Rugs are great for insulating your home and creating a cosy atmosphere, but they are real dust traps. And if it is a shaggy rug, it is all the worse! So how best can you look after it? Here are a few answers!
1) What to avoid
With this kind of rug, avoid steam cleaning at all costs. Cleaning the rug with a lot of water is not recommended either, as this soaks the pile of the rug. In terms of brushing, avoid doing so too vigorously in order to avoid damaging the rug. You could do more harm than good, so limit your brushing to once a month, using a specialised brush.
We recommend that you do not start using a cleaning product before having tested it on a less visible area of your rug beforehand. In general, most products work well, but you can never be too sure (risking the colour running or the pile becoming damaged, etc.).
2) Everyday care
Try to vacuum twice a week, setting the vacuum cleaner to maximum power (without the brush, and without rubbing too hard). By doing so frequently, the dirt has less chance of becoming encrusted. Given that dust can dull the appearance of your rug, the vacuum cleaner is your weapon of choice in this case.
If you are looking after a fairly light rug, you could also give it a shake out outdoors by hand, or hang it out and beat it with the handle of a brush to remove crumbs and dirt.
3) For stains
Act quickly! Dab the centre of the stain with a damp cloth until the stain has been absorbed and then wipe it off with a try cloth. If the stain is damp, avoid rubbing so as not to spread the stain around.
In order to deep-clean a rug, you can use soapy water or a mixture of water and clear alcohol. Rinse afterwards with a mixture of water and white vinegar.
If possible, leave it to dry outdoors, as the sun will help get rid of unpleasant odours. Air drying is always best.
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