Sharing is Caring, Especially When It Comes to Cleaning

How to clean different types of rugs

When decorating your home, it’s quite possible that you might choose to include rugs in the overall styling. After all, rugs have plenty of advantages: their color, texture and design can complement your walls, floors, furniture and other elements of design you’ve chosen quite nicely; they provide warmth and insulation against the cold; they prevent slipping on the floor; they help muffle unwanted noises and sounds; and so on. However, their main disadvantage is that they’re difficult to clean. Or so you might think… is that even true?

It turns out that rugs aren’t that difficult to clean at it at all – you just have to know how to clean them, and a lot of it depends on their type. Cleaning a wool rug is different than cleaning a sheepskin rug; cleaning an area rug is different than cleaning a bathroom rug. So if you’ve always wanted to know how to clean polypropylene rugs, for example – the following tips might help!

 

Rug cleaning

How to clean oriental rugs

Oriental rugs are often antique, or at least quite old, so they require special care. When vacuuming oriental rugs, it is advisable to place a nylon screen over them and vacuum over the screen. In addition, it is recommended to have rug cleaning NYC by professional carpet cleaners once a year, at least.

How to clean sheepskin rugs

Cleaning sheepskin rugs work best in combination with talcum powder. Whenever you wish to clean the rug, sprinkle some talcum powder on it and leave it overnight. In the morning sweep the powder and shake it out from the rug. This should be repeated several times.

How to clean Berber rugs

Berber rugs are pretty easy to clean as they have big loops that don’t trap as much dust as other rugs. They should be vacuumed once or twice a week. Once or twice a year, get them cleaned at a professional carpet cleaning company.

How to clean sisal rugs

Sisal rugs should be vacuumed often (both sides), as well as the floor underneath them; their open weave design causes dust and particles to fall through, onto the floor. Stains can be scrubbed with a soft brush dipped in a mixture of water and rug shampoo.

How to clean area rugs

Area rugs should be cleaned every 12 to 18 months. Sweep them regularly with a stiff brush or broom, and occasionally give them a deep cleaning by using a rug shampoo and scrubbing them. After they dry, vacuum them as well.

How to clean a wool rug

To keep a wool rug clean, there are several things you should do. Take care to vacuum it twice a month, as it tends to accumulate lots of dust – and don’t forget to vacuum both sides of the rug. But vacuuming isn’t enough – you should also shake out your rug at least once a week and leave it outside for a few hours.

How to clean jute rugs

To keep jute rugs nice and clean, we advise to vacuum them regularly, with a powerful vacuum, taking care to go over each area several times and from different directions. To clean them more thoroughly, take them to a carpet cleaning company for dry cleaning (steam cleaning or wet shampoo should not be used on jute rugs).

How to clean polypropylene rugs

Like other types of rugs, polypropylene rugs should also be vacuumed regularly. But for more rigorous cleaning, special measures need to be taken. After the carpet has been vacuumed, take it outside and place it on a hard surface. Hose it down with water, then pour rug soap onto it or spray it with a rug spray. Scrub the rug vigorously, and then wash away all the remains of the soap/spray. Leave it outside until it’s completely dry.

Cleaning your rug isn’t so difficult after all

So now that you know how to clean your rug, just purchase the right products and equipment and start cleaning away. You’ll love how fresh and bright your rugs will look afterwards!

 

Fixing a Worn Oriental Area Rug

The world of rug repair and restoration is full of challenges, as different rugs age differently and come to our doorstep with a variety of issues. This unique oval circa 1940 Art Deco rug originates in China  and was designed with bubble gum color combinations. It is made of wool and has arrived to the Flat Rate Carpet warehouse along with an identical rug, looking like this:

The Rug - Before

The Worn Oriental Rug

The Mystery of the Small White Dots

In order to understand what these white dots are, let’s take a leap back. The time is around 1940 and the place is a rug weaving workshop, somewhere in not-yet-communist China. An expert weaver can spend months working on a single rug, tying together the lengths of yarn when the length they are using is at its end. In order to save time, most weavers would not trim the end of the knots closely, leaving small, white nubs that hide inside the thick rug. As years go by, the rug wears and gets thinner, sometimes by as much as half of its original thickness and the knots become visible, dotting the rug and damaging its beauty.

A Closer Look at the White Dots

A Closer Look at the White Dots

How to Turn Back Time

This is where we come into play. Every restoration and repair process begins with thorough cleaning: The rug was dusted and shampooed, regaining its softness cleanliness. Our wool restoration team worked on this rug in three stages. First, we trimmed the end of the knots close to the base of the rug, making it tighter and shorter so it doesn’t stick out. The second stage involved adding more wool to the rug, making it thicker and nicer and lastly, we colored it using natural vegetable dyes, restoring its original looks of the rug.

The Rug - After

The Rug – After

Get Your Rug Restored

This restoration operation is just a taste of the elaborate jobs we perform regularly at Flat Rate Carpet. This kind of job takes about 5 days it costs between $370 – $440.

For more information about our rug restoration and repair process and other services, call us at (866) 466-4576 or contact us using this form.

Decorating Your House With Area Rugs

There are many ways to prepare your home for the winter. We trade in tank tops for sweaters, and brink out warmer blankets, but what about the floor? No one wants to wake up in the morning and have their feet frozen! Keep your feet cozy and warm this winter with an area rug.

Area Rugs | Flat Rate Carpet BlogArea rugs range in variety from extravagant, antique oriental rugs, to simple and inexpensive. Adding an area rug into your home for the winter will make any room warm and cozy. Area rugs also add color to an otherwise plain room, and complete the look of a room.

Fine and oriental rugs are not only cozy additions, but are often so beautiful that they become the centerpiece of the room. In the colder months area rugs also help to insulate a room, keeping it warm and cozy for guests and residents.

Most of the time we see rugs displayed in the living room, but they make wonderful additions to other rooms as well. Often kitchen floors are tile, which is easy to clean but it very cold in the fall and winter. If your home is free of messy eaters a fine rug in the kitchen is pleasing to the eye and the foot.

Microfiber area rugs are now readily available. These soft, mat like rugs are easily washed in the machine at home, and are perfect for the kitchen. Get a few, smaller, microfiber rugs for areas of the kitchen where you prepare food and see what an amazing difference it makes. If you spill something on the rug just pop it in the wash!

Simpler, inexpensive rugs make lovely additions to kid’s rooms or playrooms. They are easier to clean than carpeting because they can be taken away and thoroughly cleaned by professional cleaners. Even if you have carpeting in the house, it’s a good idea to get an inexpensive area rug to protect the permanent carpeting from crayons, markers, playdough and other non carpet friendly toys.

Warm up your home with a lovely, winter area rug.

Is Your Rug Antique?

Antique  Rugs | Flat Rate Carpet BlogArea rugs fall into many different categories, most of which refer to where the rug was woven. A Persian rug comes from Iran, whereas an Oriental rug categorizes any rug from the East. No matter where in the world your rug was made, antique rugs are a special category.

Antique rugs are area rugs that were woven at least 80 years ago, and rugs woven at least 50 years ago are labeled as semi-antique. Most antiques are woven before the year 1925, when synthetic dyes were introduced into the rug industry. Synthetic dyes lack the richness and uniqueness of natural dyes, and are considered to be lower quality.

Antiques are hand woven, with all natural dyes, but that’s not all that makes them antique. Antique rugs aren’t just old, but they also have to fit into an undefined category of quality. The rug must be well preserved, and well designed.

If you think your area rug might be an antique, it’s worth taking it to get appraised. Antique rugs are very valuable, and must be cared for properly.

How to Weave a Rag Rug

Weaving is an ancient art form that is found in almost every culture around the world. Some groups of people weave so beautifully that their rugs and other woven pieces are considered fine artwork. Fine oriental and Navajo rugs are prized household items, however you can easily weave your own rug right at home.

Rag rugs are sturdy, home made rugs made from leftover t-shirts, bed sheets or other old fabric lying around the home. They make wonderful decorations for doorways, outdoors or even in the kitchen. In a society that’s used to tossing away old items, rag rugs are also the perfect way to reuse and recycle.

Here are links to two different websites with easy to understand tutorials about weaving your own rug:

http://www.wikihow.com/Weave-a-Rag-Rug
http://www.craftpassion.com/2010/03/recycle-tutorial-woven-rag-rug.html

It’s a fun and easy project that requires nothing more than old fabric, or a piece of cardboard. Making your own rug doesn’t take a long time, and leaves you with a sturdy woven rug for your home.