Top Seven Tips for Cleaning Shaggy Rugs | Maid4condos
Close

Top Seven Tips for Cleaning Shaggy Rugs

Top Seven Tips for Cleaning Shaggy Rugs
December 21, 2020

Ask any interior design lover and trendy homeowner about their favourite easy hacks to brighten or spice up any place — the chances are, they’ll recommend a soft rug to create dimension on the flooring and contrast different areas of your living space. In particular, Shaggy rugs are wildly popular because of their luxurious texture and versatile design that will suit virtually any room. With that soft, plush feel on tired, bare feet, 

Top Seven Tips for Cleaning Shaggy Rugs

Unfortunately, shag rugs tend to live up to their name. Their soft and luxurious fabric also attracts dust and dirt particles that lodge deep inside the rug’s fibres. This dirt gets so deep that they require careful cleaning to preserve the carpet’s appearance and eliminate allergens and dirt. But don’t throw out your favourite shaggy rugs just yet — with these essential cleaning tips, you can keep them looking and feeling as fresh as when you first got them:

Ways to Clean Shag Rugs

1. Shake it off

An essential task for basic cleaning services is tidying up your entire house, including fixtures and decor like shag rugs. There’s no method simpler or easier than a good old shake to remove dust and dirt lodged in the rug’s fibres. Simply take the carpet outside, hold it by two corners, and shake it to loosen up the threads and allow dust particles to fall off.

If the rug is too big to hold up and shake properly, hang it over a clothesline, fence, or balcony, and use a sturdy instrument like a broom handle or stick to beat the rug repeatedly. The beating should loosen up the rug fibres to send dust particles flying off. It also gives your rug some time to air out and eliminate foul odours caused by bacteria and mites trapped in it.

2. Use a vacuum

You need all the right tools for basic housekeeping, and that includes a trusty vacuum. If you’re a fan of shaggy rugs, it’s even more important to own one because it’s one of the best ways to get rid of its dingy appearance and fluff up its fibres.

Start by setting the vacuum to its highest setting to avoid getting the fibres trapped in the brush. Make sure to turn off the beater bar and use the hand attachment; alternatively, you can also use a handheld vacuum. Make sure to vacuum the entire surface thoroughly, then flip the rug to vacuum the underside. Take the rug outside to shake it off for an extra clean, then set it back in place with fibres all fluffed up.

3. Give the rug a dry bath

Take a cue from professional carpet cleaners with this shag rug cleaning hack. A dry bath is best when you haven’t vacuumed for a while, and so much dirt has collected that the rug looks dingy.

But what’s a dry bath? Just like when you don’t have time to wash your hair, or you’re in between washes, there are dry shampoos specially formulated for shaggy rugs. To give your shaggy rug a dry bath, use a soft bristle brush to work the dry shampoo into the fibres, then let it sit for about 10 minutes as recommended in the instructions. Vacuum the rug afterwards to remove the shampoo and restore it to its original shape and colour.

4. Steam clean

Basic cleaning service includes dusting off decor like shaggy rugs, but sometimes this isn’t enough. Instead, a professional cleaner may recommend a more thorough cleaning, especially if it’s been a while since your rug was last vacuumed. When these simple cleaning hacks don’t work, a steam cleaner might remove deeply set in soil and odours. 

To steam clean a shaggy rug, you need a vacuum and steam cleaner. Ensure that the carpet is freshly vacuumed first, and then add water to the steam cleaner to run it over the rug. You’ll see the stains and discoloured spots disappear right away, then air it out under the sun to dry. Your shaggy rug will look and feel brand new in an instant and resume its job of brightening up the room.

5. Hand wash with shampoo

Washing a rug isn’t like washing your clothes, so don’t attempt this advanced cleaning hack lightly. For the uninitiated, there are many ways of cleaning a shaggy rug could go wrong. For one, the fibres might not handle the moisture and dry properly, so they’ll end up limp and soggy, or worst case, get ruined and fall off.

For best results, check with a professional cleaner if they can include hand washing your old and dirty shaggy rug in your regular basic cleaning service. Before they even risk contact with moisture, they will first check the rug care instructions to see if the material can handle water. 

Then, they will use shampoo and hot water to wash and brush the front surface while vacuuming up the liquid at the same time to lift soils and stains. Once it’s clean, they need to let the rug air dry outside to prevent mildew from setting in. 

Whatever you do, though, make sure to avoid loading the rug in a washing machine. Even the gentlest cycle can be too rough and cause the fibres to fall off, which ruins an otherwise beautiful decor that spruces up your home.

6. Practice spot cleaning

Still, the best way to care for a shaggy rug and preserve its luxurious feel that spruces up your living space and prevents stains from setting in. It’s often just one soiled spot from food or drinks spills and dirt tracked indoors, so clean these out right away to keep them from turning into deep-set stains.

To spot clean a shaggy rug, press firmly on the soiled area right away using a clean rag to soak up as much liquid as possible. Then, spray the area with a carpet cleaning solution, mild dish soap, or detergent mixed with water, and let it sit for a few minutes before blotting the area with a new rag and working your way from the edges of the spill towards the centre. Repeat these steps until the stain is diluted or desaturated.

7. Book a basic cleaning service

When was the last time you cleaned the shaggy rug sitting in your living room? These routine cleaning hacks are suitable for light cleaning, but for deep-set stains and dirt, you’ll need extra help from the pros to restore your rug — and your living space — to excellent condition. Trust a professional cleaner to deep clean your carpet and restore its brand-new condition, without the risk of damage to its luxuriously soft and delicate fibres. 

To learn more tips and tricks for cleaning shaggy rugs, call Maid4Condos at 647-822-0601, or contact us here.

Share , Like & Engage On Social Media: