As all of us are aware good quality rugs are not only expensive but are also delicate. Well maintained rugs are attractive additions that enhance the interior beauty of your home and it is therefore important to know how to clean and maintain your rugs. Visitors to your home trample all over your expensive rug causing wear and tear and there is hardly anything you can do to prevent it. One thing you can possibly do is not to further damage the rugs by cleaning them in an improper manner. Owners of costly rugs quite often make common mistakes when it comes to cleaning the rugs. These mistakes if persistently committed can end up reducing the life-span of your rugs.

First thing you should avoid is beating the rug as there is no better way ruining your rug than beating it. When you beat the rugs, you cause the woven threads to loosen, and you also damage the backing of the rug. The only rugs you can afford to beat are the inexpensive doormats. If you are over-enthusiastic and run the vacuum over fringe when vacuuming your rug, then the fringe will be sucked by the beater bar. You will damage the fringe and it will loosen and look like a curly, stringy mess. Avoid using carpet shampoos while cleaning rugs as they usually end up attracting more dirt, and carpet shampooing machines (especially ones with several brushes) can damage the rugs. Carpet stain sprays can discolor the rugs and give them a faded look. Drenching your rug with water can ruin the rug. The best solution is to periodically have your rug professionally cleaned. You may resort to spot cleaning of rugs when necessary with a gentle stain solution.

To keep your rugs neat and tidy at all times, vacuum the rugs often. To properly vacuum the rugs, shift all furniture and vacuum to remove all surface dirt. Flip the rug over and vacuum the back of the rug and again flip the rug back over and give it one more pass on the upper side. Cleaning the rug may look tedious, but vacuuming the rug on both sides is the only way to remove the dirt that settles against the backing. Vacuuming the rugs once a week would be the right thing to do. If that is not possible, you should clean the rug least once every two weeks. Adjust the power of the vacuum to low, when using it to clean area rug fringe. If you or anybody spill something on your area rug or you happen to notice a stain while you’re vacuuming, you should immediately attend to the stain but do not try any harsh method as it can damage the rug. Apart from vacuuming, there are also several additional ways to keep your rug from aging. If you placed furniture on the rug, then provide a support underneath the rug where the furniture legs rest. There are special rug supports available for this purpose. This keeps the furniture from indenting or spot spoiling the rug. It’s also a good idea to rotate your rug or rearrange your furniture every six months.

Avoid damaging your rug by doing too much shampooing, putting too much water or dragging furniture over your area rug when it is wet. Get a professional to clean your rug at least twice a year. It is necessary to use hot water extraction for your rug, but be sure to hire a professional area rug cleaner to do this. Most rug manufacturers recommend professional cleaning only. Some dry cleaners clean rugs and those offering carpet cleaning services will also clean rugs. Read carefully the care tag on your area rug to see what method of cleaning your manufacturer recommends.