Rugs make homes vibrant and stylish while it provides comfort to the sole. Since area rugs are placed in high traffic areas– entry doors, bathroom doors, under the kitchen counter, they are easily soiled and harbors dirt quickly.
Most homeowners find washing rugs challenging. Several rugs in the market are sold without any wash labels or instructions. Although you know some of your rugs are made from different fabrics and materials, you have no idea how to care for them. Some of them may be made from more sensitive material than the other.
Thus, you have to safely wash your rug for best results.
Safely Wash Rugs for Best Results
Since it is challenging to wash rugs without fabric content information and wash labels, you should separate them the first time you clean the rug. If you have two or three rugs with the same fabric, you can wash them together.
However, if you plan to wash a large number of rugs, you may want to have your local laundry service provider wash it. You can save time and wash all the rugs at the same time. Moreover, washing them with the help of laundry experts gives you a peace of mind that it will not be damaged.
Before we proceed to washing your rugs, there are things you should know in handling spills and stains on rugs.
How to Deal with Spills
If a liquid spills onto the rug, soak it immediately to ensure it will not penetrate into the yarns. If the liquid has color that might stain the rug, dampen a white cotton cloth to blot the spilled area. Rub the surface smoothly to avoid damaging the rug.
Repeat the process until all the liquid has been absorbed. Once you have cleaned up the spill, let the rug dry completely before putting it back on the floor.
If you are lucky enough to have a stain repellant rug, you do not have to worry about spills and dirt. However, if your rug isn’t and it has stains, you have to do the manual job. You can mix warm water, dishwashing liquid, and white vinegar. The solution can remove tough stains, even mud!
Mud on rugs is best to be left alone and let it dry. Vacuum the mud before washing. If it is impossible for you to remove the stubborn stains, ask assistance from laundry services. They know how to get rid of tough stains.
However, if you got rid of the stains and it is time for you to wash the rugs, simply use the steps further discussed in the article.
Safely Wash Rugs
Keep your rugs cool and looking fresh at home through these steps:
1. Test Rugs for Colorfastness
You can test the colorfastness of the rug by rubbing a clean, damp, white rag or wet cotton swab and rub it into the fibers of the rug. If the color of the rug transfers to the rag or swab, then the dyes will bleed inside the washer. The rugs should be washed separately.
2. Pre-treat Any Stains.
Spills and stains have to be pre-treated immediately to avoid it from settling into the fabric. Inspect the rugs if there are any unnoticeable stains. If you know what caused the stain, use the correct stain removal technique. However, if you are not confident of what caused the stain, use a small amount of heavy-duty liquid detergent to the stain.
Gently rub the liquid onto the stained area or you can use a soft bristle brush. Allow the stain remover to set on the stain for at least 15 minutes before washing.
3. Wash the Rug.
If you have a washable rug, you can use cold water and liquid detergent with it. It is easy to wash the rugs with front-load or top-load washers. You only have to add the detergent, toss in the rugs, and let it spin in high cycle.
If you are using the standard top load washer, you need to have it balanced around the center agitator to avoid wild gyrations that can harm your washing machine. If you do not have enough rugs to balance out, add towels, rags, or shoes.
4. Dry the Rug
After wash, air dry the rugs because heat from the dryer machine can cause shrinkage. If you dry your rug on a dryer rack or clothesline, do not place it under direct sunlight, it can fade the colors.
That’s how you clean the rugs properly.
If you are about to wash rubber-backed rugs, there are a few things you need to remember to protect the rubber.
- Do not use chlorine bleach to disinfect or whiten the rug. It will cause its rubber back to falke off. Instead, use an oxygen-based bleach. Follow the correct method application and make tasks easier. You can soak the rug with oxygen-based blinks for several hours or midnight.
- Use pine oil or Lysol to disinfect washable rugs with rubber backing.
- Do not dry a rubber-backed inside the dryer. Air dry is the safest method for washable rubbers with rubber back. You can let it have a quick tumbler in the dryer without the heat.
Spot Clean-Only Rugs
These types of rugs are braided, handmade, and made of natural fibers. It is the type of rug that’s labeled “spot clean only.” You should not wash them in a regular washer because their materials are easily damaged by the agitation in the machine. You have to clean them by hand.
When doing general cleaning, vacuum the rug regularly. You only have to spot clean any spills or stains. However, if it is quite soiled that you do not know how to handle it, leave the task to professional rug cleaners.
If you are lucky enough to have a rug with a wash label, check it before washing it. If your rug states “dry clean only,” then that’s the time you have to bring the rugs to the dry cleaning professional like lioxclean.com.