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Are the rugs in your home in need of a good cleaning? Each rug is different, but with a few basic cleaning supplies, you can keep your rugs looking great. In this post, I’m sharing my favorite rugs throughout my home and how I keep them clean.
Feeling overwhelmed with the thought of picking out rugs for your home and how to maintain their appearances? I’ve got you covered! Let’s chat about rug maintenance and how to keep them looking fresh and clean.
What is the Best Way to Clean Rugs at Home?
Throughout this blog post, I’m going to share the different ways I clean various materials your rug may be made out of. Since there is some form of rug in almost every room of my house, I’ve got a mixture of options for the type of rug you are looking for.
In general, the first step is to remove debris and dirt. A quick vacuuming normally does the trick! I’d start by first giving your rug a good shaking outdoors and/or a thorough vacuuming. This stick vacuum is my top recommendation. I use it all over the house!
Next, if your rug can handle shampoo and warm water, the Bissell Little Green Machine is a favorite of mine. I love using it to clean my sofas, but it works on some rugs as well. We use it mostly to spot clean and also on the edges of our dining room rug.
A lot of rug materials though can’t handle deep cleaning and quite frankly, don’t need it. Especially if it’s a low-traffic area, vacuuming and spot cleaning is all it takes. The Folex spot treatment spray is the one cleaning product I think everyone should have. There is no rinsing, no odor, and it works on SO many different stubborn stains.
The Best Rug Cleaning Supplies
Instead of a long list of cleaning supplies, I like to keep the cleaning process simple! I use a high-quality spot cleaner for getting up pet stains and spills on any small area of the rug, and a high-powered vacuum cleaner for collecting dust and dirt.
- Dyson V15 Detect Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
- BISSELL Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner
- FOLEX Instant Carpet Spot Remover
- Optional: Nature’s Miracle Rug Shampoo
Cleaning Dog Hair Off Rugs
No one is talking about all of the dog hair that inevitably ends up on your rugs but let’s face it, so many of us have dogs so it’s a constant frustration.
I have an Amazon tool you MUST try if you are a dog owner constantly finding piles of hair stuck to your area rugs like I do.
This pet hair remover is the best! It’s a good idea to roll it back and forth on your rugs (or couches, chairs, etc.) while it collects the pet hair.
You’ll see in the photo after a solid few minutes of rolling just how much hair it picked up! I’ve found that it grabs a lot that the vacuum misses. Especially on a flat surface like a rug. I truly can’t live without this thing.
My Dining Room Rug – Natural Fiber Rugs
Do you have a natural fiber rug you’re trying to clean? You’re in luck! I have a pretty large natural fiber rug in my dining room.
I’ve had this rug under my dining table for about two years. While it’s in an inconspicuous area and is not a heavy foot traffic area, it’s held up great. I’ve found a few tips and tricks for cleaning it along the way.
The first thing to know is that natural fiber is very absorbent. It will hold water which makes cleaning hard. You don’t want it to hold onto too much moisture and become moldy.
To clean it, I vacuum it with this stick vacuum and spot treat any dirt and stains with Folex spray.
I have also used my carpet cleaner on the outside border, but not on the sisal fibers since it is not recommended to shampoo, steam clean, or power wash natural fiber rugs.
Guest Room Rug – Hand Woven Wool and Jute Rugs
My guest room area rug has been so popular. Everyone seems to love it – and I can see why! The neutral colors are great for styling with various other colors. It is made of both jute and sisal material.
To clean this type of material, it is similar to cleaning natural fibers and other delicate rugs. I’d focus more on spot cleaning with Folex spray rather than doing a more thorough cleaning. This material is very delicate and does best in low-traffic areas as well.
Natural fibers and jute are not the most comfortable materials to stand on anyway (and a pain to clean) so I’d try to keep them in low traffic areas regardless of what rooms you use them in.
Bathroom Rugs – Polyester Microfiber
Bathroom rugs always seem to get makeup stains, dirt, dust, hair, product spills, etc. These scalloped rugs have been fairly easy to clean though!
They are made of polyester microfiber so they are machine washable. Isn’t that great news after the last two materials we’ve covered? Finally, something easy to clean!
Just throw these in the washing machine with some towels and you’ll be good to go. I don’t worry about spot-treating these since it’s so easy to throw in the washer. I’ve done this several times with these rugs and never had any issues.
For the drying process, I either tumble dry them on low in the dryer or hang them to dry. These rugs have truly been one of my best buys!
Kitchen Runner – 100% Polyester
Let me introduce you to the greatest cleaning hack. For high-traffic areas, invest in washable rugs. This runner in the kitchen is the first one I’ve ever bought and I am hooked!
It’s fully made of polyester (so it is one of my synthetic rugs) and is quite literally the easiest rug you could buy to keep clean. We have washed this rug several times already! It gets walked on so regularly by us and our dog. Plus, I sometimes spill things on it while cooking.
Let me tell you how easy it is to clean and how I maintain it. If a small spill occurs, most of the time it will just bubble up rather than stain. So, you can wipe it up in one swoop! I have not had to use ANY spot treatment sprays on this rug. Sometimes I’ll wipe it down with cold water and a soft brush, but rarely at that. Isn’t that incredible?
Once it’s time for a full cleaning, throw the entire rug in your washing machine! No carpet cleaners, fancy rug vacuums, or fancy cleaning solutions are required.
This size is perfect for washing in your machine at home, but I am not sure about the larger size area rugs. You’d probably just have to give it a try! I have had this rug for 3 years and this picture is what it looks like today. So, I’m pretty pleased with how it’s held up.
Cleaning Wool Rugs
If you’re tackling a wool rug, the biggest tip I have for you is to check the manufacturer’s instructions. Wool rugs can vary in how they need to be cleaned. One thing is consistent though – regular vacuuming is essential.
Wool rugs will look transformed after a good vacuuming. They are prone to holding onto loose dirt so this tip is a must. After you vacuum, you may need to spot clean or deep clean with hot water. Again, looking into the care instructions will be key. Hopefully, they are in fine print on the care label or tag, or you can Google the brand and style rug to find results.
My Favorite Rugs for Easy Cleaning
These are my favorite large area rugs that are available online and are beautiful, timeless, and classic!
Sources:
One / Two / Three / Four / Five / Six / Seven / Eight / Nine
Conclusion
Rugs can totally transform a room and make the atmosphere more cozy and inviting. Don’t think you have to hire a professional cleaner to spruce up those rugs! The good news? With a bit of special care, your rugs can look brand new again.
Don’t overthink the maintenance and cleaning routines. Spot clean, regularly vacuum, and enjoy these rugs in your home!
