by Staff Writer
Buying a nice area rug can be an investment. Protect your investment with care. Proper care and maintenance is the key to extending the life of your new area rug. The following steps will help you treat your rug with the care it needs to stay looking its best for years to come.
Choose the right kind of care for different rugs. Before you break out the harsh solvents, consider what kind of rug you have. A handmade wool rug may need more delicate handling than a machine-made synthetic rug. A wool rug will need different care than a jute rug. Hand-knotted or hand-tufted rugs may require special cleaning and stain-removal techniques, depending on the materials used in the rug. Rugs in high-traffic areas, such as hallways and family rooms, will need more frequent maintenance than rugs under coffee tables that rarely get stepped on. Always follow the manufacturer's care instructions to keep your rugs in good condition.
The first thing you should do after you buy a rug is purchase a non-slip rug pad to place underneath it. A rug pad protects your floor and helps your rug stay in place. Without the constant friction of moving around, your rug will wear more slowly and will certainly last longer. Rug pads not only improve the longevity of the rug, but they also prevent slips and falls. A non-slip rug pad will prevent the rug from slipping or wrinkling as well as protect wood floors from scratches and scuffs.
One small but significant step you can take to keep your rug in good condition is to vacuum it every week. To prevent dirt from being pushed deeper into the fibers while vacuuming, try to vacuum in the direction of the pile. Many manufacturers recommend disabling beater bars on wool rugs, and rotor vacuums shouldn't be used on Persian rugs or other delicate rugs. Avoid shaking out your rug instead of vacuuming it as this can increase wear and loosen fibers.
Rotate your rug 180 degrees every two or three months to ensure that it is being worn evenly. This practice makes certain that the entire surface of the rug is used and endures the same amount of foot traffic. Rotate the rug away from beams of sunlight to prevent one side from fading more than the other.
Properly treating inevitable stains and spills is also important for maintaining your rug. Never rub the stain but gently blot it, instead. Rubbing only forces the stain to penetrate further into the rug. If you choose to use a rug cleanser, first try out the product on a small and unnoticeable area to make sure the product won't damage the rug fibers or colors. If all else fails, contact a professional cleaning company. Your rug should be professionally cleaned once every two years anyway. This cleaning can be performed at a dry cleaner or through a cleaning service that comes to your home.
