How To Clean A Rug At Home?

Soft flooring essentials are the need of the hour for home interior placements and offer plenty of amazing benefits in terms of decor upgrades, furniture anchorage, and functionality. However, no matter the type of rug placed in the interior, there is always a need for deep cleaning every once in a while.

If you’re also looking for an easy, practical, and simple solution to rug cleaning and maintenance, this informative post by Rugs Dubai is going to prove the most beneficial for you. In this post, we’re going to discuss everything in a stepwise manner regarding rug cleaning at home starting from scratch.

The Step-By-Step Guide To DIY Cleaning Rugs At Home

Area rugs function to create a cohesive interior design and anchor the space but also take a beating on a daily basis from intensive foot traffic, dust, dirt, and similar devastating causes. Therefore, one can’t ignore the deep cleaning process if one truly wants to capitalize on this valuable investment.

What Is The Best Cleaning Method For Area Rugs?

The best method to clean area rugs depends on the kind of building materials employed and the extent of design delicacy. Explaining the former point, treating natural fabric rugs is the opposite of cleaning synthetic material rugs.

For design delicacy, the fabric weave and strength matter a lot such that some types of rugs are not recommended to be machine washed due to wear and tear problems. Therefore, you should follow the manufacturer’s directions to opt for a rug cleaning method.

Tools & Supplies Needed For Rug Cleaning At Home

Even if you lack experience with DIY cleaning the rug, there is no need to be concerned. All you need to do is arrange for the following set of tools and materials beforehand to efficiently complete the job.

• Dish Wash Soap Or Mild Detergent
• Bucket
• Soft-bristled Brush Or Sponge
• Clean Water
• Rubber Gloves
• Garden Hose (For Rinsing)
• Wet-Dry Vacuum

After you’ve arranged for the required materials, start with the cleaning procedure by following the first step as explained below.

1. Remove Furniture Essentials Off The Rug Surface

Most people have area rugs placed under furniture essentials like tables, chairs, beds, etc. If you’ve also opted for such an approach, start by removing the furniture from the rug surface. Or, you can simply pull out the rug from underneath the bed because it’s too heavy to be moved to the side. 

Then, fold the rug and take it outside to avoid dust and dirt accumulation in the interior. Always prefer to place the rug on a large-sized drop cloth and avoid putting it on the ground.

2. Vacuum Clean For Dust And Dirt Removal

If you vacuum clean your rug on a daily basis or every once in a while, you won’t find enough dust, dirt, or debris accumulated on the rug's surface. However, the opposite of what’s been explained can get you amazed by the amount of dust and dirt on your rug.

And, only then you’ll realize the importance of cleaning soft-flooring essentials on a routine basis. Back to the topic, you need to vacuum-clean your area rug without any brush attachments at this point in time.

Once you're done vacuuming the top-facing side, turn the rug upside down and repeat the process. That’s only to make sure that there is no dust or dirt left in the rug before washing. There can be a specific situation if you’ve pet animals at home, then you’ll have to vacuum clean the rug with a brush attachment to take out pet hairs.

3. Create A DIY Cleaning Solution

Generally, you can create a DIY cleaning solution with warm water and vinegar in proportionate amounts. Alternatively, a mild detergent can be mixed with water for cleaning the rug. Under some conditions, using warm water may damage the rug fabrics and therefore, you will have to buy a specific cleaning solution in accordance with the manufacturer’s guideines.

Additionally, you can create a homemade stain and odor removal solution for rug cleaning by mixing water, dish soap, and vinegar in proportionate amounts. Specifically speaking for removing odors, you can use baking soda as the ideal solution to this problem.

4. Check For Rug Discoloration

Prior to large-scale applications of the cleaning solution, you should always check for discoloration due to any chemical reaction. For this purpose, you can apply the cleaning solution in some amount to a corner of the rug. After that, wait for some time and look for results. In case there’s no compatability, you’ll notice the fabric color coming off the rug's surface.

5. Wash & Rinse The Rug

You can pour the cleaning solution into a dish wash liquid bottle and spout it over the rug in a zig-zag fashion. Then, spread the cleaning solution using a brush. Now, wait for at least five minutes to let the cleaner get absorbed into the rug fabrics.

Afterwards, you can start rinsing the surface of the rug using a sponge or soft-bristled brush. You should never clean the rug with a hard-bristled brush because it can cause damage to the fabric's strength and shiny surface appearance.

The next step is to rinse the rug using a garden hose or it can be done by pouring buckets of clean water over the rug’s surface. The garden hose is recommended because water comes out in a jet stream and efficiently takes out all the dirt, dust, and debris trapped in the fabrics. Repeat the rinsing process unless there are no signs of cleaning solution left behind.

6. Use A Wet-Dry Vacuum To Remove Excess Water

After washing the rug, your first priority is to remove excess water trapped in the rug fabrics. An effective way to accomplish this is using a wet-dry vacuum. A minor yet important process detail is to complete this vacuuming starting lengthwise and avoiding irregular vacuum movements.

Hereafter, you can hang the rug in shade or let it self-dry before further proceedings. Don’t place the rug in direct sunlight to let it dry because that can cause discoloration or fading resulting in unpleasant rug appearances.

7. Brush The Rug Fabrics For A Smooth Weave

In the end, you can brush out the fabric of the rugs for a uniform, smooth texture. Doing so will sort out jumbled fabrics while restoring the aesthetic appeal of the area rug. And, if you’ve got a Persian rug, vacuuming once more is an ideal approach to finishing off your DIY task.

The End Note

To DIY clean a rug at home won’t remain a daunting task anymore because we’ve explained a simple, straightforward guide comprising various steps in this regard. All you have to do is to pick a sunny Sunday to carry out this DIY rug cleaning job in the most efficient manner. And by doing so, you’ll be significantly enhancing the look, comfort and longevity of your favorite rugs, ultimately capitalizing on your investment.