Top 10 Tips for Area Rug Care (Print and give to customers)

[Rob Allen]

I think it would be cool to have a top 10 Area Rug care Tips to print or put on websites/printed materiel. I will re-edit as we build a perfect Top 10. Here is what I have come up with so far....

1) Vacuum Regularly-To preserve the like new condition of your fine area rugs be sure to vacuum regularly. Don't be fooled by it's appearance, soil;s, especially airborne build up over time and can cause permanent damage. So vacuum often!!


2) Clean Spills Immediately!- Gently blot, never rub, with a soft white terry cloth towel. Follow up with a color safe neutral ph cleaning solution. For a simple DIY mild cleaner, mix 1/4 teaspoon of non-bleach dish-washing detergent with 1 quart of distilled water and follow above steps. If unsuccessful call us!

3) Use a Rug pad- A small affordable rug pad can extend the life of your rug, protect the floors beneath,and help hold rugs safely in place.

4) Avoid Direct Sun Exposure-Use window blinds or shades to prevent fading and color loss.

5) Leave Dirt Outside-Use doormats, wipe feet well or remove shoes when coming from outdoors.

[Scott W]

Do not use off the shelf cleaning products for your rug. If a damp cloth or the above tips won't remove a stain, call us your Oriental rug specialists.

Turn or rotate the direction of the rug every 6 months to even out the wear.

Wool hides a lot of soil! Your rug may be damaged by abrasive soil before you even notice it loks dirty. Have your rugs cleaned every 18 to 24 months.

[LisaWagner]

The best course of action with spills is to blot. If you need to flush out any sugars, then opt for club soda (NOT baking soda) - you can create a problem for your clients if you start giving them detergent information to use on wool rugs, as dyes many times are potentially not colorfast. They might read "detergent" as their laundry soap - and most people have no clue what neutral is.

They may also get the area TOO wet, and leave the cotton foundation damp too long, which can lead to mildew and dry rot.

Lisa

[LisaWagner]

Rugs are meant to be given a bath for a thorough cleaning, so do not have your rugs cleaned on-site in your home with surface cleaning methods.

(If anyone wants me to expand on the reasons why surface cleaning is harmful to oriental and investment grade rugs - let me know, and I'll go deeper on this in this thread.)

Lisa

www.TheRugChick.com

[John L]

Vacuum slowly pulling against the pile direction. Be very careful not to catch the rug fringe in the vacuum brush roller.

[LisaWagner]

I have them vacuum side to side rather than along the length - this alleviates the fringe risk IF they are using a beater bar vacuum.

If they have a canister vacuum, or an upholstery attachment, then they can easily vacuum the rugs to lift off the dust that has settled on the surface of the rug, and there is NO risk of abrasion, wear, or fringe damage. It's also a good way to dust hanging rugs which need to be dusted regularly also, but often get forgotten.

Lisa

[Rug Washer]

Lisa we tell our customers to turn their rugs every 6 months and while they're at it Vacuum the back. Do you think I should tell them not to do that. Also in all the years I've been doing this I've never seen a Rug that was worn out from Proper Vacuuming. Have you?

[LisaWagner]

Ron - sorry for the delay on this. I have clients dust weekly with their canister vac or uphostery tool - literally DUSTING the piece because the issue after cleaning is not ground in soil, but the layers of dust that settle on the surface of the fibers.

The danger with beater bar vacuums can be if they have it on the LOWEST setting - it IS abrasive, though on the back not as much. But also grabbing fringes and sides causes damage. We repair that often.

Rugs don't need a beating often - they just need to be dusted - not with a heavy Badger and the like, but simple weekly care.

Hope that makes sense,
Lisa

[Rug Washer]

Lisa my advice was not correct, every 12 months makes sure the rug gets four seasons of light and wear before you turn it. DUH!
I do agree a heavy Badger is on most rugs overkill, we do however use an air tool set at a low psi as to not distort the fibers and a good ol Eureka.

[leofry]

Lisa i belive you but for educational purpose go in deeper on why not to due onsite cleaning