Mistakes to Avoid When You Clean Area Rugs

Area rugs can bring comfort, warmth, and a pop of color to just about any room. They can also protect your flooring and help dampen sound. While there are several benefits of introducing area rugs into your living environment, it’s important to take the time to care for them through proper cleaning. Unfortunately, many homeowners make crucial mistakes when they try to clean area rugs. 

Learn more about these common errors and how to avoid them below.

Errors You Could Be Making as You Clean Area Rugs

Tackling the issue of cleaning area rugs isn’t quite as simple as cleaning some of the many other textiles found in your home. Their bulky nature and tendency to collect quite a lot of dirt and dust can make this process a bit challenging. As a result, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to end up in a cycle of trial and error that could either damage the rug or lead to less-than-thorough cleaning. 

Here are some of the mistakes that often come into the picture:

Saturating the rug with liquid. 

You may think that the only way to wash your rug is to use a large amount of water. However, over-wetting a rug can cause a number of problems. One is that it takes a long time for the rug to dry afterward, leaving it vulnerable to the growth of mold and mildew that will ruin your cleaning efforts. Overwetting can also result in the dyes in the rug bleeding, wrecking the colorful design that attracted you to it in the first place. 

Making stains worse by scrubbing too vigorously. 

When an accident results in a spill on your rug, you might quickly jump into action and start scrubbing it with a moist towel. While working quickly is key to preventing stains from setting into the rug’s fibers, rubbing is a no-no. This action will actually cause the color to sink even further into your rug, and could also result in staining yet-untouched fibers, making the spot broader and deeper than before. 

Choosing the wrong cleaning solution.  

When it comes to cleaning your rug, you can’t assume that just any cleaning product will do the trick. Many cleaning supplies are too harsh for this purpose and can break down rug fibers or cause colors to fade. Some products can even leave behind a residue that dirt will stick to, making your rug feel soiled and unclean soon after cleaning it. 

Enjoy Clean Area Rugs with Help From Chem-Dry

Using DIY methods to clean area rugs simply comes with too many risks and a lot of trial and error. To make sure your area rug is properly cleaned the first go-around and isn’t damaged in the process, call on the professional team at Chem-Dry. We know how to choose the right approach for different types of textiles, from synthetic rugs to natural fibers such as wool, cotton, or silk.

We always begin by conducting a close analysis of your rug to determine whether it should be taken off-site for a rug bath or cleaned using our specialized equipment in your home. No matter which route is taken, you can trust that we will avoid over-wetting your rug and work hard to remove some of the most stubborn spots and stains. 

Our cleaning solutions are carefully selected to avoid the potential for damage or bleeding dyes. Furthermore, they won’t leave behind a dirt-attracting residue, meaning you can count on your rug feeling fresh, plush, and clean for longer.

Don’t let common errors prevent you from enjoying clean area rugs! Simply get started with the experienced rug cleaning team at Chem-Dry. Reach out to us today at (800) CHEM-DRY to find a professional technician working in your area.