How to Keep Your Rugs Clean & How to Deal with Common Spillages

How to Keep Your Rugs Clean & How to Deal with Commons Spillages

It doesn’t matter how many precautions we take, when you’re running a family home accidents are bound to happen. One of the key properties of a rug is to protect your carpet or floors, but what happens when the thing that is supposed to be doing the protecting needs protecting itself? We’ve compiled a list of all the dos and don’ts when it comes to keeping your rug clean!

Do Stock Up!

Preparation is the key, if a stain appears and you don’t have the means to deal with it then the stain has won! Take a look in your cupboard and if you don’t have any of the following then we highly recommend that you purchase them:

• Sponge
• Small bowl
• Soft Bristle Brush
• Spray bottle with a white vinegar and cold water mix (50/50)
• Cotton Towels
• Grease Proof Paper
• Corn Starch

Don’t Listen to Old Housewives Tales!

There are so many cleaning techniques that have been passed from generation to generation, but the truth is that some can do more damage than good.

• Avoid steam cleaning rugs made from natural fibres (wool, silk & cotton).
• NEVER use baking soda or chlorine beach on wool, silk or cotton rugs.

How to Deal with Common Spillages

The most common spillage that a rug will encounter is that of food and drink, especially if you have messy children running around the house! In the event of a spill there are a couple of things you can do:

• Pick up any larger solid pieces that are on the rug and dispose of them, vacuum any dry bits that are lingering around.
• Use a sponge to dampen the area, use cold water.
• If the spill is oil based try using sudsy water
• Pat the area with a towel, DO NOT RUB.
• Place a towel under and over the spillage area to ‘sandwich’ it, then apply pressure. This will help to get rid of any excess water.
• Using a hairdryer, you can dry the area of the rug, please make sure the hairdryer is on the cool setting.
• If the damp area is particularly large it may be best to prop it up and leave it to dry naturally for a few hours, just to ensure that the fibres deep in the rug are dry.

Please note that if your rug isn’t ‘colourfast’ (i.e. it isn’t made of materials that won’t affect the fade or wash out) then avoid using vinegar and instead just use cool water. If you do see any transformation in the colour of the rug whilst you’re trying to remove the stain make sure you stop what you’re doing and dry the area immediately to prevent any further damage. If you feel that your rug is damaged then it may be worthwhile seeking professional advice.

Aside of food and drink another stain that is increasingly common on our furnishings is candle wax. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a candle as much as the next Mum but they can be a bit daunting and I’ve heard plenty of horror stories! So just how would you remove a candle wax stain? Well, this is where the grease proof paper comes into play…

• Cut a piece of the greaseproof paper, make sure it’s larger than the wax spillage and proceed to place it over the top of the affected area.
• Now comes the fun part, put your iron onto a high setting and run it over the greaseproof paper. Try to use short strokes.
• Eventually the wax will start to melt and transfer from your rug onto the paper, as the wax melts keep rotating your paper to ensure that it absorbs it.

So, there you have it, just a couple of handy tricks and tips for what to do if your rug encounters any commons spillages. As mentioned before, they are bound to happen but it’s important to deal with them quickly and efficiently to prevent any long-term damage. Good luck!

Guest Article.