Rug Cleaning Tips
Michelle September 8th, 2009
It’s the worse thing that could happen. You’ve just gone out and bought a stylish new rug, only to drop or spill a substance onto its pristine surface. What should you do? Should you throw it in the washer? Should you use a household fabric cleaner? The answer to this will depend largely on what type of rug you have, and also on what type of substance has stained your rug.
One of the great things about rugs is that they are usually relatively easy to clean. Many modern rugs can be machine washed (although you might not want to do this with expensive or more delicate rugs) providing that they are small enough to fit in the machine. Others can be easily hand washed. On a more day-to-day basis, all rugs can be shaken or beaten outside to quickly remove dust and dirt. An ordinary carpet cleaning solution or fabric cleaner can also be effective on some rugs.
Of course, some stains are more difficult to clean and require special attention. In this instance you might want to call in an expert or take your rug to a rug cleaning service. If you feel that you want to tackle that difficult stain on your own, however, here is some advice that might help you. This information was compiled by Nourison and first published on their website (nourison.com). As such this rug cleaning advice is written to be used with Nourison rugs specifically, however it should be relevant to most rugs.
Detergent or white vinegar can be used to remove the following stains: Beer, blood, chewing gum, candy and chocolate, fruit juice, gravy, ice cream, lipstick, mustard, salad dressing, shoe polish, vomit, wine and tea
Urine and excrement can also be removed this way and should be removed immediately as chemicals can damage the dyes used in some rugs. For stains caused by pet urine or feces you should contact a professional cleaner or rug cleaning service.
Fat and oil should be first dabbed clean with tissue, then ironed to evaporate the remaining oil before cleaning with cleaning fluid.
Jam can be removed with nothing more than warm water.
Ink, paint and grass stains should be removed using methylated spirits or turpentine. But remember to use this substance sparingly as it can also remove the dyes used in some rugs. In most cases it would be preferable to consult a specialist rug cleaning service before using this technique.
This advice may be generally useful for Nourison rugs and for other types of rug, but remember that different types of rug will require special attention. Because of this it is important to always check the manufacturers guidelines on the label. When in doubt, or if your rug does not have a label, you should always contact a professional rug cleaner for advice.
If you do accidentally spill something onto your new rug, the most important thing to remember is not to panic. People often make matters worse by acting rashly and hurriedly trying to remove the stain without checking the best way to do this. There is an answer to every problem and your rug can be easily restored with the right know-how.