Rug Care Guide - How To Look After Your Rug

Unpackaging

Slipping

Spillages

Pilling

Hoovering

Shedding

Thanks for shopping with us. To help you with your purchase, we have put together an easy to digest rug care guide.

Our rugs are guaranteed against manufacturing defects and we work closely with manufacturers to ensure quality checks are carried out to maintain high standards. If your rug has arrived with or develops defects at or close to the time of delivery please contact our team via sales@therugseller.co.uk who will help with this.

Below are a few tips on how to take care of different types of rugs:

Placement of your rug can impact the life span, as delicate fibres and weaves won't fare as well in high traffic areas. To protect delicate rugs, don't place them in high-traffic areas such as kitchens or hallways. Placing the rugs in low traffic areas such as a bedroom or occasional room will improve the longevity of the rug.

When it comes to hard wearing rugs, protect them from traffic by removing outdoor shoes when entering the house. Be sure to ask guests to do the same when entering or visiting your home. Footfall in bare feet or socks is generally easier on your rug than with shoes. Removing shoes not only protects the rug, it also prevents the rug from getting unnecessary outdoor dirt on it.

How To Clean A Rug

To get rid of dirt, stains and dust mites you need to clean the rug regularly. To clean the rug properly you need to do a number of things.

One of the first things that you should do is vacuum your rug. Vacuuming is an important step as it aids in removing loose dirt from the rug, and makes the cleaning process easier in the long run. We recommend using the nozzle attachment of a hoover avoiding abrasive, rotary brushes that can damage the fibres, particularly the edges and corners as these are the most delicate areas of the rug.

While you can clean rugs at home, taking them to a professional rug cleaner occasionally for a thorough cleaning will also be beneficial for those more stubborn stains.

A professional rug cleaner can clean your rug if it's excessively dirty. You'll want to find a quality cleaner in your area. Before dropping the rug off, inspect the rug and make note of any issues and help instruct the cleaners so you ensure you get the result you want out of the service.

How To Clean A Shaggy Rug

Shaggy rugs typically have a long, high pile, which is great fun to lie on, but a little uneasy to clean. Take a look at how to clean a shaggy rug cheaply at home with great care. However, make sure to check your rug care tags first to see if our instructions comply.

The first thing to do is to take your shaggy rug outside and shake off any loose dirt and dust. This is important as it is already an easy step into removing some unwanted treasures instantly. Try vacuuming your rug carefully and use an upholstery attachment to gently vacuum between the rows of thread on your rug.

For more tips on the best ways to clean a shaggy rug please click here

How To Clean A Sheepskin Rug

Sheepskin rugs can last a very long time if properly cared for. Always take the time to read the instructions that come with your sheepskin rug. Most of the time, and for general weekly up keep, you can remove dust and loose particles easily by using a sheepskin wire brush to rake up the wool pile a bit. Or they can be taken to be professionally cleaned or to the dry cleaners.

Depending on the size of your sheepskin rug, they can be machine washed. If you do machine wash make sure you use the Cool Wool setting and use a non-enzyme shampoo. The sheepskin shampoo should be specially manufactured for use with sheepskin products.

If you would rather clean your sheepskin rug by hand, then follow these instructions:

Fill a bathtub with cool or lukewarm water. But don't use hot water, as it will cause your sheepskin rug to shrink and we both don't want that to happen. Add a specialist sheepskin and wool detergent. As a standard wool detergent may cause damage. Place the sheepskin in the tub and gently swish it around in the water to loosen any dirt particles for up to five minutes.

Once you have cleaned your rug, gently wring out as much of the water as possible. It would be wise for two people to do this process as you can each have one end of the rug and both gently keep twisting until the water stops coming out. Hang it on a line or lay the rug out on a clean towel to air dry. Pull the leather into shape, keeping it flat, and make sure the sheepskin dries in a cool, shaded place, away from direct sunlight or heat (which can cause shrinkage).

Using a metal bristled sheepskin brush, fluff the wool gently while still damp. Brush it once again, while drying, and do a final brush after it's dried - your sheepskin will return to its natural fluffiness.

How To Clean Natural Fibre Rugs (Sisal/Jute)

Regular vacuuming is an integral part of maintaining your natural fibre rug because it removes any loose dirt and debris, and without this step, regular foot traffic will grind the dirt into the fibres and make its removal much more time-consuming.

Spills and stain removal

Your rug may be subjected to a variety of spills and stains during its lifetime. Time is of the essence when spillages occur. Remember to blot - never rub — the spill and remove moisture as quickly as possible. For the rug to have a clean look, ensure that you remove all stains as soon as possible. If you have a Viscose Rug please continue reading to see our Viscose Rug section, as they are not designed to get wet and if they do draw in liquid they will become damaged.

Reduce Wear and Tear of your Rug

It is important to rotate your rug to avoid continually walking over the same area. Rotating your rug spreads out the natural wear and tear and will ensure your rug stays gorgeous for longer.

The position of your furniture will create areas that are more or less walked on than others. So if your room is big enough, try to move things around occasionally. It'll make you see your room in a whole new light too!

Shifting stair rugs can really help them from time to time as they can get a lot of wear. If your rug runs right up to an external door, use a mat to catch dirt and grit as people come in. Always take off shoes with grips, like trainers, as they can tear the pile and never walk on your rug wearing heels, specifically stilettos, as they can pierce holes in the rug.

How To Stop Rugs Fading

When you purchase a new rug, you should be conscious of how light from your windows will affect the rug. Be particularly careful about skylights and if you're placing it in a conservatory. If you're not home during the day, you may not see a full day's effect to observe how the light falls throughout the day, so try and take some time to assess.

Having window covers such as curtains or blinds which will block most of the harmful rays would be best suited. Once the rug becomes faded unevenly, it is virtually impossible to even out the colour. Colour variation may occur between covered and exposed areas of flooring over time.

Sun damage causes fading, premature aging, and can cause the rug to become lighter or discoloured in certain areas. If you cannot avoid this, rotate your rug at least twice a month. This will not stop the fading process but will instead create more even, unvarying colours as it fades.

Rug is not lying flat

Sometimes due to the temperatures that the rugs have been stored in they can develop ridges/curled edges and this is not something which is uncommon however, this is not considered to be a manufacturing defect. Over time the rugs will adjust to the temperature in your house and the backing of the rug will become relaxed which will allow the rugs to lie flat on your flooring. You can back roll your rug which can sometimes help speed up this process. You can also purchase an anti slip underlay which will help prevent the movement of the rug on your flooring and will allow the rug to lie flat.

Viscose Rugs

Viscose Rugs are not designed to get wet and if they do draw in liquid they will become damaged. We strongly recommend and advise not placing Viscose Rugs in areas of your home where they are more likely to have liquid spilled on them such as Kitchens. If liquid is spilled on your Viscose Rug we will not be able to process any return or refund request due to damage.

Beware of Plant Pots on your Rug

If you place a potted plant on your rug, you are asking for trouble as water and even mud can seep through. As the bottom of plant pots are out of sight, the water seep can go unnoticed. Having the continual wet/dry cycle makes the wet patch rot and, eventually, separate from the rug creating a hole.

It is virtually impossible to ensure that moisture will not make its way to the rug. This is an extremely expensive repair. If you value your rug, never put a potted plant on it.

Rugs and Pets

Most of the damage we see to rugs can be caused by pets coming into contact with the rug. Read our tips to help prevent your dog or cat from staining your rug - and to help in cleaning rug pet stains if they do happen click here.

We have seen many rugs damaged by chewing on the corners and the fringe. If you get a new rug when you have a puppy, store the rug away from the dog's reach until it is old enough to be housetrained and out of the teething stage.