up, or to have residue remaining in the unit.

The next is determining the kinds of rug cleaning agents to use. One can’t just go with any detergent picked out of the laundry supplies. Chemicals that are effective in removing coffee and tea stains on the countertops cannot just be used to deal with the same type of stains on the area rugs. Synthetic and natural fabric rugs each have their different requirements. Harsh chemicals can lead to discolouration of the area rugs, where the dyes they’ve been treated with get bleached out. The products need to be compatible with the material itself, providing thorough cleaning action without damaging the underlying material. Choice of equipment also factors in here. For instance, renting a steam cleaner and using it on the delicate natural fibre rugs can lead to irrevocable damage.

On the other hand, when hiring a professional rug cleaning company, you get to leverage on the years of experience that they have had in the job. Here, you want to ensure that you have picked a company that has been proven to deliver on its mandate. Going through its reviews from past clients, asking about the experience and training of the personnel, and also checking out their ratings on social sites and business directories will give you a picture of what you can expect when you hire them to provide the rug cleaning services. Ensure that the company in question actually specialises in dealing with area rugs, as opposed to just providing general cleaning services. You want to engage a crew that has dealt with the intricacies that come with the different fabric types of the rugs, to ensure that your unit gets quality care.

Extra Tips To Keep Your Rugs In Good Condition

Ensure there is proper ventilation in the space, opening up the windows, and even doors regularly, to keep the rugs dry. In this regard, also let ample sunshine into the house.

Note that as the bug populations explode, it gets to a point where the pest control services will need to come in to eradicate the vermin. Routine rug cleaning will aid in preventing things from spiralling out of control.

Whenever there is a spill on the rug, clean it up immediately. In addition, don’t allow the area rug to remain wet while on the floor. Air it out to dry. When moisture is trapped in the material for extended periods the area rug quickly becomes a breeding ground for mould and bacteria.

Keeping Your Area Rugs In Good Shape