Area Rug Cleaning Tips: What You Need To Know

An area rug can add a beautiful touch to your home. It can also attract a lot of dirt over the years. Regular foot traffic will dull your rug, and the occasional stain will draw attention to itself. If you have children, pets, or both, then you know how tough it is to keep your rug stain-free. When stains and dullness happen, a thorough cleaning job can restore your rug’s appearance and brightness. When you’re ready to start cleaning, here are some area rug cleaning tips to help you do the most effective job.

Know Your Materials

When it comes to area rug cleaning tips, the most important one is to know what your rug is made from. For example, some area rugs are made from wool. Many are made from synthetic fibers. Others may be cotton or silk. Before you start cleaning, try to determine which material makes up your rug. This way, you can choose the best cleaning agents and methods for the job.

Pretreat Stains

Next on our list of area rug cleaning tips is to pretreat stains before you wash the entire rug. Sometimes, a general cleaning job isn’t enough to get rid of the most stubborn stains. A pretreatment process will help you lift the stains before you wash them away completely. Without the pretreatment process, a lot of those stains will stay exactly where they are.

Test for Colorfastness

Before you use any new rug cleaner or stain treatment, however, you should always test for colorfastness. Every rug is different. The dyes and materials on your rug will react differently to different cleaning solutions. For example, some solutions may bleach or discolor your rug. You’ll want to make sure that your rug doesn’t react poorly to your cleaning solution. To test for colorfastness, find a spot on your rug that isn’t very visible. Then, apply a small amount of your cleaning solution and wait for it to dry. If it dries without any problems, then you can clean the rest of the rug.