Area Rugs: How to keep them looking great and help them last longer.
Oriental and designer area rugs can be very expensive. A large one, like an 8×10 or a 9×12 can easily cost well over a thousand dollars. Following these helpful hints and having us professionally clean them at least once a year will help them last longer.
Hint 1: Place an outdoor welcome mat in front of every entrance to your home to act as a receptacle for whatever shoes and wheels drag in. You may also want to place an inexpensive rug inside. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Shake or beat these mats outside at least once a week.
Hint 2: Vacuum regularly. Frequent vacuuming can work wonders to keep dirt from grinding into your rug and making itself at home there permanently. If possible, try to vacuum once per week for each person or pet in your home.
Hint 3: Go shoeless, but not barefooted. Take off your outdoor shoes when you get home and wear slippers or walk around in your socks. Lotions and/or natural oils from your feet can transfer to rugs and cause them to soil rapidly.
Hint 4: Freshen your rugs with herbs, spices, and baking soda to keep them smelling good without using artificial chemicals. Make sure your rugs are dry, then sprinkle a little dried thyme, rosemary or lavender mixed with a little baking soda on them. Let it sit a few minutes, then vacuum thoroughly. If you have pets, try a little borax mixed with rosemary to help keep fleas away. But, be very careful while this mixture is sitting, because it can be toxic if ingested.
Hint 5: Shake it and/or beat it every few weeks. If your rug is small enough to move without hurting yourself, take it outside and shake it and/or beat it. to loosen dirt.
Hint 6: Clean up spills and accidents immediately. If you don’t, they are more likely to set and will be much harder to remove. They can even become permanent stains.
Use a clean white towel to remove as much of the spill as possible, and test the rug on an inconspicuous area for colorfastness before you use anything else.
- Club soda can remove many acidic stains, like coffee, wine, or juice.
- For greasy stains, blot the stain with isopropyl alcohol or surgical spirits.
- For juice and berry stains, try a little white vinegar.
Hint 7: Put a pad under it to act as a shock absorber and prevent matting.. If you have a large rug in a high traffic area, this is extra important. Inexpensive pads are available in most home improvement stores and can be ordered online.
Hint 8: Rotate your rug frequently, so it wears evenly.
Hint 9: Remember that rugs and carpet are like giant filters that trap dirt, dust and allergens. So even if your rugs look good, have us clean them once a year to keep your indoor environment healthy.
Oriental and designer area rugs are an investment that add beauty, softness, warmth and elegance to any room. We can help you make them last with these helpful hints.
“Dry Solutions is the best; no doubt about it! I have a beautiful oriental rug, but it had a terrible stain. Over the span of 15 years, I used a variety of professional cleaners but none of them could remove the stain until I called this business. Chris, the owner, is a perfectionist. He gets the job done right. No problem. Even the difficult jobs are a piece of cake for him. I would never consider using any other company.”
~Sunny Mendelson, Palm Beach Gardens FL
