Walk All Over That Rug

Walk All Over That Rug – It’s important to understand that even though a handmade rug is valuable, it’s made to be used. Don’t keep it covered in plastic like Aunt Edna’s sitting room sofa. With usage, most hand made rugs gain a certain patina that enhances their beauty and value. If you’re not going to enjoy it, why have it? After all, it’s “art for the floor.” Vacuuming Is Good – You should vacuum or sweep your area rug as you would wall-to-wall carpeting. Watch the fringes. You don’t want to have to pull them out of the vacuum cleaner. Handmade area rugs can benefit from being flipped over and vacuumed on the back side. Lift the rug up carefully and you will see all the dirt that has filtered down. Yuck! Turn, Turn, Turn – Rotating your rug occasionally (annually) will help even wear patterns and prevent uneven fading. When rugs are exposed to the sun evenly, the colors harmonize and the rug ages nicely. If parts of the rug receive too much or too little sun, one side might fade faster than the other. See Spot? Go! – Spot clean your area rug immediately after a spill. A water spill should be blotted

and then dried with a hairdryer set on a warm temperature. Try to dry both sides of the rug if possi- ble. Anything else should first be blotted with paper or terry towels to absorb as much as possible, and then apply salt or baking soda to the spot for a few minutes to absorb the rest. Once it dries, vacuum off the salt or baking soda. We also have a WoolSafe® approved spotter available free to our clients. Rug Pad – The main reason for a rug pad is to keep rugs in place and prevent them from slipping. Another reason is to protect the floor underneath your area rugs. Normally, the rugs themselves will not damage your floors, but if you do not have a rug pad, the rug can trap gritty dirt under your rug, and scratch your hardwood floors. In addition to this, accidental spills may seep through your rug through to your carpet or hardwood flooring and you may not realize it until the damage has been done. Dyes may also transfer color from the rug and permanently dye your carpet without a pad. Professional Cleaning – It is recommended that your rugs be professionally cleaned on a regular basis. Take your rug to a trained, professional carpet and rug care company to clean general soil, pet related issues and old or persistent stains. Please do not try to clean it yourself. You might make it worse! Lastly, if you have questions about your rugs,