How to Get the Most From Your Oriental Rug Cleaning

After purchasing expensive floor coverings for your home, you will want to keep them beautiful for as long as possible. While you can perform some tasks yourself, you should expect to hire an expert for other work. Oriental rug cleaning services should maintain these carpets while avoiding costly damage.

Avoid Soiling

One of the most important tips for keeping your flooring beautiful is to prevent soiling from occurring in the first place. With this mindset, enforce a household rule against shoes in your home, especially on your Oriental rugs. Instead, have people either go barefoot or sock-footed as they walk around the house. Above all else, never allow anyone in high heels to walk on your floors, as significant damage can occur to the fibers.

Assess the Level of Dirt

Before performing any Oriental rug cleaning, ensure that the surfaces truly require your attention. Unnecessary scouring and scrubbing can shorten the life of carpet fibers. Generally, most carpets require tidying once per year, but you may be able to stretch this out to once every two or three years. To assess the level of dirt, lift a corner and nudge the back of the carpet with your toe firmly. If you see dirt and debris flying from the fibers, it’s time to get busy. You can also assess the dirt level by rubbing your hand briskly across the pile for about 10 seconds. If your hand appears dirty after this, it’s time for some scrubbing. You also may be able to see soiling at the foundation of the carpet, indicating that you have some work to do.

Do-it-Yourself Tasks

Perform some do-it-yourself Oriental rug cleaning by vacuuming both sides of the surface thoroughly. You can also shampoo both sides of the surface with mild dish detergent or an ammonia solution. Scrub the surfaces gently with a brush or a sponge, taking care to use linear movements instead of circular ones to avoid damaging the fibers. Rinse the surface well with clear water to rinse away the detergent. Keep the carpet flat while it dries, alternating between placing it face up and face down, until it dries completely. After it dries, fluff the pile gently with a clean brush.

Specific Issues

If serious spills or stains occur, treat them promptly to avoid permanent stains. Food spills can result in permanent stains, so blot up as much of the food as possible with an absorbent towel. After blotting, dilute the stain with cold water. Pet messes can also result in permanent staining and odors. After blotting up as much of the moisture as possible, apply a solution of white vinegar and cool water to neutralize the odors. After applying the vinegar solution, switch to cool water to rinse and finish. Avoid harsh scrubbing, because you can damage fibers. Always follow the natural nap of the carpet as you work. Call a professional if you cannot remove stains or odor.

Keep your flooring beautiful with prudent Oriental rug cleaning. Following the proper steps should keep the colors vibrant and the fibers plush for years to come.