How to Get More Life Out of Your Rugs

Throw Rugs and/or area rugs are becoming more of a household staple, especially with the rising popularity of hard surface floors. Many people like to use them in high traffic areas to protect the floors or in the middle of living spaces to make things a bit more comfy and cozy. If the rugs are protecting the floors, what is protecting the rug?  

Use these tips to keep those area rugs looking fantastic while they keep your floors protected.  

Purchase the Right Rug to Begin 

Before you lay the rug down in your home it is a great idea to consider what type of rug will be best for your space. Sure you could buy just any rug that looks nice, but not all rugs are going to hold up the same. Consider the area you plan to place the rug and how much traffic it will come in contact with. High traffic areas call for higher quality rugs.  

Vacuum 

The most damaging item to your rug is dirt. It may not seem like tiny specs of dirt can do much harm, but they actually do the most harm to your rugs and floors. They act like fine grit sandpaper wearing away at the fibers in the rug. To keep dirt at a minimum vacuum regularly even if you don’t feel your rug is dirty. High-traffic areas should be vacuumed at least twice a week.  

Some people wonder if it is safe to use a vacuum on a rug, the answer is yes. Make sure not to run the vacuum over the binding on the edges or any fringe. If you have a shag rug turn off the beater bar on the vacuum. 

Take Preventive Measures 

The largest majority of dirt in your home is tracked in from outside on the soles of your feet. Have a no shoes in the home policy to drastically reduce the amount of dirt that comes in contact with your floors. Place walk-off mats on both sides of each exterior door to help trap dirt and clean these mats often. Your area rugs will thank you.  

Don’t Wait to Clean Spills 

Chances are as you go about life, a spill is going to occur over the rug. When accidents happen, don’t wait to clean them up. Blot up stains and spills right away with a clean white cloth or plain white paper towel. The quicker you do this the less effort you will need to put into getting the stain up. In many cases, if you are fast enough, all that will be needed is blotting it up without the use of solvents or chemicals.  

Professional Cleaning  

Rugs are essentially mini pieces of carpet. It is a good idea to have your rugs cleaned about once a year as well as the floors underneath. Deep cleaning gets to the areas that the vacuum just can’t reach. It is important to get the dirt that has settled deep down into the rug out before it builds up and damages your rugs.  

For professional floor care in Everett and surrounding areas make an appointment with All Kleen.  

Additional Resources:

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