Out, Darned Spot! A Few Tips on Cleaning Area Rugs & Carpet

carpet_stain

We laugh around the studio as it is inevitably the clients I work with that end up with spills on their upholstery or rugs.  (I think that’s because they know how to throw the best parties!) Today we’ll share a few Design Lines tips on cleaning up those rugs.

1- Firstly, consider “insurance” on your purchases. It’s worth it to have rugs and upholstered goods treated by a Fiber services company – some manufacturers even provide this service before the item is shipped to you.

2- Do it Yourself

Wool: Blot spills immediately with a white cloth. Do not scrub the wool carpet, as that can be damaging to the weave.  For stubborn spills you may use this homemade cleaning solution that is safe: Add a teaspoon of mild detergent and a teaspoon of pure white vinegar to two quarts of warm water.

Sisal: For cleaning a sisal rug- look to Molly’s tried & true recipe. I have to say first that Molly has 3 fun kids & a dog.

  • Mix a solution of 1/4th part Vinegar & 3/4th part water and put into a spray bottle.
  • Spray the mixture onto the stain generously. Allow it to soak into the carpet for a few seconds.
  • Press a paper towel stack against the stain and blot so that the staining ingredient will lift onto the paper towels.
  • Continue spraying the carpet with the vinegar solution and blotting carpet until no stain remains. To ease handling, you may choose to spray the paper towels with the solution before blotting as long as you continue to spray the carpet, too.
  • Allow the carpet to dry. The scent of vinegar should fade away while it evaporates. It may take a few days for it to dry thoroughly

Residential carpet (mostly nylon products): Our jaws dropped when we found this I-phone app from Shaw floors– The Mobile Stain Center is impressive:  “This app contains stain removal procedures for some of the most common household spills. These stain removal and cleaning procedures have been carefully developed for use on Shaw Floors’ carpet made with Shaw Floors’ carpet fibers and may not be appropriate for use on other types of carpet. The stain removal procedures are provided to assist in maintaining your Shaw Floors’ carpet and reflect the best information available.”

3- Call in a Pro

Remember, no carpet is stain proof – your home is not a museum. It’s where life happens.  You can contact your designer for care instructions or recommendations for a carpet cleaning service.

Click here to check out today’s Apartment Therapy post on Household Cleaning Urban Myths- interesting methods!

-Brittany