How to Clean Area Rugs: A 5-Step Guide

Area rugs offer the best of two worlds. You get at least some of the soft-under-foot comfort of a wall-to-wall carpet, and you can enjoy how they look over a beautiful floor. 

But there’s one more advantage over carpeting that you may not realize until it’s time to clean your area rug. Unless it’s a particularly large area rug, you can literally pick up the rug and clean it front and back.

5 Steps to Clean Your Area Rug

You’ll need to take your rug outdoors to clean it. That means finding a time during the summer where you’ll have good weather for at least a few days (time for the rug to properly dry). Once you’re ready to go, here’s how to clean your rug.

• Set-Up the Outdoor Cleaning Area – It’ll need to be on your deck, patio or driveway because the cleaning agents may kill our grass. You’ll need something large and strong enough to hang the rug in half. A clothesline is probably too weak, especially when the rug gets wet. A strong fence will work.
• Vacuum the Rug – You can do this before you take the rug outside. Thoroughly vacuum the nap of the rug. Then flip it over and do the same for the underside.
• Hang the Rug and Wash It – Before you start, test the shampoo on a small, out of the way corner of the rug. When you’re ready to begin, rinse the rug with your garden hose, making sure it is wet throughout. Work the shampoo into the nap of the rug with medium-soft bristles. Be ready to take the time to clean every section of the rug and to spend more time on high-traffic areas and stains.
• Rinse the Rug – The shampoo you choose may specify that it should be left on the rug for a length of time. When ready, thoroughly rinse away the shampoo, taking care to get all of it out of the rug
  
• Let the Rug Dry Completely – This will likely take more than a day. Be careful about leaving the rug in the sun as that might fade its colour. If bad weather is expected, like high wind or rain, you may need to move the rug into your garage or basement, but that might extend the drying time. The rug must be completely dry before you can put it back on your floors. Vacuum the rug again once the rug dries.

But there’s an easier way to clean your area rug. And it only has one step. Call Parkers. We’ll pick up your rug; bring it to our facility; have our rug cleaning specialists give it a thorough, professional cleaning; and then bring right back to you, clean, dry and smelling fresh. 

To learn more about the joy of a clean rug, check out our article “Cleaning Up Underfoot”