How to Clean A Rug At Home By Hand? Deep Cleaning Method

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Last Updated on March 6, 2023

Wondering how to rejuvenate your old rug to turn it into a new one? You can achieve some cleanliness by washing and cleansing your rug, but it won’t be enough for deep cleaning.

Rugs are quite expensive and made of delicate materials, so you can’t throw them inside a washer to get rid of dirt. Instead, deep and thorough cleaning by hand will be sufficient.

In this article, we have mentioned a detailed procedure on how to clean a rug at home by hand. Some types of rugs and their varying cleaning methods are also described below.

How to Clean A Rug At Home By Hand: Deep Cleaning Method

Many people prefer to invest in rugs as part of home decor. Rugs add colors and warmth to living areas by providing comfortable places for binge-watching and gaming. Therefore, keeping them in a good state to last for several years is essential. This can be ensured by deep cleaning.

Tools Required to Clean Rug At Home

You will need some tools to clean a rug at home. So, pick them up and start cleaning.

Rug Shampoo
Mild Cleaner
Bucket
Sponge
Scrubbing Brush
Vacuum
Water
Baking Soda
Garden Hose

Identify the Type of Rugs

After assembling all tools, you must look at the label of your rugs to find out the material and precautionary measures suggested by the manufacturer.

The label will represent the tips and instructions for you to follow during the process. Sometimes, the material is delicate and can’t stand hard water or harsh cleaning agents. This will only create more messes, such as bad smells and mold growth. So, finding the type of rug and dealing with it accordingly will help keep things in good shape.

Pretreating Rugs By Removing Dirt

Instead of rushing toward washing and rinsing, first, you need to pick the right place to do this task, such as outside under the sun, where it’d be easier to dry rugs.
Arrange all the cleaning agents or solutions to use.
Take your vacuum cleaner and give your rigorous rug vacuuming to pick up dust and debris. If dust isn’t removed properly, you can use a long-handled broom to remove trapped particles.

Choosing a Suitable Cleaning Solution

In the market, you can find various rug cleaning solutions and detergents that are safe to use. Rug shampoo is the most common that can remove tough stains without requiring much effort.

Add a few cups of rug shampoo inside the bucket containing warm water.
Est it by applying at a corner to check if it discolors your rug.
You can also use a mild type of dish soap for cleaning the rug.
A vinegar and water solution is very effective for cleaning rugs and restoring their faded color.

Applying Cleaner

Take a sponge or brush to apply and scrub the shampoo or solution over the rug.
Keep scrubbing till suds start appearing.
Leave the solution over the rug for 15 to 20 minutes for thorough cleaning.

Rinse Your Rugs

Once the stains are removed, take a garden hose to rinse the rugs. Put some water pressure to remove trapped sand or dust. Keep rinsing until clean water drains through the rugs.

Squeezing to Remove water

You can remove extra water from the rugs by hand or with a squeegee.
Squeegee is a quite popular tool for squeezing water. You need to press its rubber edge with some strength and pull it out to remove all the water present on the rug.

Drying

Let your rug dry in the air by placing it under the sun. When the side dries out, turn the other side of the rug to dry. Do not use your rug until it is completely dried. You shouldn’t rush to dry out rugs as it will not kill bacteria, germs, and molds present in rugs.

Placing a rug over some slope surface where all water can drain easily is better.

Brush or Vacuum clean it

After drying properly, vacuum cleans it once again to pick up loosened fibers and dust particles. This attempt to clean a rug will turn it into a new one.

Types of Rugs

It is important to know each type of rug and cleaning methods.

Woven Rugs

If you have braided or woven rugs at your home, you must put them in a zipped or mesh laundry bag. It is advisable to wash them in cool water and rub a sponge or brush gently. Rinse and vacuum them to air dry for some time.

Hand Knotted or Oriental Rugs

Oriental rugs require extra cleaning care. You must vacuum and then dry them out with special attention.

Never place them under direct sunlight as the rays will fade from the original colors.

Coir, Rush & Grass Rugs

Grass and coir rugs aid in filtering dust to sift under the floor. You can clean them regularly by using a vacuum cleaner. You must scrub the tough stains with a soft brush to avoid wearing them for deep cleaning. Wash them with clean water and dry them with a fan or hair dryer.

Fur or Fluffy Rugs

Before cleaning these rugs, sprinkle talcum powder and let them rest for some hours. Use a brush to shake the powder to reach all parts. Keep doing it until all hair are brushed. Use a cotton swab or cloth to clean the underside of these rugs.

Jute Rugs

Jute rugs have an appealing and natural appearance that perfectly matches earthly-toned floors. As these are quite famous but cleaning them isn’t easy.

Water can’t be used to clean jute rugs; rather, dry shampoo is useful to remove stains and give them a new look.

Outdoor Rugs

It is obvious that outdoor rugs get more dirt and debris. The effort to clean these rugs is also higher. Luckily, they are made of hard material that can not wear, and you can wash them by beating a broom or brush to remove dust.

You can simply wash them using water through a pipe with enough pressure and dry them outside on your lawn.

How to Get Rid of Stains From A Rug At Home By Hand

Getting tough stains on rugs is common, but getting rid of them might be tricky. Therefore, here are some tips and tricks to conveniently remove stubborn stains at home.

To remove tea or coffee stains, take a liquid detergent and add warm water and vinegar. Apply the mixture to stain, then rinse and wash it to see the results.
To eliminate soft drink stains, use the same mixture and rinse the part of the rug. Blot dry it for some time.
For gums, you need to put ice cubes over them and then peel off the gum by scrapping. In the end, vacuum it and use dry solvent to remove the spot.
Paints are hard to remove, but you can get rid of them by applying alcohol using a sponge. It is not recommended to soak the rug inside the solution.
Detergents, cleaners, or oxygen cleaners are useful for removing vomit or feces stains.
Sauce strains can also be removed by oxygen cleaner, vinegar, and water solution.

Like all other areas or parts of your home, getting things dirty all around is easy, but it doesn’t mean you can’t get rid of that dirt. By following simple steps and procedures, you can fix things much better.