We frequently get asked what are some “tricks” or “tips” to help keep an area rug clean and in good shape for the life of a rug. The easy answer is to put it on a floor that never gets any traffic be it humans or pets….but that’s not why the vast majority of individuals buy an area rug. Yes, we do actually have some individuals who buy them and put in a room that is rarely used. However, that just isn’t that case for 99% of rug buyers.
An area rug sometimes is the focal point of the room when a professional interior designer is putting together the design of a room and or home. A designer will start with the colors of the rug and then move over to the actual room pieces. So it’s safe to say that an area rug is normally for everyday use and WILL see normal traffic. So with that in mind, let’s talk about some advantageous things when trying to prolong the life of an area rug.
Tip #1: Fabric Protection
One of the safest and easiest ways to prolong the life of an area rug, as well as help a profession rug cleaner remove unwanted stains, is the application of a good Fabric Protector. Fabric Protection is not new but is terribly underutilized. When an area rug has been treated with a good fabric protector by a professional rug cleaner, it allows dry particulates and liquid spills to be cleaned away much easier with less chance of permanent staining. Ask for a “penetrating” fabric protector not a “surface” protector. The difference is substantial! If you’re not sure what the difference is, give us a call and we can help you.
Tip #2 Rotation
For an interior designer, sun fading is a big consideration for the upholstery and colors used when putting together a design for a room. One of the best ways to keep sun fading to a minimum is to rotate your area rug every 6 months. With a constant rotation of the rug, the sun rays will be minimized on the same portion of the rug. We get rugs in frequently that have lines where you can see they’ve never been rotated and the sun is bearing down on sections leaving a lighter area than the other parts of the rug. Rotating an area rug is definitely a needed action for all rug owners.
Tip #3 Vacuuming
Some of you may be reading this and say, “well yes Daniel, that is a given”, but how often and “HOW” are you actually vacuuming the area rug? It’s suggested that an area rug should be vacuumed once a week. We agree with that, but we also suggest that you vacuum the area rug NOT with the beater bar on the bottom of the vacuum cleaner but with the “wand” or cleaning handle. Running the beater bar over a rug can damage the fibers over time, by using the handle or “wand” attachment you get the same vacuuming action with less wear and tear on the rug. Thus it allows extended years to the life of your rug which is what every rug owner is looking for. These are just a few of tips for extending the life of an area rug as well as helping an area rug cleaner get those pesky stains out.
If you have any questions or would like information on how we could help you with your area rug cleaning, give us a call at 919-869-4956 in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area. And 336-267-6614 in the Greensboro/High Point/Winston Salem area.
