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How to wash large rugs


How to Clean a Rug: Area Rugs, Oriental Rugs, and More

Could your area rug use a deep clean? Learn how to clean a rug yourself and you can bring all your floor coverings back to life whenever you like. Area rugs may bring a room together, but they also takes a beating, from foot traffic to pets and spills. After a while, vacuuming just isn’t enough to get it truly clean—and that’s when knowing how to do it yourself comes in super handy.

Area rug cleaning is a project you can easily take on yourself. There’s no need to hire professional rug cleaners for the task—unless your rug is extremely delicate (for example, an antique rug, Persian rug, or oriental rug).

Note: There’s no need to clean rugs on a schedule. Instead, you should just clean the rugs when they are visibly dirty or have an odor. Read on to find out how to refresh those well-worn area rugs so they look as good as they did when you first unrolled them.

1. Gather Your Tools and Supplies

Here's exactly what you'll need to have on hand to complete a successful area rug cleaning:

Optional:

2.

Remove Dirt and Debris

Thoroughly vacuum on the rug on both sides. You want to make sure every last bit of debris is gone. If you have pets, use the brush attachment to get any lingering stray hairs.

3. Mix Your Cleaner

When it comes to the actual cleaning solution, you can use a rug shampoo like this one from Bissell. Whatever shampoo you choose, follow its specific directions (found on the bottle) for mixing.

Alternatively, you can also use mild dish detergent mixed in a bucket with warm water. Do not use hot water as it can shrink the rug or cause fading.

4. Do a Color Test

Before you start scrubbing, make sure the cleaner doesn’t cause the colors to run. Test the solution on the corner of the rug to make sure it is colorfast. If the color doesn't bleed, it's safe to move on to the next step.

5. Wash the Rug

Using a sponge or soft-bristle brush, work the cleaning solution into a lather on the rug. Let the cleaner sit on the rug for a five minutes before you start rinsing. Anything less than that and you'll shortchange the cleaning process. Give it those five minutes to set in and start lifting away dirt.

6. Rinse the Rug

Rinse the soap out of the rug using a garden hose or buckets of clean water. Make sure all the cleaning solution is completely removed from the area rug and the runoff water is crystal clear.

7. Remove Excess Water

At this point, you’ll want to get rid of as much excess water in the rug as you can so it will dry faster. You can use a wet-dry vacuum if you have one, or use a squeegee in the direction of the nap.

8. Let the Rug Dry

The next-to-last step to clean an area rug is simply letting it dry. Lay the rug flat and allow the top of the rug to dry completely. Then, flip it over to let the bottom side dry. Fans can help speed up the process. Make sure the rug is fully dry before you return it to the room.

9. Vacuum or Brush Out the Rug

During the cleaning process, threads and fibers can get compacted and squished. Revive them by running a vacuum over the now-dry rug, or brush them with a soft-bristled brush. Now you're finished, and can enjoy your freshly cleaned carpet. You know how to clean an area rug yourself, and you can complete the job whenever you like.

How to Clean Area Rugs

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Photo: Michael Hession

Messes happen. Often where you least want them to. Whether the mess is caused by a pet having an accident, kids (or adults) spilling snacks, or someone tracking in mud, the area rugs in your home are especially primed for the messy parts of life. Some stains will be more stubborn than others, but the sooner you tackle them, the better your chances are of removing them. In addition to our own experience with cleaning up messes while testing dozens of rugs, we also spoke with Lisa Wagner, a second-generation rug cleaner and blogger at Rug Chick.

What you need

Various cleaning materials rest on a flatweave wool rug. Photo: Daniela Gorny

Optional

Who is this for?

Rug care can vary widely, depending on the type of rug you have. There are many different types of weaves and materials, so no single guide can easily—or briefly—cover how to clean all of them. But there are some general guidelines. We narrowed our focus to a few of the most common rug styles (which are also the ones we cover in our area rug guide):

For extra-large or delicate antique wool rugs, you’re better off consulting a professional in your area. Rug Chick has a great resource for finding local rug specialists.

Could I ruin my rugs by washing them at home?

Washing an entire rug at home will always carry a risk. In order to do it safely, always look at the care instructions, either on a still-attached tag or the manufacturer’s website. You can also reach out to local experts. In general, it’s worthwhile to clean thin, inexpensive rugs at home because the cost of professional cleaning can be more expensive than the rug itself. But thicker or more valuable rugs are risky to DIY, so proceed with caution, or reach out to a professional.

Not all rugs can be washed at home, especially extra-large, thick, antique, or heirloom ones. Wagner emphasized that it’s important to gather whatever information you can about your rug’s material and the type of care it needs, so that you don’t inadvertently introduce any mildew issues.

With at-home washings, low-pile wool rugs—especially multicolor ones—will likely bleed their colors. Some bleeding may not bother most rug owners, myself included, but this is a personal preference.

Always test a small area first. Wagner said, “I would rather have clients with clean and bled rugs than embedded with soil.” Synthetic rugs don’t have dyes that bleed, but they can still buckle or develop mold due to natural fibers used in other parts of the rug (like the outer edges or interior fibers). To limit bleeding and deter any fungal growth, it’s important to dry rugs quickly.

How long will it take to clean?

For spot-cleaning messes, active cleaning time can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. Most of the time spent will be passive, like letting the stain remover soak in and waiting for your rug to dry. The drying process can take anywhere from a few hours to a full day, but a fan or cool blow dryer can help speed up the process.

If you decide a rug is safe to wash at home, deep-cleaning the entire thing can take the better part of a day. But the active cleaning time shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours. Drying a rug, one of the most important steps, can take a few days, depending on your climate and how thick a rug is. With some smaller flatweave rugs that you can toss in the washer, the process is much easier. But you’ll still have to air-dry most of them.

How to clean an area rug

For spot-cleaning messes

After blotting, use a soft toothbrush to work some of the mild cleaner into the stain, if needed. Video: Daniela Gorny

When in doubt, first test an inconspicuous area to make sure the colors don’t run or the soap doesn’t stain your rug. Wagner recommends checking the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Spot Solver to find advice about dealing with specific stains on synthetic rugs.

If a mess contains any solids (like food, vomit, and the like), remove those first. Then use a clean white towel to blot the stain and remove as much liquid as possible.

Using a fresh white towel, apply a mild solution of dish soap or laundry detergent diluted in warm water. Use just enough of the mixture to soak the stain. But don’t overwet the area because that can spread the stain and take longer to dry, risking mold or mildew.

Rinse out the soap with warm water, and keep gently blotting the stain until it’s gone. This may take several passes, so be patient. Avoid the urge to scrub—blotting while applying pressure is the best way to avoid damaging fibers.

For stubborn stains, you can try an enzymatic stain remover like Zout or Resolve. Just be sure to check whether it’s safe for your rug’s material, or test a small area on your rug first and follow the instructions on the bottle. This process usually involves letting the product soak for a few minutes and then going back in with a damp rag or a soft brush to scrub the stain.

If all else fails—or you’re dealing with an old, set-in stain—consider investing in a portable carpet upholstery cleaner like the Bissell Little Green. These are wonderful tools for households with lots of rugs. And they’re also great at cleaning messes on carpets, couches, and other kinds of upholstery (like in your car).

Once your stain is gone, to avoid mildew forming, make sure the area dries completely. If needed, use a fan or hair dryer on “cold.” Improper drying can cause mold to form, especially on natural fibers, such as wool and cotton. If the rug stays damp for too long, it can also damage the floor underneath. Fully drying the area is essential!

For deep-cleaning small- to medium-size area rugs

A flatweave wool rug gets a pre-wash soak. Expect some colors to bleed on multicolor wool rugs like this one. Video: Daniela Gorny

For small flatweave synthetic or natural-fiber rugs

Vacuum or beat out as much dust as possible. If a small rug fits in your washer, you can likely toss it in there. But check the care label to be sure, and always err on the side of using a cold and gentle wash cycle. Afterward, lay the rug flat and air-dry it. To deter color bleeding on wool and cotton rugs, speed up the drying process by using fans.

For medium flatweave, low-pile, and high-pile synthetic rugs (or flatweave natural-fiber rugs)

Before wetting your rug, remove as much dust as possible. A good vacuuming of both sides can take care of dust, but if possible, take a rug outside and beat it over a balcony or rail. Rug Chick’s site has a great how-to video on vacuuming as well.

Using mild dish soap, first test a small area of the rug to see if the colors bleed too much or if the cleaner leaves a mark. If the colors run, you’ll likely need to take the rug to a professional cleaner. If your cleaned test area looks fine, you can continue, using a soft bristle brush to scrub the cleaner into the rug’s surface—treating any spots and stains according to our advice above.

If the thought of scrubbing an entire rug by hand sounds unappealing, senior staff writer Tim Heffernan relayed a far more fun and gentle process he was taught by a family member who sold antique Persian and Central Asian rugs:

“You lay the rugs out on a smooth, clean outdoor surface, soak them with a hose, work in some plain mild soap (not modern enzymatic detergent, which can destroy the otherwise immortal vegetable dyes and harm the wool) with your feet, like old-school grape-crushing, rinse thoroughly, and let dry flat. I’ve done this with our heirloom rugs on our balcony in Queens, and it works great.”

Video: Daniela Gorny

Once you’ve worked the cleaner into the entire rug, use a garden hose equipped with a spray nozzle to wash away the soap. If you don’t have a hose on hand, you can also use buckets of water. After rinsing, use clean, dry towels or a squeegee to remove as much excess water as possible. If you have a wet-dry vac, you could also use it to absorb more water.

Lay the rug flat and let it air-dry completely, which may take a couple of days, depending on your climate. Turn the rug over after a few hours to let both sides dry. Setting fans around the rug can help speed up the process and deter bleeding on wool rugs. “One tip would be to roll them inside large cotton towels and stand on the roll to press out as much excess water as you can, and then lay them out,” Wagner said.

Photo: Daniela Gorny

How often should I clean my rugs?

To extend the life of a rug, it’s crucial to regularly vacuum it and tend to messes early. Ideally, you would vacuum a rug once a week, but this will vary depending on lifestyle, pets, kids, and so forth. Rug Lady Seminars, a wonderful source of rug-cleaning information, has great advice for regular rug maintenance. Flatweave rugs that fit in the washer should probably get washed two to three times per year, depending on where they’re located and how dirty they get. To extend the time between washings and to avoid worn spots, Wagner recommends rotating rugs and flipping flatwoven rugs to use the other side.

We know that taking furniture off of rugs and moving them is no easy feat. So if you have a big rug that’s a pain to move, just try to stay on top of your vacuuming, and consider getting a portable upholstery cleaner (which also comes in handy for cleaning couches). Big, heavy rugs can probably go three to five years without a wash, as long as they’re cared for in between.

A good way to tell whether your rug needs a cleaning is if it looks gray and dull. After you vacuum a rug, run a damp white rag across it, and if the rag comes up dirty, it’s probably time to give the rug a bath.

A 5-by-8-foot antique wool rug that the owner washed and dried herself. As long as you’re okay with some colors potentially bleeding (as this one has over the years), and you make sure to dry the rug thoroughly, washing more-delicate rugs at home is an option. Photo: Daniela Gorny

About your guide

Daniela Gorny

Daniela Gorny is a supervising editor covering home goods, linens, and furniture at Wirecutter. She previously worked as an architect and received a master’s degree in city design and sociology. You can usually find her walking her dog and exploring the hilly trails of Los Angeles.

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Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time).

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How to wash a carpet at home

Not all of us have super washing vacuum cleaners, but in almost every house there is a carpet or rug. This is probably why the question of how to wash a carpet worries many people. How difficult do you think it is to do this?

How not to wash

The first rule is that the carpet cannot be washed with hot water. The maximum allowable temperature is 50 degrees. The fact is that the fibers of almost all carpets keep their shape due to adhesive bonding. If it is washed, then the carpet will come into disrepair.

Also, washing in hot water is contraindicated for colored and natural materials. In the first case, the fabric will shed, and in the second it will simply deteriorate.

Do not use hard-bristled brushes when washing carpets. They can damage the pile.

Do not rub the carpet against the direction of the pile.

Do not soak the carpet, leave it damp in closed, unventilated areas. This can lead to holes.

If you want to remove a stain on the carpet, wash only the stained area, and then dry it with a hair dryer from the inside.

Do not wash the carpet with ordinary powder, its particles remain in the pile and spoil the structure of the product. Purchase a special carpet cleaner. Use liquid detergents. If the product has greasy stains, use dishwashing detergent or shampoo.

Bath wash

Before washing, it is mandatory:

So, if dimensions allow, cleaning and washing of carpets should be carried out in the bathroom. It is necessary to roll the floor covering into a roll and place it in the bath. Then unscrew the top end and rub with a brush with detergent gel. It is better not to use laundry detergent, because it does not wash well. If there are stubborn stains, the carpet can be left to soak for a while, and then wash off the foam with a pressure of water from the shower and proceed to cleaning the other part.

Washing liquid can be made by yourself. It will be better because it includes affordable and inexpensive components. For a bucket (5-6 liters) of warm water, take 2 tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent, 50 grams of vinegar and the same amount of ammonia. The solution perfectly launders all kinds of stains from carpets, refreshes the color and eliminates odors. The smell of ammonia quickly disappears.

Sometimes it is recommended to add kerosene during washing. You should not do this, because the smell of kerosene is very difficult to get rid of. And if you used it to clean the rug at home, then be prepared for the fact that you will have to ventilate the room for several hours a day for a week or two.

A small carpet can be completely put into the bath, filled with water and detergent added, and when the dirt gets wet, drain the water and rinse the product clean.

Washing directly on the floor

This method is not suitable for large carpets. Firstly, at home in the bathroom, messing around with it is difficult and inconvenient. Secondly, in the apartment it will dry for a very long time if it is completely wet. Modern technologies help to find a way out.

Take one of the carpet cleaners. It can be the notorious Vanish, or a more expensive and rare substance. In fact, there are quite a few of them. If you are interested in the question, you can easily find in any company that sells detergents, liquid or powder, with which carpets are cleaned at home.

The liquid must be foamed and applied to the surface, the powder can simply be sprinkled. Particularly dirty places are carefully rubbed with a brush. When the substance adsorbs dirt and dries, it is collected with a vacuum cleaner. In this way, you can clean any carpets of medium and low degree of soiling.

If the pile is so dirty that it even stinks, then it is advisable to wash it more thoroughly.

Laundry in the yard

For those who live in their own home or travel to the country, it is most convenient to wash the carpet in the summer outdoors. You can spread it directly on the pavement or hang it on a crossbar that acts as a sports bar and horizontal bar. You can't do that in a cramped home.

This is the best way to get rid of bad smells if the carpet smells. In the fresh air, everything is weathered, and drying is not a problem.

How to wash a carpet with Karcher

The principle of washing a carpet with Karcher is the same as when washing outside. Fill the sink with carpet cleaner, put a special nozzle on the hose and apply cleaning foam to the carpet. After that, walk on the coating with a pressure of clean water - the foam will be washed out along with the dirt.

At the car wash

Before entrusting your carpet to car wash workers, ask them how cleaning is done, what detergents are used, under what conditions the product will be dried. Be careful, because if unscrupulous workers do not follow the washing rules, use low-quality powder and do not dry the product thoroughly, it may be irretrievably damaged.

Dry-cleaner

The most effective and safest way to wash carpets is to entrust this task to professionals. In dry cleaning, the carpet will be treated with the most suitable product for it using special equipment. Specialists will definitely not make a mistake with the choice of washing method and cleaning composition. In addition, the carpet will be thoroughly rinsed and dried, which is possible only under special conditions.

Drying

When washing carpets at home, there is a need to dry them as quickly as possible. In summer, when the air temperature is high, it is enough to open the windows and turn on the fan so that the moisture evaporates faster.

In winter, you can turn on the heater, heat fan or use a hair dryer if the rug is small. It would be nice to hang a carpet on the balcony or put it on 2-3 stools so that it dries both above and below.

Some rugs cannot be wetted too much, because they are glued with special glue. In this case, you will have to resort to dry cleaning or take out the carpet in the winter on the snow, which perfectly picks up odors, dust and cleans dirt.

Carpet care principles

Follow these simple guidelines for caring for carpets at home, and the question of how to wash the carpet will not disturb you too often.

  1. Vacuum the product at least 1-2 times a week. Then the dust will not have time to penetrate deep into the pile, and the carpet will look like new, much longer.
  2. Wash the floor under the carpet once a week, because the carpet can get dirty from the inside.
  3. Do not install carpets in rooms where there is usually a lot of debris, such as in the kitchen. Better place it in the bedroom or living room.

How to wash a carpet at home

Why wash a carpet

No matter how carefully housewives clean their apartments, dust and dirt still get into the house. And if washing textiles, washing floors and windows is not a problem, then washing a carpet, especially a large and fleecy one, is a difficult task.
Good for those who live outside the city or in a private house with their own yard. You can clean the carpet with snow in the yard in winter, and in summer you can wash it with a hose or wash it in a river and dry it in the sun.


How to wash and clean the carpet in the apartment?
There are services that take carpets for washing or dry cleaning. However, the prices for laundry and carpet cleaning are high. Sometimes it is more profitable to buy a new carpet than to give it to the launderer for several years in a row.

What to do? How to wash a carpet, remove stains from a carpet at home?


In this article, we will analyze tips for washing carpets at home.

Even if the carpet is frequently vacuumed, dirt accumulates in it, which spoils the appearance of the carpet and causes a bad smell. Particles of street dust and dirt that have settled on the carpet contain many substances that are harmful and hazardous to health.
Therefore, carpets must be cleaned or washed in some way, moderately disinfected.

How not to wash carpets

When washing carpets, it is important not to spoil their appearance. Therefore, first we will analyze how carpets should not be washed.

What not to do when washing the carpet:

Certain types of carpets are best not washed by yourself:

Be careful when washing bright carpets dyed with inexpensive dyes. Such carpets can shed heavily.

Large carpets, especially those with long pile, should not be washed in the apartment. There is simply no place to dry them.
Another thing is if you have your own yard. Then the carpet can be dried by spreading it in the sun. But we must bear in mind that a large wet carpet with a long pile is very heavy. It will take several strong men to lift it and carry it out into the yard.

How to remove stains from a carpet

If the carpet is not yet dirty enough to be washed entirely, but there are stains on it, you can try to remove them at home.

Before using any carpet cleaner, test it on a small, inconspicuous area of ​​the carpet. If the carpet has not faded, the color has not changed, you can remove the stains.


The best way to remove different types of stains from the carpet:

How to wash the carpet in the bath and in the washing machine

How to wash a small carpet in the bath: