Care & Cleaning

The beauty and life of your carpet depend on the care it receives. Proper cleaning will keep it looking great for its full lifetime, help improve your indoor air quality and keep your carpet warranties intact.

However, cleaning your carpet properly is easier than you think. Rugs will vary in the care they require. A hand-tufted wool rug needs to be treated differently too, say, a silk-blend rug. The most important thing you can do is hold onto the care instructions you’ll be given when you buy a new rug. Follow them closely and you shouldn’t have too many issues.

Keeping your rug clean will extend its lifespan. After the shedding has stopped and the pile is set, vacuum (or use a broom) as often as necessary. This sounds rather vague, but only you can know how many dusty feet parade across your room. A vacuum with a rotating brush is best for low-cut pile rugs, but turn the brush off (or change the head) for loop-pile rugs to prevent excess fuzzing.

Always clean it thoroughly at least once a week. Even rooms which are hardly used should be vacuumed every two weeks or so because there is always some dust settling on floors and furniture. Do this and you’ll be happy since a clean rug will live longer.

Stains

Spills are a part of life, the sooner you discover them and do something about them the better. Directions for removing a stain will depend on what you’ve spilled, but there’s no need to panic: just act quickly. Absorb as much moisture as you can with a cloth or paper towels.

A few other words of advice.

Professional cleaning every year or two will do wonders to revitalize your rug and keep it clean. To keep your rug from being damaged by heavy table legs or furniture it’s important to rotate it every 6 months. Avoid exposing your rug to direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time. This may cause fading and affect the tones in the rug – unless of course, you prefer a faded look. Another thing to keep in mind is temperature.

Another way to ensure a long life is not to vacuum too much. Today’s vacuums may be too aggressive, especially if there is hard floor underneath. Vacuum from side to side, not end-to-end, so you don’t grab the fringe. Once a year, take the rug outside and vacuum the back to get embedded dirt out that causes fiber wear. Then vacuum the top again. If you whack a corner and see a dust poof, it needs to be washed.