Once a week I cruise on over to Google Blog Search and do a search for area rug cleaning blogs.
I find out what others are writing about and find topics I may want to write about as well. A lot of blogs recommend using equipment and cleaning solutions not made for area rugs, especially WOOL area rugs.
It is perceived that rugs are just like synthetic wall to wall carpet. That is true if you had left over carpet made into a rug. Hand knotted and machine made area rugs require specialized care and cleaning.
I know those blog post exists to help save money, but if your rug gets ruined by using unprofessional advice and you have to buy a new one how does that save you money?
Getting your area rugs cleaned by a professional rug company can cost more than you expected, but it is done right and your rug will last longer and be healthy.
Today I read a blog about cleaning your wool area rug in the snow. It is a practiced way of do-it-yourself cleaning in European countries for decades.
The blog describes step by step how to clean your rug with snow, I am confused as to how this process deodorizes the rug. Snow is froze water with no emulsifiers (detergents), degreasers or enzymes to scrub away the causes of odour.
What they show is our first step in rug cleaning, without the snow. Luv-A-Rug turns your area rugs upside down over a grid and vibrates out the loose dirt, debris, allergens. This is done with the Rug Badger an we call it Badgering.
We an just badger your area rugs, but when we do this we also tell you that Badgering doesn't remove spots, stains or odours.
When you do search for ways to clean and care for spills on the Internet, keep in mind that not all information is correct. Not all cleaning products work for every rug.
When a wet spill happens it is best to BLOT it using a WHITE COTTON towel and keep the area damp and get it to your professional rug cleaner as soon as possible. The sooner we can get to a spill the less likely it will become a stain.
Read the labels of the spot cleaners, if it doesn't say wool safe or have the wool safe symbol on it it will not be good for your wool rug. We hear stories where it may have worked once, but there are too many factors to gurantee it will always work every time.
Here is a letter written to Barry O'Connell of www.spongbongo.com about using snow as a great way to get off loose dirt, lint and pet hair. He doesn't say that it will do anything more than that.
The other sites I looked at all say that it is a great way to get rid of the loose dirt without getting the rug too wet. When you remove the loose dirt from your rug it will look brighter because it is the loose dirt that makes a rug look dull, unless it is a synthetic rug.
Synthetic rugs look dull from walking on it regardless of how much cleaning is done to them. The fibers lose their sheen as soon as they are walked on and there is no way to replace it.
If you live in a place that gets a lot of snow and want to freshen up your area rugs, this is a good way. Just keep in mind that for a deep sanitizing clean you need to take your rugs to a professional area rug cleaner.
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary
