One of the best accessories a person can add to their house or living area is a rug. A rug can instantly dress up and decorate any room. But owning a rug merits its own set of responsibilities such as rug cleaning. Without proper rug maintenance a rug can be permanently stained and/or irreparably damaged. To prevent such extreme cases it is best to regularly call professional rug cleaners. But if you cant afford such a service then it is best to clean your own rug. It may seem like a daunting task but following these steps youll have a clean rug in no time.

In many cultures in which hand woven rugs are widely used it is very common for people to remove their shoes before stepping on a rug. To prolong the life of your rug you should adopt and enforce this practice as well. Certain types of shoes like heels, boots, or anything with cleans can severely damage a rug, as well as drag in unwanted dirt from outside.

Cleaning a rug can take a while so it is best to make sure your rug needs cleaning in the first place. There are 2 ways to test your rug for dirt. You can pick up one of the corners of your rug, and kick the back of it. Carefully watch and see if a cloud of dirty wafts out. If so then you should clean the rug. Another way is to rub your hand across the rug. If your hand is covered in dirt and dust after rubbing the carpet then you should also clean your rug.

If you decide to clean your rug yourself first remove it from the room and place it outside or in a well ventilated area. Sweep and mop up the floor to remove any excess dust and dirt left behind by the rug. Now to begin rug cleaning, vacuum both sides carefully. Take your time and move carefully across the rug. You dont want to pull any lose threads off. Then shampoo the rug with a mixture of cool water and rug shampoo. If you dont have any rug shampoo available a mild soap will work as well. Before scrubbing make sure you hang up the rug on a close line of some sort. Test a small corner of the rug first to see if your soap will cause the color to run. If it does switch to a different soap or buy rug shampoo. Using a long hair brush with soft bristles scrub the rug. Make sure you follow the weave with your motion. Dont scrub against the grain as it will pull threads out. Then rinse the rug with a hose or running water. If you dont have a hose available continually pour water over the rug. Remove any excess water and lay the rug flat to dry. Turn it over to thoroughly dry both sides. After the rug is dry carefully vacuum it to make it soft again.

With proper care you can make your rug last a long time. It will be looking its best and will surely impress everyone. But if you feel you dont have the time or the means to clean your own rug it is best to call in the professionals.