How to clean a rug?

Yolina

Depending on where you are in the country... Snow!!! Seriously that's what we used to do back home in the Alps. I do not remember my grandparents ever using anything else to clean their rugs.
Once it stopped snowing and there were a good few inches down, we would take the rugs out in the garden, put them face down on the snow, leave for maybe an hour and then bring them back in gleaming.
Not sure if that would work ok with "modern" rugs though.

whitewing

Yolina wrote: »

Depending on where you are in the country... Snow!!! Seriously that's what we used to do back home in the Alps. I do not remember my grandparents ever using anything else to clean their rugs.
Once it stopped snowing and there were a good few inches down, we would take the rugs out in the garden, put them face down on the snow, leave for maybe an hour and then bring them back in gleaming.
Not sure if that would work ok with "modern" rugs though.

This has to be my favourite 'tip' ever on here. What a lovely image I have now.

mollymunchkin

Thanks for the replies. Our rug is about 8 years old now and in the past it has always been dry cleaned but it doesn't seem to be getting properly cleaned. Definitely going to try some more spot cleaning, save a few pennies and all that! :j

merlot123

I had a lovely LA rug, paid £350 for it, never again. The dry cleaners wouldn't touch it despite having a label on it, so I used a carpet cleaner, the edges were never right after that and it always looked shaded after I cleaned it. I have other LA stuff in my home which are great, but I don't recommend the rugs.

I went to Next and bought a lovely traditional style rug for £140, had it two years and it still looks like new.

torbrex

For a traditional 'no cost' home dry cleaning method you could use fresh cut grass, I know it sounds daft but it works wonders at bringing up the colours. It should be brushed in the direction that the pile goes then vacumed off.

Another old method is to use Ox-gall soap, working into the rug using a soft brush until a lather is raised then rinse off with cold water and rub dry using a cotton towel.

Tosca2

As an aside my Mum always cleaned all wool rugs with Meths and a soft brush and they came up beautifully.

Obviously had to be a day my Dad was out in case he sparked up a fag.

TravellingAbuela

I have a large long pile ivory rug which is now looking rather grubby (thanks DGDs!!) and can't decide what to try and clean it with. Does anyone know how the Rug Doctor works (or doesn't come to that!) on long pile?

I too love Yolina's tip but fear my neighbours would think I'd "lost it" if I laid out my big rug in the front garden!!

Drempan

my suggestion is: Vacuum constantly. Not less than 3x weekly. Mark up spills and spots instantly. Keep cleaning temperatures less than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Never ever make use of household detergents, chemical brighteners, bleaches, or other alkaline solutions on wool. Avoid "oxy" cleansers. Don't over wet while in cleaning. Use very little water as possible. Dry out the carpet as fast and as completely as you can, right after cleaning.

KettyNelson

Drempan wrote: »

my suggestion is: Vacuum constantly. Not less than 3x weekly. Mark up spills and spots instantly. Keep cleaning temperatures less than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Never ever make use of household detergents, chemical brighteners, bleaches, or other alkaline solutions on wool. Avoid "oxy" cleansers. Don't over wet while in cleaning. Use very little water as possible. Dry out the carpet as fast and as completely as you can, right after cleaning.

Nice idea i`ll try in my rug thanks.

Emm-in-a-pickle

I have off-white rugs in the living room, on laminate, 2 down at a time.
Pure wool flokati in winter, woven `waste` cotton for summer.
One rug is by the hearth (coal/log fire) and the other is in front of the sofa which is also a thoroughfare between kitchen and hall. I have messy people and animals, so the rugs get dirty. So I wash them. (I have spare sets of both kind, to rotate them.)
None of the rugs get hoovered, they get shaken outside.
The flokati rugs go in the washing machine, 30 Fast Wash with a capful of persil liquid, one at a time, then I run the fast wash again with just water - the rinsing is important for wool, I was taught! I dry them hanging on clippy coathangers in an upstairs doorway, they dry well as heating or fire is on in winter months when they`re in use. They still look good and are cosy-looking for cold weather.
The cotton ones - look a lot cooler in warm weather. Less frequent washing for these as they are reversible, just as well as these go to the launderette (2 at a time fit the big washer) and then they get line-dried. They would fit one at a time in my WM but the cotton gets very heavy when wet so would soon wreck the machine.
I only got the first white ones on a whim as we have a dog who moults white hair, never expected them to wash so well or last so long, I`d have chucked them rather than faff with them if they didn`t survive a proper wash!