How to Clean & Maintain Your Rugs for Longevity

Posted on - 24th April 2024

Rugs can instantly transform your home by adding colour, texture and warmth. However, rugs collect and trap all types of dirt particles including food crumbs, pet dander, dust and other allergies. No one wants to see a grubby or foul-smelling rug as they enter their home, especially if guests pay a visit.

To keep your rugs looking their absolute best, you will need to clean and maintain them properly. Small synthetic rugs can be placed in the machine for washing, but rugs with natural fibres can’t tolerate this so they have special care instructions. Continue reading as we share the steps to achieve a clean, fresh and odour-free rug. By following these steps, you can even extend the lifespan of your favourite living room rug!

1. Vacuum Weekly

Like carpets and other floorings, rugs also need a vacuum at least once a week. First, shake the rug out to remove any loose dirt. Next, lay the rug back down, sprinkle an even layer of carpet freshener on top and leave it for 15 minutes before vacuuming it up. Carpet fresheners help eliminate bad odours and add a nice scent.

In terms of suction, it’s best to use a higher setting for long pile and shaggy rugs and a lower setting for low pile rugs. The key to vacuuming rugs is to go slow to allow the airflow to collect the dirt properly and you can also vacuum in different directions to fluff it up. If you have a shaggy rug, its long fibres can block the vacuum’s suction and will only pick up some of the dirt. If this happens, remove the roller attachment and use the nozzle to get deep into the rug’s fibres.

2. Tackle Spilliages Sooner Rather Than Later

When red wine or coffee spills on your luxurious cream rug, it’s a normal reaction for panic to set in as you grab a damp cloth to scrub it. While it’s important to act fast, the scrubbing motion can spread the stain. Instead, dab it with a paper towel to soak up as much liquid as possible. Next, pour enough carpet stain cleaner to cover the stain and work it gently into the fibres with a dry cloth. Leave for 5 minutes and dab the rug again to lift more of the stain. Repeat the process if necessary.

3. Rotate Your Rug

Laying a rug in your hallway or living room is a great way to add style, fill the space, soften noise and protect wooden flooring. However, hallways and living rooms are high-traffic areas so your rug will naturally experience wear and tear, and even colour fade. To maintain it, rotate your rug every 6 months to ensure it is worn evenly.

4. Get A Professional Deep Clean

If you attempt to deep clean your rug yourself using hazardous cleaning products, you could damage the fibres and make it appear worse than what it looked like beforehand. Having your rug steamed can be beneficial in removing stubborn stains. If you don't own a steam cleaner, you can invest in getting your rugs cleaned by a professional who will have special machinery and use rug-friendly treatments to bring them back to life.

Shop Our Range of Stylish Rugs

You can vacuum and deep clean your rug as many times as you want but if it starts to show noticeable signs of wear and tear or stains that won’t budge, you may want to replace it with a new rug. At Toons Furnishers, we have a wide range of stylish rugs from minimal greys and beiges to bold striking patterns. Choose from short, medium, long and loop pile types and pile heights from 0.7 mm to 30 mm.

Whether you are looking for a grey and mustard geometric rug for a bedroom or a cream shaggy rug for your home office or living room, we have plenty of options for all home styles. Our rugs are hand tufted from high-quality materials including 100% wool, jute and heat-set polypropylene with anti-slip backing. These materials are stain-resistant, long-wearing and hypoallergenic. As part of our range, our outdoor rugs are ideal for laying on decking and under patio furniture and our stair runners are ideal for your stairs! Shop our online range today or visit us in-store to see our full range in person.