Rug Cleaning And Maintenance
Area rugs serve different purposes- the main one being to accentuate the decor of the interior space. They provide warmth and a cosy feel to the space, a stark contrast to the cold hard flooring underneath. For those with large rooms, the area rugs aid in defining the spaces. For instance, one can easily divide the formal and casual areas with area rugs, going for those with geometric patterns and clean lines for the formal sections, and the floral prints, cartoon characters, baseball patterns or bright colours for the casual areas. For the hallways, the rugs form visual pathways, drawing one’s eyes to the connecting rooms. For the tiled and hardwood floors, the rugs are great for absorbing sounds- that way the neighbours from the floor underneath won’t keep knocking at your door complaining about noise. When it comes to the kid’s rooms, the rugs are particularly popular because they are easy to maintain. Then there are those who use the units to cover up existing defects on the floor- which comes in handy as a nifty distraction. The selection process of the rug that suits your particular needs was not easy- from considering the unit with a palette which works with the rest of the decor, from the background colour setting to the overall tone of the room, those with stylish hues and others with patterned fabrics, to the different budget-options where they are machine-made rugs and the hand-tufted or hand-knotted units. For some, the rugs are purchased for their functional attributes, with for others it’s like purchasing a piece of art. There are those who opt for oriental pieces for their appeal, and others go for bold colour combinations, in order to make a focal point of the room. Whichever the case, you want to protect your unit and extend its lifespan. This requires proper care, which involves routine rug cleaning.
How Do You Know If Your Rug Needs To Be Cleaned?
Given the amount of dirt it accumulates, frequent cleaning is needed. Here are 3 ways you can use to determine if your unit is due for a rug cleaning:
- a) With the palm of your hand, rub the pile of the rug continuously for about 10 seconds. If there’s lots of dirt that sticks to your hand, it’s time to pick up the phone and call in the professional cleaning team.
- b) Hit the back cover of your rug hard (or kick it). Should there be plenty of dirt that falls off, it is a sign that the rug is carrying loads of it.
- c) Pick up one of the corners of the area rug, and fold it back. Observe the foundation of the pile. Visible dirt is a sign that there is a huge concentration of soiling in the unit, and deep cleaning is needed to remove it.
When selecting the rug cleaning company to take care of your unit, different aspects are considered. These range from the track record of the particular company, including how long it has been in operation and the reviews and testimonials provided by its existing customers, all through to the training and certification of the cleaning personnel. Is the company licenced and insured? You should also ensure that you get a detailed quotation, with the personnel explaining to you the processes that will be used when cleaning the rugs in your establishment. The quotation is ideally provided after a site visit, which allows an accurate assessment of the condition of the rugs to be made. This is to ensure that you’re well versed with the entirety of the operation to be undertaken.
Preparing For The Rug Cleaning Process
What should you do before the cleaning crew arrive?
– Remove the clutter
While the rug will be vacuumed by the professional crew before they carry out the cleaning itself, clutter like toys the kids left lying around, shoes, clothes on the floor- these should be removed. Some of the items are tripping hazards. Getting them out of the way allows the personnel to focus their full attention on the rug.
– Clearing fragile items and light furniture out the way
There are those rugs that are placed under coffee tables and similar kinds of furniture. Sure, they go well with the rug, enhancing the decor. However, the furniture gets in the way of the rug cleaning process. While the crew coming over are experts in the rug cleaning business, it doesn’t mean that you have to leave the entire moving task to them. Pieces like coffee tables, floor lamps, the plant stands- set them aside, perhaps by placing them in the nearby room. You can move them back into position after the rug has been cleaned and dried.
– Take note of areas that need special attention
Have you noticed a particular stain that in on the rug? Is there a flaw that has been nagging you for months? Bring the sections that you want to be given extra care to the attention of the rug cleaning crew. Taking note of them and sharing that information with the cleaner will enable them to ensure that you are satisfied with the task that will be carried out.
– Pet preparation
Where will Fluffy be when the rug cleaning is being carried out? When there are new persons in the house, hauling around heavy sets of equipment, your pets can get agitated. It’s prudent to make preparations for them- like moving them to a different room, keeping them in the backyard, or having them stay with your friend or relative who is close by.
– Make way
The cleaning crew need to get the equipment from the vehicle to the front door of your house, and from the front door onto the rug itself. There should be a clear path for this to be done safely and efficiently. There are cases where the machinery that will be used will be attached to the truck. As such, it is recommended that cars blocking the entrance should be moved, so that the vehicle that the rug cleaning crew come with gets as close as possible to the entrance of the house.
