“How To Clean Your Own Area Rug” Sounds like a good idea – Right? While you might be tempted to clean your own area rug, I’m going to suggest that you think it through first. While there are success stories out there, trust me when I say for every success there are many terrible failures.
Synthetic rugs with a short pile are the easiest rugs for a beginner to clean because they don’t have as many challenges then a natural fiber rug such as wool. That’s not to say you won’t get into trouble, only that you might not get in as much trouble. If you are ready to try rug cleaning, first know your limitations and know what can and very possibly will go wrong.
First of all, not all dyes in rugs are stable and often will bleed. Natural fibers such as wool andsilk are all prone to have dyes bleed. Especially the dark rich colors like red, black and dark blue. I would strongly suggest NOT CLEANING these fibers yourself! Not unless you are willing to take the risk of ruining the rug.
Rugs cannot be wet for extended periods of time, cellulosic fibers especially do not like getting over wet and easily discolor and/or shrink. (so will the other fibers if you do not extract well and dry quickly) Cellulosic fibers have cleaning challenges even for the finest rug cleaner!
Choosing the wrong cleaning solution may end up with color loss or bleeding (colors running into fields of the rugs they are not intended to be). Here at Arizona Oriental we only use cleaning solutions specifically developed and certified for the fibers we are cleaning. Quality cleaning solutions are expensive however we do not cut corners - we always want the best for the rugs we care for!
Do you have the right tools to remove the dry soil collected in your rug. You’ll need to do this prior to cleaning your rug. Improper dusting can damage the fibers or perhaps will not remove enough soil and will cause a MUD effect if you haven’t correctly dusted the rug, leaving the rug stiff and discolored.
I believe most people would never consider cleaning their own teeth since they know to leave that chore up to the expertly trained hygienist. I just can’t imagine anyone wanting to clean their own rug – ESPECIALLY if it is a wool rug. The risk is high that something will go wrong. I know for a fact you’ll NEVER be able to achieve the same level of clean as we do in our professional rug washing facility on EZ Street. Bottom line of cleaning your own rug is DON’T! Not unless you are willing to replace the rug should something go wrong such as bad musty odors, color bleed, shrinkage, etc. I’m sorry I couldn’t have been more helpful, however this is one task I truly believe is best left to the experts.
Till next time, enjoy your beautiful art for your floor and remember a clean rug is a rug that can last you a lifetime!
Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care serves Prescott, Prescott Valley, Sedona and much of the Northern Arizona areas. We meet the highest standards in professional cleaning of area rugs with rug wash specialists having earned the highest training including certification as WOOLSAFE FIBRE CARE SPECIALISTS through the WOOLSAFE ORGANISATION. Such extraordinary certification ensures the area rugs of our client’s receive the utmost in care.
If you have additional questions about how to clean your own area rug here in Prescott AZ or would like information or quotes please call Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care at 928-445-1718, visit our website at www.ArizonaOriental.com, or stop by Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at our rug washing facility at 565 EZ Street, Prescott, AZ 86301 (pick-up and delivery also available).
