Before you try to clean a viscose rug on your own, there are several things you should know. While viscose rugs are gaining popularity, there are specific requirements for their care that you should be aware of. Professional cleaning is needed to prevent unneeded damage.
A viscose rug is made using man-made fibers. Viscose can be used in beautiful rugs with a soft sheen, but the fibers are sensitive to foot traffic. This makes them more challenging to clean than other types of rugs.
What Viscose Is
Viscose is a natural material made from cellulose fibers from plants. The plant goes through a process to remove all substances except cellulose. Cellulose is then made into a fiber used in rugs and carpets.
The fibers will be glued or woven into a backing. Viscose is extremely soft and has a look and feel like silk. However, it’s fragile. It’s more similar to paper than it is to other fibers used to create rugs.
Viscose is sold by various names, depending on its use and the manufacturing process. Some of these include art silk, rayon, acetate rayon, faux silk, Tencel, manmade silk, bamboo silk, viscose rayon, fake silk, banana silk, and Lyocell.
Reasons to Choose Professional Cleaning for Viscose Rugs
The weak fibers in a viscose rug mean it needs a light touch. You may be too rough on the carpet and cause damage. While wool fibers can be stretched or bent 10,000 times before breaking and silk may last 2,000 times, viscose can handle being stretched less than 100 times.
These rugs also shed more than other rugs. Fiber pulls are common and vacuuming can cause issues. A vacuum with a power head or intense suction should not be used on viscose rugs. In addition, steam cleaning a rug on your own can cause the colors to bleed.
If moisture touches the rug, it can make it brown or yellow. Cleaning spills quickly is the best way to avoid this issue. The fibers are also prone to crushing and matting after becoming wet. A professional will ensure this doesn’t occur.
Cleaning a viscose rug is not something you should attempt to do on your own. You run the risk of damaging the rug and having to replace it. Instead, choose a professional at Green-Gen Carpet and Fine Rug Cleaning that specializes in viscose. The technicians will clean the rug without any damage so it can last for years.
