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Area Rugs and Carpet Care and Cleaning - ModernRugs.com
Area Rug and Carpet Care and Cleaning: After you buy rugs online at Modern Rugs.com and put them on your floor, you will want to keep them looking their best for years to come. To get the longest wear out of your new area rug, you should know how to clean and take care of it. Most of the rugs you can buy online at Modern Rugs.com are wool rugs, which have a natural resistance to stains and soil, but regular cleaning is necessary to prevent the breakdown of the natural fibers. The following information has been compiled from the knowledge of rug manufacturers and experts, covering almost every possible scenario from grape juice stains to grease stains and mud. Simply scroll down to the area rugs and carpet chart brelow and learn more about caring for your new area rug.
So you just bought a new rug? It's beautiful. And we are sure you couldn't wait to get home with it and roll it out. You probably didn't sweep up the dirt on the floor before you rolled it out, and we are sure you'll never consider taking your shoes off before you walk on it. And when it snows and there is salt all over the place, you probably don't realize the rug is acting like a sponge soaking up all of that salt and road oil.
In the spring, more rain, more mud, more dirt, more grit acting like sandpaper on the wool in your prized possession. And the moths that you never treated are now hatching, possibly in the back of your rug. Never being one to deprive animals of food, you've provided that moth larve with a veritable foodfest in order to feed the moth larvae until adulthood. When the moth is old enough to fly away, and you see it, the damage is done! You vacuum your carpet and the pile comes out. Initially you think you bought a cheap carpet - but in reality those little, harmless moths that you saw fly away, have eaten the backs of the knots in your carpet. There is nothing holding the pile onto the foundation.
You have a great party! Lots of people, red wine, cheese, dip, shrimp, cocktail sauce. Some doesn't get eaten, some feeds the guests, and some ends up feeding the carpet. You don't even realize this until the next day.
And pets. You love cats and dogs. And they're great house pets, 99% of the time. That other 1%, when they're sick and can't help themselves, they have biological accidents. If they have these 1% of the time, they're going to give your prized possession an alkalyn bath 3.5 days a year! It is the same as dropping a yellow dye on your rug 3 times a year.
In short, if you ever asked how often should I clean my rug, the answer is at a minimum every 3 years. But you should treat spots at home with the remedies I prescribe as soon as the spot occurs.
When you get your rug cleaned, ask the dealer if he has a "beater". This is a mechanized method of hitting the back of the rug with straps in order to remove as much dirt as possible before the rug gets wet. If he doesn't have a "beater", you must insist on the thorough vacuuming of the carpet on both sides before the rug is cleaned.
This issue of removing dry dirt is critical! The dirt acts like sandpaper and wears away the fiber. If it is not removed before getting wet, you now have the doubly difficult task of removing mud! The Carpet and Rug Institute suggests that a "beater" will remove 4-9 pounds of dry dirt from a 9 x 12 rug. That's a lot of dirt!
Stain Removal Chart
Listed below the chart are 7 Stain Removers, that can be used singly or in combination to combat a stain. When you apply these agents, blot or dab, the agent onto the spot. Don't Rub! That will only make the stain bigger. Try to work from the outside of the stain in towards the center.
AREA RUG AND CARPET STAIN REMOVAL CHART |
| STAIN |
WOOL |
ACRYLIC |
NYLON |
OLEFIN |
POLYESTER |
| Animal Glue |
F |
F |
A,G |
F |
F |
| Argyrol |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Ball Point Ink |
B,C,then A,G |
B,C,then A,G |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
| Beer |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Catsup |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
F,A,G |
F,A,G |
| Carbon Black |
Vacuum A,G |
Vacuum A,G |
Vacuum B,C |
Vacuum B,C |
Vacuum B,C |
| Chewing Gum |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C with steam |
| Clay |
Vacuum A,G |
Vacuum A,G |
Vacuum A,G |
Vacuum A,G |
Vacuum A,G |
| Cola |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Coffee(B,C&S) |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Colored Paper |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Crayon |
B,G |
B,G |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C,A,G |
| Duco Cement |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
| Egg |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Enamel |
B,F,A,G |
B,F,A,G |
B,F,A,G |
B,F,A,G |
B,F,A,G |
| Food Dye |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Fruit Juice |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| FurnitureDye |
B,C,F,A,G |
B,C,F,A,G |
A,B,C |
B,C |
B,C,A,G |
| Furniture Polish |
B,C,F,A,G |
B,C,F,A,G |
A,G,C |
B,C |
B,C,A,G |
| Grape Drink |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G,C |
| Gravy |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G,C |
| Grease,car |
C |
C |
C |
C |
B,C |
| Ice Cream |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| India Ink |
B,C,A,G |
B,C,A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
B,C,A,G |
| Iron Rust |
Vacuum D,G |
Vacuum D,G |
Vacuum D,G |
Vacuum D,G |
Vacuum D,G |
| Latex Paint |
B,F,A,G |
B,C |
A,G |
B,C |
B,C,A,G |
| Linseed Oil |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
| Lipstick |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C,A,G |
B,C,A,G |
| Merthiolate |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
B,C,A,G |
B,C,A,G |
| Milk |
B,C,A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Mustard |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Nail Polish |
|
|
E |
F,B,C |
F,C |
| Oil, Car |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
| Oil, Paint |
B,F,A,G |
B,F,A,G |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C,A,G |
| Permanent Ink |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Plaster |
Vacuum A,G |
Vacuum A,G |
Vacuum A,G |
Vacuum A,G |
Vacuum A,G |
| Rouge |
|
|
|
|
A,G |
| Rubber Cement |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C,A,G |
| Shoe Dye |
|
|
|
B,C |
C |
| Shoe Pol.(Liq) |
B,C,A,G |
B,C,A,G |
A,G,C |
B,C |
C |
| Shoe Pol.(Wax) |
B,A,G |
B,A,G |
C |
B,C,A,G |
C |
| Tar |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
| Tea |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Tobacco |
|
|
|
A,G |
A,G |
| Urine |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Washable Ink |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Water Colors |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
| Wax Candle |
Steam,C |
Steam,C |
Steam,C |
Steam,C |
Steam,C |
Code of Recommended Stain Removers as Listed in Chart
A. Detergent solution - one teaspoon of a neutral detergent ( a brand used for washing lingerie such as Lux, Dreft, or Vel) and one teaspoon of white vinegar in a quart of warm water.
B. Paint Remover - should not contain any oil. Lacquer thinner may also be used.
C. Dry Cleaning Fluid - any common brand used according to manufacturer's instructions.
D. Rust Remover - (brands such as Erusticator or Rust Go are recommended.
E. Acetone - common drugstore brand or nail polish remover WITHOUT LANOLIN or lacquer thinner.
F. Alcohol - rubbing, denatured, or isopropyhl.
G. Water
NOTE: If there is no recommended procedure for removing a stain on a specific pile fiber, call a Professional Carpet Cleaner and give him the information pertaining to the staining problem.
General Rug Care
So you just bought a new rug? It's beautiful. And we are sure you couldn't wait to get home with it and roll it out. You probably didn't sweep up the dirt on the floor before you rolled it out, and we are sure you'll never consider taking your shoes off before you walk on it. And when it snows and there is salt all over the place, you probably don't realize the rug is acting like a sponge soaking up all of that salt and road oil.
In the spring, more rain, more mud, more dirt, more grit acting like sandpaper on the wool in your prized possession. And the moths that you never treated are now hatching, possibly in the back of your rug. Never being one to deprive animals of food, you've provided that moth larve with a veritable foodfest in order to feed the moth larvae until adulthood. When the moth is old enough to fly away, and you see it, the damage is done! You vacuum your carpet and the pile comes out. Initially you think you bought a cheap carpet - but in reality those little, harmless moths that you saw fly away, have eaten the backs of the knots in your carpet. There is nothing holding the pile onto the foundation.
You have a great party! Lots of people, red wine, cheese, dip, shrimp, cocktail sauce. Some doesn't get eaten, some feeds the guests, and some ends up feeding the carpet. You don't even realize this until the next day.
And pets. You love cats and dogs. And they're great house pets, 99% of the time. That other 1%, when they're sick and can't help themselves, they have biological accidents. If they have these 1% of the time, they're going to give your prized possession an alkalyn bath 3.5 days a year! It is the same as dropping a yellow dye on your rug 3 times a year.
In short, if you ever asked how often should I clean my rug, the answer is at a minimum every 3 years. But you should treat spots at home with the remedies I prescribe as soon as the spot occurs.
When you get your rug cleaned, ask the dealer if he has a "beater". This is a mechanized method of hitting the back of the rug with straps in order to remove as much dirt as possible before the rug gets wet. If he doesn't have a "beater", you must insist on the thorough vacuuming of the carpet on both sides before the rug is cleaned.
This issue of removing dry dirt is critical! The dirt acts like sandpaper and wears away the fiber. If it is not removed before getting wet, you now have the doubly difficult task of removing mud! The Carpet and Rug Institute suggests that a "beater" will remove 4-9 pounds of dry dirt from a 9 x 12 rug. That's a lot of dirt!
Wool or Silk-Wool Blend Rug Care
Due to its composition, wool rugs will produce shed fluff for a considerable period of time. Frequent vaccuuming is recommended. Do not let stains dry and apply the most suitable products to eliminate them [a list of stain removal methods follows]. We recommend not to bring rugs to a laundry too often as they could become damaged. In case it is absolutely needed, care should be taken that it is a specialized laundry in rug cleaning. As with any rug with a latex backing, hand tufted rugs should not be dry cleaned. If any doubts remain as to the cleaning of your wool rug, please contact a professional carpet cleaner.
- Remove glue stains with Rubbing Alcohol.
- Remove beer, catsup, mustard, ice cream, soda, tea, coffee, food dye, fruit juice, grape drink, gravy, pet stains, washable inks, plaster, and watercolor stains with a Detergent Solution [made of a teaspoon of neutral detergent and a teaspoon of white vinegar in a quart of water] and Water. Vaccuum the carpet first and apply the solution with a damp sponge. Clean with a cloth and leave to dry.
- Remove grease, oil, tar, and wax stains with Dry Cleaning Solvent. Be sure to test the solvent on a corner for colorfastness before using. Candle wax stains may also require the use of steam.
- Remove mud and general dirt or soil with a mild Ammonia Solution. Let any mud dry, then brush and apply the ammonia solution with a damp sponge. Then clean and leave to dry.
- Remove paint, lipstick, shoe polish, India ink, furniture polish, enamel, crayon, and ball point ink with Paint Remover and Dry Cleaning Solvent. Rubbing alcohol and/or the detergent solution may also be necessary for enamel and polish stains, accompanied by water.
Acrylic Rug Care
Generally speaking, the same rules of rug care apply to acrylic rugs as wool rugs. Clean acrylic rugs as follows:
- Remove glue stains with Rubbing Alcohol.
- Remove beer, catsup, mustard, ice cream, soda, tea, coffee, food dye, fruit juice, grape drink, gravy, pet stains, washable inks, plaster, and watercolor stains with a Detergent Solution [made of a teaspoon of neutral detergent and a teaspoon of white vinegar in a quart of water] and Water. Vaccuum the carpet first and apply the solution with a damp sponge. Clean with a cloth and leave to dry.
- Remove grease, oil, tar, and wax stains with Dry Cleaning Solvent. Be sure to test the solvent on a corner for colorfastness before using. Candle wax stains may also require the use of steam.
- Remove mud and general dirt or soil with a mild Ammonia Solution. Let any mud dry, then brush and apply the ammonia solution with a damp sponge. Then clean and leave to dry.
- Remove paint, lipstick, shoe polish, India ink, furniture polish, enamel, crayon, and ball point ink with Paint Remover and Dry Cleaning Solvent. Rubbing alcohol and/or the detergent solution may also be necessary for enamel and polish stains, accompanied by water.
Nylon Rug Care
- Remove glue, egg, beer, mustard, catsup, soda, coffee, tea, food dye, fruit juice, grape drink, gravy, ice cream, India ink and other permanent inks, latex paint, milk, pet stains, washable ink, and watercolors with a Detergent Solution and Water.
We hope that you find the above info useful
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