Give Your Rugs A Deeper Clean With This Simple Trick

Choosing light or dark-colored rugs based on your floors, walls, and overall design scheme will tie in the varied elements and add warmth to a room while keeping your feet happy. However, heavy foot traffic, kids treating them as an appropriate playing field, and pets rolling and dozing about will turn your beloved runners dirty in no time. But before you get overwhelmed by the mental images of you spending the day with only a bucket of soapy water and a sponge for company or decide to hire a professional, run your trusty vacuum cleaner over both sides of the rugs to give them a deeper clean.

While selecting carpet colors that hide dirt better than others is a great idea, you'll still have to vacuum them once or twice a week, especially if placed in high-traffic areas like the living room, kitchen, and foyer. This will help loosen the accumulated dirt, dust, and debris and prevent them from settling deep into the carpet fibers. In case your rug is small and light enough to be carried, take it out, channel your inner frustration and anger, and give it a good beating to shake the surface dirt out. However, some local regulations prevent residents from beating their dusty runners publicly, so check your regulations before following through.

Begin by cracking open the windows to let fresh air in and keep the room from turning musty. While you're at it, try pushing furniture you might've situated on the carpet to ensure every nook and cranny gets cleaned. Now, vacuum the front side of the dirty carpet thoroughly to get rid of the dust. After you're done, flip the rug over and vacuum the underside to suck up the hidden dirt and force any lingering remnants to the front. Follow this up by folding the rug in half or rolling it up and moving it away from its designated spot to vacuum the floor beneath. This will eliminate any residual dirt and dust and ensure the surface is clean. Once done, position the runner back and vacuum its front again for a deeper clean.

For best results, use a suction-only vacuum instead of a rotating brush or beater to loosen the accumulated dust and prevent any unwarranted damage to the rug's fibers. If you've got pets, use a brush attachment after vacuuming both sides to suck up stray hairs. You can even sprinkle some baking soda on the runner and let it sit overnight before vacuuming it up to freshen it up and remove foul odors.