Rug Care Tips
Using area rugs can enhance your living space by providing a nice ambience of colour and patterns to break up the monotony of a dull room. And when you purchase a new rug, you don’t just buy it for the short term; rather, you expect it to grace your home for many years to come, even for generations to come. So, to ensure your rug’s quality remains intact over the years, how do you maintain it? What can you do to ensure the colours and patterns don’t fade and remain top-notch like when you bought it.
To help you out, here are a few tips regarding how to properly maintain your rugs.
Always Remove Shoes
As an indispensable first step to maintaining your rugs, you should abide by one of the simplest guidelines of all – a no-shoes policy. It will be less likely for the dirt and grit that collects in rug fibres to be absorbed into the rug fibres if everyone takes off their shoes.
It isn’t uncommon for some people to have a collection of soft-soled slippers at the front door. Using this one simple tip, you will not only reduce the buildup of abrasive particles but also eliminate the possibility of hard-soled shoes damaging your rug.
Spot Clean To Remove Stains
A lot of people will always throw away a rug just because it has a stain rather than because it has worn out. This is absurd! Instead, do your best to remove pet stains and spills as soon as they occur, and your rug will remain in great condition for a longer time. Additionally, if you’re unsure of how to remove stains from rugs just call us to get booked in for a cleaning.
Vacuum Your Rug Frequently
Routine vacuuming is the most important step in maintaining the life and beauty of your rug. It is important as it aids in removing loose dirt from the rug, and makes the cleaning process easier in the long run. We recommend you do this for the best results.
- At least once a week, vacuum it thoroughly with a vacuum.
- Be careful not to engage beater bars.
- To avoid pressing dirt back into the rug, always vacuum in the direction of the nap, not against it.
- Rugs placed in high traffic areas of the house or office as well as those exposed to household pets should be vacuumed more often.
- Avoid vacuuming the fringes of your rug, especially those on hand-knotted rugs. Instead, use a broom to clean the fringes.
- Keep in mind that small rugs, such as those used at entrances, can be difficult to vacuum. Take them outside and shake them vigorously until dust and dirt are gone.
Rotate The Rug Regularly
Some experts claim you only need to rotate your rug every one to two years, but if the rug is in a high-traffic area, it’s usually best to rotate every one to two months. On the other hand, if it does not receive a lot of foot traffic, turning them once or twice a year to even out the wear on all sides of the rug is sufficient enough.
Manage Shedding
New rugs are prone to shedding, in which fibres fall out or appear to be. The best way to manage this is by vacuuming once or twice a week initially. If your rug develops stray loops sticking up taller than the rest of your rug, be sure not to pull on these. They can be cut carefully instead. You should never pull on stray loops; cut them back to size.
Protect Rugs From Sunlight
If you purchase a new rug, you should be mindful of how the light coming from your windows will affect it. Be particularly careful about skylights and if you’re placing them in a conservatory. Since you may not be home during the day, you may not see the full effect of the light throughout the day, so please take some time to observe.
The best option would be to use window coverings such as curtains or blinds that will block out most of the harmful rays. As soon as the rug becomes unevenly faded, it is virtually impossible to even out the colour. Colour variations are likely to occur between surfaces covered and uncovered as time proceeds. It is because sun damage causes fading and premature ageing, as well as making the rug lighter or discoloured in some spots.
Protect Your Rugs From Your Furniture
The feet of your furniture can tear, snag, dent, and stain your rugs. To prevent this, be sure to use protectors on the feet of furniture that sit on top of rugs to prevent large divots or damage to the pile. If you must put furniture directly on rugs, ensure that furniture legs are clean by wiping them down before placing them on the rug.
It is also possible to move the furniture around regularly if your room layout permits it. It will benefit your rug if you can do this every six months. By doing so, you will be able to evenly distribute wear, which will give your rug a more uniform look that will help maintain both appearance and value.
Invest In Rug Pads
Rug pads are essential to getting the most from your rugs. They increase safety by preventing slippage and eliminating wrinkling and bunching. It can even protect the floors underneath your carpet by preventing colour transfer and staining. Rug cushions add comfort to thinner rugs, too. And vacuuming your carpets is easier if they are held fast with a quality rug pad.
Most pads are designed for use on bare floors. However, if you are laying a rug over a carpet, be sure to look for a rug pad that is designed to be placed over a carpeted surface.
Keep Potted Plants Away From Your Rugs
The presence of greenery and plant life can add variety to a room, often transforming the entire ambiance. The position is everything, though.
When you place a potted plant on the rug, you invite trouble as water and mud can soak through. As the bottom of plant pots is out of sight, the water seep can go unnoticed. Having the continual wet/dry cycle makes the wet patch rot and, eventually, separate from the rug creating a hole. It is virtually impossible to ensure that moisture will not make its way to the rug. A repair of this type can be expensive. If you value your rug, never place a potted plant on it.
Rugs vs Pets
who doesn’t love cats and dogs, but they don’t always feel the same way about your floors. Whether it’s tearing up your rugs or scratching wooden floors; pets can be destructive and expensive.
Most of the damage we see to rugs comes from puppies and young dogs. There is a very short time in which to address urine on a rug before it turns into a permanent stain. Also, we have seen many rugs damaged by chewing on the corners and the fringe. If you get a new rug when you have a puppy, store the rug away from the dog’s reach until it is old enough to be housetrained and out of the teething stage. Vacuum more often so you remove the build-up of the pet’s hair.
How To Store Your Rug?
If your rug must be stored for a long period, don’t store it in airtight plastic bags. Instead, wrap your rug in a sheet or other large piece of cloth. To avoid mildew, discoloration or dry-out, never store rugs in a humid/damp or overly hot room.
Let The Professionals Clean Your Rug
The only way to truly protect your rug is to have it occasionally go through professional cleaning. Despite regular home care, professional rug cleaning is a must to extend the life of your rug and bring out its natural beauty and vivid colours. Generally, professional rug cleaning should be performed every 12 to 18 months. However, if your rug is in a heavily trafficked area, if you have pets, or if you suffer from allergies, you may need to clean it more frequently.
Professional rug cleaning will remove pet urine odours, cigarette smoke, mold spores, and dust mites. And only professional rug cleaning will ensure that the cleaning method will not cause dyes to bleed onto your rug. And to add to that DIY steam cleaning might cause a damn rug. That will never dry correctly resulting in a rug rot. That means you’ll have to throw it out. So it’s best to leave the cleaning to the professionals.
Why not call us today on the number below for a rug cleaning quote. We offer rug cleaning in Toronto, York, North York and anywhere else in the GTA.
