If you only know how much dirt and grime lurk in your carpet, you will think twice before you step over it without cleaning. Outlined below are cleaning tips for your area rug based on the material: How To Clean A Oriental Rug – An oriental rug is most commonly constructed of heavy textiles (wool, cotton or even silk) and utilized primarily for utilitarian and symbolic purposes. Colorful rugs are an attractive addition to any room. They enhance the space, add warmth, and feel really good under your feet. To prolong the life of your rug, you have to keep it clean and well-maintained.A wall to wall rug or carpet is a great embellishment for any flooring; however everyday foot traffic, dust, and dirt can make it grimy. Knowing exactly how to clean a rug will help it appear nicer and last longer. Periodic maintenance is key to a clean carpet. Part of your periodic or regular maintenance will have to be removing stains, spills, dirt, and grime on a daily basis.

Small Rugs Made of Synthetic Materials

If you only know how much dirt and grime lurk in your carpet, you will think twice before you step over it without cleaning. Outlined below are cleaning tips for your area rug based on the material:

Huge Area Rugs

You can keep this rug clean by hiring an expert and have it deep cleaned annually. But, in between, you can always vacuum them and spot clean stains immediately as they happen. If the rug dye is colorfast, you can damp it, cleaning the area with a sponge and seltzer. If the dye is not, use 4 parts of cold water and 1 part vinegar, then sprinkle cornstarch on top, let it stay and vacuum clean after a day.

Small Cotton or Wool Rugs

You can wash the colorfast area rugs by hand using a mild detergent, soft-bristled brush or sponge. Rinse them thoroughly with water mixed with a dollop of white vinegar to get rid of the residue. Hang them to dry.

Wall To Wall Rug or Wall To Wall Carpet

You may want to rent a steam rug cleaner for your wall to wall carpet. But, this kind of cleaning work is best left to the experts. You can clean it fast but you must wear a white sock until such time that it is 100% dry. To maintain the cleanliness of the rug, you can clean it by spot cleaning with a cotton pad. Blot with water or mild carpet cleaner to get rid of stains.After you have familiarized yourself with the basic types of carpet and how to easily clean them, you can clean your area rug based on the stain types they get daily or occasionally.

How To Clean A Rug Based On Stain Type

Mud

Allow for the mud to dry up. Try to break mud particles into tiny pieces and start vacuuming. Mix in some liquid detergent soap with warm water and place it on the muddy area. Gently dab it with soft cloth or sponge. Pat it to dry.

Ketchup and Other acids

Create a mixture of 1 tbsp. ammonia and 1 cup of warm water in a spray bottle. Spray some cleaning solution on the ketchup or other acids that stained the rug. Blot dry the liquid from the carpet with a towel. You can also use hydrogen peroxide for deep cleaning if the aforementioned solution fails to work.

Grease, Oil, Makeup, Crayon

Start by scraping as much of the stain as you can off the rug. Use a piece of cloth with rubbing alcohol and rub over the soiled part. Pat it dry with a clean towel. You can repeat the process until such time as the stain is entirely removed.

Rust

To remove rust stains, place lemon juice on the stain. Then, sprinkle it with some cream of tartar. Allow the solution to sit for 10-15 minutes or until such time that the rust is totally obliterated. Blot dry the area with a clean damp cloth. Never attempt to scrub the stain.

Fruit Juice, Berries, or Blood

Place a cap or two of hydrogen peroxide on the stain. Use the 3% solution food grade quality that is available in many supermarkets or drug stores. Allow it to sit for about 5-10 minutes. Wipe it with a clean damp cloth and towel it dry.

How Often To Clean A Rug

Ideally, you have to observe deep rug cleaning at least once a year. If it is used in a very high-foot-traffic-area, then it is strongly recommended that you clean it once every six months. To ascertain whether or not the rug needs cleaning, place your hand on the fibers of the rug and rub it for approximately 10-30 seconds. When you see a lot of dust flying off the rug, then you definitely have to go to a reputable rug cleaning company. This test can be used to know whether or not you need your oriental rugs cleaned.

Professional Rug Cleaning

Expensive and high quality handmade oriental rugs or Turkish rugs require professional rug cleaning to ensure their beauty and durability. The use of bleach and harsh chemicals are not recommended for use on these rugs as they can cause permanent damage to its natural fibers. Many companies selling these rugs also offer cleaning services to ensure they are kept clean and beautiful for longer. Professional rug cleaning can fully restore your rug’s original luster, appearance, color, and overall look. If you do not know exactly how to handle these rugs, it may be best to go to the expert rug cleaners in your area to have your oriental rug professionally cleaned.

Cleaning Oriental Area Rugs At Home

Cleaning these rug types at home is not a good practice especially for the expensive and high-quality types that are made of pure wool or silk. You can, however, clean these cotton and blended wool rugs at home after you have carefully checked on and followed the manufacturer’s instructions. You can start by vacuuming the rug to let the loose particles out, then wash it with cold water and a very gentle detergent. Air dry it naturally and make sure it is not in contact with direct sunlight.If you elect to manually cleaning your oriental rug at home, we have outlined the steps you can follow. These steps are intended for your oriental rug made of wool, remember delicate fabric rugs made of silk must not be cleaned by you, but instead professionally cleaned by rug cleaners.

Step 1 – Remove the loose dirt

You can remove the loose dirt by vacuuming your oriental rug. Start by vacuuming the top part with the help of the suction hand attachment only. Turn your rug upside down and thoroughly vacuum the rug entirely. This must be done as a routine or regular oriental rug cleaning process performed at least once a month to help reduce the level of dirt that often gets caught down on the fibers of the rug.

Step 2 – The fringes of oriental rug shouldn’t be vacuumed

Your oriental rug will have fringes on its edges; do not vacuum any of these. When you vacuum these they will be damaged by the bristles of the vacuum which creates some stress on the fiber or worse — breaks them while sucking them all up inside the vacuum cleaner. Just tuck them under the rug, if you happen to have some fringes caught on the vacuum, turn it off and carefully remove the fringe manually to avoid any torn or damaged fringes.

Step 3 – Dusting the rug

You can dust your oriental rug by placing it in a vertical position outside your home, Make use of a broom handle or mop handle to gently beat the oriental rug to dust off the dirt that gets stuck to the rug. This will emit a lot of dust, so make sure to have a mask on and keep it outside your home when dusting.

Step 4 – Vacuum the rug once again

The moment all of the dust is gotten rid of, you must clean your rug thoroughly to get rid of any remaining dirt or dust that was loosened from the dusting or as indicated in step 3. This means a repeat vacuuming.

Step 5 – Prep the cleaning area

Make sure to clean any dirt or dust in the area that you are cleaning with rug using soap and hose. Have your driveway cleaned and place your oriental rug in a sloping area to avoid water from getting pooled on it.

Step 6 – Wet the rug

The moment you place your rug in a clean place, have it face down on the reverse side facing up. Check the direction of the pile. Then, soak the rug with cold running water in the same direction as the oriental rug pile; you can use a garden hose for this purpose. Soak the rug thoroughly and evenly as much as possible.

Step 7 – Shampooing the rug

Have your bucket filled with water — 3 to 5 gallons, add mild liquid detergent, and mix it all together. If needed, you can add more detergent as you see fit. Test the area before you apply it to the entire rug. You can also have someone assist you with the cleaning and use a clean, soft-bristled brush to clean your rug. Do not scrub it too hard, as you can cause agitation to the fibers of the carpet. Make it a point that the brush bristles are coming in direct contact with the back side of your rug, scrubbing it up and down, back and forth. Repeat if needed and add more water and detergent mixture.

Step 8 – Rinse and repeat the process

Clean the rug thoroughly and make sure that no detergent is left in the rug. You will have to continue to remove all the suds in the rug. Flip it over and repeat the step above. This time you have to work on the brush towards the direction of the pile. Never scrub, or agitate the fiber with a back and forth movement. Once it is thoroughly free from suds, you can begin the drying process.

Step 9 – Drying an oriental rug

After all the suds from the mixture have been thoroughly removed and the rug is completely clean, get rid of the excess water by squeezing it out of the rug. The moment you are done squeezing the rug, you can place some dried towels on the rug and slowly walk or stomp on them to help absorb the water or moisture in the rug. When you have removed the water, take the rug somewhere indoors, like the garage, and hang it up to air dry. Both sides of your oriental rug will require ample air circulation to dry. You can dry it faster by using a fan. Do not use heating lamps or lighting to dry the rug as it can become damaged and warped once it’s all dry. Also, do not leave the rug outdoors under direct heat or sunlight for an extended period of time as it can drastically fade the rug color. After drying, you can gently rub your hand over it, or vacuum it once more to get rid of the stiffness. That’s one clean oriental rug!