If you have a beautiful area rug in your home or business, you’re probably wondering how to clean it properly. Following proper rug cleaning protocols is essential to protecting and preserving your area rug.
Poor rug cleaning can lead to the following:
- Bleeding dyes
- Damage that shortens the life of your rug
- Harmful chemicals entering your home
- Setting in stains instead of removing them
- Leaving behind odors
- Remaining moisture in your rug that damages it
And yet, failing to clean your rugs can have many of the same consequences. You must seek out professional rug cleaning from experts who understand area rugs. If your rugs are unique oriental rugs, be sure that your professional rug cleaners understand the nuances of your rug’s features, such as how to work with decorative fringe.
We’ll take an in-depth look at the consequences of poor rug cleaning and how to know you’ve found the best rug cleaning company. After all, a rug is often the centerpiece or main focal point of a home. Cleaning and maintaining them is crucial to keeping your home looking great.
Bleeding Dye
When a rug is not properly cared for in the cleaning process, the dyes can bleed. This can lead to the design of your rug being lost as the colors blend together. Or, you might end up with changes in the color or loss of the pattern of your rug.
Some rug dyes are not as colorfast as others. That’s why it’s important to hire a professional rug cleaning company that has in-depth knowledge about different dyeing processes and can use the right cleaning technique based on your rug’s needs.
Rugs with red dye tend to have the largest problems with dye bleeding. Some rug makers add dye to the rug once they’ve finished weaving it. This can also pose risks for bleeding dye if handled incorrectly.
Some professional rug cleaners do a dye test before cleaning a rug. This helps inform them of the best cleaning process for the rug to avoid damage.
Shorter Rug Life
Improper rug cleaning can damage the rug’s fibers, which shortens the life of your rug. You might not notice a change in your rug after one cleaning. But the more times your rug goes through poor cleanings, the more you’ll start to see the wear in your rug.
Additionally, when a rug returns from cleaning with dirt still trapped in it, that can shorten the rug’s life as well. That’s because dirt buried deep in the fibers can break them down with time. Each time you walk over the rug or place heavy furniture on top of it, the dirt presses and harms your area rug.
You might start noticing areas with tears or disruptions to your rug’s pattern. That’s a sign that your fibers are breaking down. At this point, it’s certainly time to see an experienced rug cleaning professional who also does rug repair. Rug repair can help restore your rug and put years back into its life after poor cleaning or a lack of cleaning.
Harmful Chemicals Entering Your Home
Most rug cleaning chemicals are mild and safe for your home and those who live there. However, some chemicals pose risks to you and your family. Watch out for companies that use the following chemicals when cleaning your rugs:
- Perchloroethylene: this chemical can make your family feel dizzy, nauseous or fatigued. Continued exposure to this chemical regularly can lead to kidney or liver damage.
- Naphthalene: some cleaning companies use this chemical thanks to its ability to dissolve dirt and kill moths. Just be careful if your rug cleaning company uses this chemical too liberally as it can lead to nausea, confusion, vomiting, and even nerve and liver damage.
- Butyloxy Ethanol: poses risks when you breathe it in or your skin comes in contact with it. Watch for nerve, liver or kidney damage from this chemical.
Ask your rug cleaning professional what types of chemicals they use in the cleaning process and the risks these might pose to you and your family. Look for more natural rug cleaning solutions if your family is especially sensitive to chemicals or you have concerns about your current cleaning company’s use of chemicals.
Setting in Stains Instead of Removing Them
If a rug is cleaned improperly, it can set in stains instead of removing them. This is especially true if you have a rug dry cleaned as the heat can make a stain even more permanent.
Before turning over your rug to a cleaner, be sure to discuss any stains or spots on the rug that concern you. Ask the rug cleaners about whether or not they believe they can get the stain out of the rug or if they think the rug might need other treatment methods.
Once a stain is set in, it’s much harder to get it out. Be sure to seek professional cleaning immediately after an accident or spill near your rug.
Leaving Behind Odors
Some rug treatments are only surface treatments and can leave behind musty, dirty odors. Poor rug cleaning might make your rugs look good, but if they come back smelling just like they did when you sent them off, you should be concerned about how good your rug cleaners are.
Even without harsh chemicals or damaging processes, a team of professional rug cleaners can remove odors from your rugs. It’s a good idea to ask neighbors or friends who have area rugs for references about companies they use for cleaning. This is a good place to start with finding reputable companies you can trust.
Remaining Moisture in Your Rug That Damages It
Steam cleaning your rugs can leave moisture behind. Watch out for moisture build-up in your rugs because mold can cause serious damage to your rugs.
If you start to smell a musty odor after your rugs have been cleaned, check for moisture. Get a dehumidifier in the room with your rug as quickly as possible and look for a new rug cleaning company. There should be no moisture left behind with good rug cleaning.
A cleaning process that leaves behind moisture can also attract dust and dirt to your rug and leave you needing yet another cleaning.
Tips for Finding Professional Rug Cleaning
Finding a good professional rug cleaning company that will treat your rug with the utmost care can be difficult. But it’s well worth it to preserve the life of your rug. Here’s a look at some tips for finding a good rug cleaning company.
- Watch out for low prices or large discounts. Rug cleaning takes time and expertise. If the company is providing prices well below that of their competitors or offering large discounts, you should feel a bit uneasy about turning over your rug to them.
- Ask for referrals. When you walk into a home with a beautiful area rug, ask the homeowner who does their rug cleaning. This can be a great way to get introduced to reputable, local rug cleaners in Everett, Washington.
- Focus on experience. While it’s important to support up and coming small businesses, entrust your rugs to a local company with years of experience in rug cleaning. A Advanced Rug Care has more than 20 years of experience in cleaning area rugs. You can feel confident when entrusting your home cleaning to us.
We’ll provide the utmost care for your rugs when you entrust them to A Advanced Rug Care. Get a quote to learn more about our services.
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