Area rugs are great to make a design statement or provide additional cushioning for the floors in your home. Of course, these rugs require their own care and maintenance, just like other flooring materials. The style of the rug will impact its cleaning needs and best practices, so it’s important to get to know your rugs so that you know how to care for them. Tufted rugs and high-pile rugs are best cleaned with regular vacuuming, for example, while some rugs can come unraveled at the first sign of that power-operated roller.
Here’s what you need to know.
Upright Vacuums
Upright vacuums are best for tufted rugs, durable woven rugs, and standard Berber or low-pile rugs. You should attempt to vacuum with the pile and avoid running over the same area too much as the heat can break down the backing of some rugs.
Make sure that you never use an upright in an area that is damaged or at risk of it. If you see loose fibers, clean the area with a handheld vacuum or by hand until the issue is resolved.
Handheld Vacuuming
Some rug materials are best hand-cleaned or cleaned using an attachment from your vacuum. This includes older rugs, thinner materials, and more delicate rugs such as knotted rugs that are handmade. Use these attachments or hand vacs carefully to ensure that you don’t damage the rug during the cleaning process.
Avoid Snags
Make sure that you set the vacuum setting on the right pile height if you are using an upright vacuum that includes multiple heights for varied floor cleaning needs. Setting the vacuum too low or too high can cause it to catch loose fibers or even pull fibers out from the carpet and create snags, tears, and even lead to holes in the floor over time.
Also, if you do catch a snag, stop the vacuum immediately and remove the fiber(s) before continuing. Avoid the problem area until it is fixed by a flooring professional.
Watch for Colorfastness
If you have colored area rugs, they are likely dyed and will experience color change or loss over time and with regular use. Some will be more likely to dull faster if they are vacuumed too often, or if a carpet cleaning solution is used that isn’t safe for dyed materials. While not directly related to vacuuming, it’s an important care tip to keep in mind when cleaning area rugs.
Now that you know more about how to care for your area rugs, you can enjoy putting all types of them throughout your home. Make sure to contact Green-Gen Carpet and Fine Rug Cleaning for more information.
