Cleaning Rugs: Should You Hire a Professional or Do It Yourself?

Whether they are sophisticated pieces from the likes of Tamarian or Tufenkian or simple floor coverings, rugs are a terrific way to complement a room. They can pull the colors in the room together to create a defined atmosphere. But apart from style, rugs are also used to reduce noise, add warmth, and provide comfort underfoot.

Rugs can be pretty complicated to keep clean and if you’ve spent good money on one, you’re probably wondering if you should hire a professional to do the job or attempt to clean it on your own.

In this article, we’ll outline the pros and cons for each method.

Should You Hire a Professional to Clean Your Rugs?

The answer to this question is always determined by four factors: time, labor, money, and the rug’s price.

If you opt to clean the rug yourself, you’re going to have to set aside a few hours of your weekend to accomplish the job. Rugs are heavy and it can be a hassle to remove it from the house to whack the dirt off. And that’s not even counting the hours you’ll need to educate yourself about the various cleaning products and processes needed for your specific material.

Having said that, doing your rug cleaning by yourself will cut expenses. Moreover, you will learn how to correctly clean the rug, which will be crucial to extend its lifetime.

Meanwhile, electing to hire a professional cleaning does come with its own perks. Chief among them is the type of service you’ll receive for your rugs.

A rug cleaning company has extensive knowledge about the various solutions that are needed by a specific material. They’ll know the types of solutions that can be used to treat certain stains and can remove them without damaging the rug.

Moreover, a professional cleaning company has access to machines and equipment to properly get the job done. If you have reason to believe that your rug has been compromised by COVID-19, a rug cleaning professional can thoroughly treat the rug and its fibers to eradicate the virus.

With regards to the average price that you’d have to pay for professional rug cleaning, HomeAdvisor ballparks this to around $200 for your typical 4×8 and 6×10 foot rug. For a more specific figure, rug cleaning prices are around $1.25 to $8 per square foot, depending on the cleaning method, rug material, and additional treatment done by the company.

Important Reminders When Cleaning Your Rugs by Yourself

First thing you’ll need to know when you clean rugs by yourself is the kind you own. This is significant since different kinds need for different cleaning techniques. You then would be interested in learning the fundamental procedures used in cleaning synthetic and natural fibres.

1. Prepare your cleaning tools

Vacuums are one of the primary tools you’ll need to suck out the accumulated dirt on your rugs. It’s also a great way to keep the rugs clean by vacuuming frequently, with the recommendation falling between two to four times per month.

Among other things are a broom or a tennis racket, a mild detergent solution, a couple of sponges, tap water, and a hairdryer. Mix one cup of tap water with one half teaspoon of a light dishwashing detergent such as Joy for the detergent solution.

2. Manually remove embedded dirt

Next, you’d want your broom or tennis racket to loosen any embedded dirt on your rugs. Simply hang the rug on a clothesline or porch railing and you can start whacking away. Don’t overdo it, however, or you’ll risk damaging the rug.

3. Be thorough when rinsing

Then get ready your detergent solution. You would want to test it on an inconspicuous side of the rug to check whether the solution would cause any discolouration before placing it over the whole rug. Before going forward, just dab the solution on a fresh towel then let it dry on the surface of the rug.

If no discolouration appears, begin rubbing the area with a new sponge in a grid-like pattern. Always mind that washing the sponge on frequently helps keep the dirt off the carpeting.

After using the sponge to remove any debris and spritzing the rug with a moderate cleaning solution, you should rinse it. Be extremely cautious during this process because any solution remained on the rug over time could damage the fibres.

4. Completely dry the rug

The rug is then being dried last by a fresh absorbent towel. Hang it on the clothesline if you wish to hasten the drying time. Keep in mind to use a clothespin so the whole rug is air-exposing. To further avoid damaging the material, move the pile back and forth across the rug using a hairdryer, keeping it a few inches off.

5. Avoid scrubbing vigorously

If you’re trying to remove stains, avoid scrubbing vigorously as this can damage the rug’s pile. It will also spread the stain across the material and complicate things further. Instead, you’d want to blot out the area with a tissue or white cloth until it’s dry.

6. Removing Different Types of Stains

Regarding stain removal, you would want to combine many remedies to get best effects. That implies applying more than the advised detergent solution above. For different stains, you would use a different solvent, vinegar, and ammonia solution combination.

Furthermore, the kind of rug you have will affect the mix of the solution. Making a vinegar solution for synthetic fibres, for example, calls for one cup of white vinegar combined with two cups of water. Natural fibres will require a vinegar solution comprising one-fourth cup of water and one-fourth cup of white vinegar.

See Real Simple’s comprehensive overview of the several treatments required for various stains for more detailed knowledge about this technique. It addresses a number of typical stains, including food, drink, oil, grease, mud, pet mishaps, and more.

How to Disinfect Your Rug Against COVID-19

Regarding COVID-19, you can clean your rug with certified products from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The list also contains contact time duration required to thoroughly eradicate the virus as well as disinfection instructions based on the product you have selected. As advised by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also use the warmest suitable temperature while washing your rugs.

Additionally advised to familiarise yourself with the best practices by utilising the suggested disinfectants is to review this infographic. One of the best ways to keep our homes and companies free from the continuing epidemic is to be aware during these challenging circumstances.