How to Clean your Cotton Rugs

Dirty or stained cotton rugs are unsightly and can spoil the beauty of your well-designed space. Whether or not your rug is in a high-traffic area, it is necessary to clean it regularly to avoid dirt from accumulating on the rug. If you’re not sure how to go about cleaning it, don’t worry. The following are cleaning guidelines you can follow so that your cotton rugs will maintain their beauty and last for many years.

Immediately clean any spills before it stains the rug. Whether you spill food or drinks, don’t let it dry on the rug before cleaning it off because it may be more difficult to get the stain off later on. Shake off the rug to dislodge food particles such as crumbs that may have worked themselves into the rug.

Shake off the rug to get rid of dirt and dust. You can also vacuum the rug to get rid of dirt that doesn’t come off by just shaking. This will make cleaning the rug easier as you’ve already cleaned off surface dirt.

Put the rug in the washer. However, before you do this, check the care instructions that came with the rug. If you lost the care instructions, just wash it in a gentle setting. Use mild soap so as not to damage the rug. Wash it thoroughly.

If the rug is really dirty, soak it in warm water with mild soap. Let it soak for a few hours so that dirt will surface. Rinse it thoroughly with clean water.

If the rug has a stain, remove the stain first before washing thoroughly. Use a stain remover to gently clean off the stain. But before doing that, check the rug’s care instructions first. There may be stain removers that can damage it so make sure that what you’ll be using won’t hurt your rug. Gently brush the stain off, then rinse thoroughly.

Dry the rug well. Hang it to dry and let the sun disinfect it. You don’t have to wring the rug to get rid of water as it may affect the rug’s integrity. Just let the sun and breeze dry it off.

Keep your cotton rug looking like new so that you can enjoy it for many years. Clean it regularly and follow its care instructions for a lasting cotton rug.

Wool Rugs: Styles to Choose From

Wool rugs come in a variety of styles. With so many choices available, you may be a little unsure about which style to choose. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who can’t tick off the different styles off the top of your head. However, a little knowledge goes a long way. Read on to know the different styles of rugs so that you can make an informed choice when next you go rug-shopping.

Contemporary Rugs

This style features colorful rugs in varied shapes and different sizes. You can find contemporary designs in a lot of stores so you’ll have an easy time finding pieces that will match the theme you’re going for.

Contemporary rugs are usually defined as art for the floor. Designers explore different designs, resulting in rugs with designs inspired by everyday objects to highly unusual art expressions. They can be versatile styles for any room or theme-specific rugs that would enrich your space.

Hand-Tufted Rugs

These rugs are either handmade or manufactured by machines. They are more affordable than other styles of rugs because it takes less time to finish one, especially when machine-made. They can have designs that are more complex than handmade pieces. They also boast a better weave quality. Although most hand-tufted wool rugs are made primarily of wool, some manufacturers incorporate other materials such as nylon.

Braided Rugs

This style of wool rug is handmade. It is more expensive than some styles of wool rugs because it takes a long time to make and wool used usually goes through various processes to prepare it for braiding. Each braid is made individually, then sewn together with other braids to form a rug. A person’s art expression is immortalized in braided rugs and much labor is poured forth in their construction.

These rugs are durable and are ideal for areas that get a lot of foot traffic. Because of their design, they are usually seen in homes with a rustic country theme. However, modern themes are incorporating these designs for a dash of character.

Hand-Knotted Rugs

Hand-knotted rugs are one of the most expensive wool rugs. As with braided rugs, they are handcrafted and take a long time to finish. A rug is made by looping wool one at a time until a mass of loops are formed. It is held together by yarn woven through the mass.
The quality of a hand-knotted rug is determined by the number of knots in a square inch. The more knots in a square inch, the higher the quality. Since making enough loops takes a long period of time, hand-knotted rugs are pricier compared to other rugs.