Even more shag area rugs

Shag rugs are all the rage and can be found in every shape, fiber type, fiber length, and colour. They add a punch of colour and texture to any room at affordable prices. Shag rugs are also one of the most difficult types of area rugs to clean.

Shag rugs are the Divas of the area rug world and need extra attention and care to keep them looking their best. I know I keep writing about Shag rugs, but not everyone has gotten the message that Shag rugs need to be cleaned and vacuumed more often that a short pile rug. Here is another video showing a good way to vacuum a Shag rug.

The fibers of a Shag act just like velcro and dirt and debris easily get trapped in them. Shaking the rug helps, but it is best to do when the rug is upside down that way the dirt goes onto the floor more so than in the air. If you have any furniture on your Shag move the rug every few weeks to see how dirty it is getting. It doesn't take too long before your nice off white Shag to become grey from being walked on.

If you have pets it is a good idea to check under the rug to see if they are using it as a bathroom. When you have a coloured shag there may not be any evidence of urine on the front of your rug, but the back of the Shag will show any stains. Pets love shags too, but not always the same way you do.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, Victoria's Shag rug cleaner.

It's Snowing Rug Fluff

Today's blog topic is area rugs that shed and shed and then shed some more.

This area rug came to us a few days ago for cleaning. This fluffy shag area rug is very soft to touch and I love the chocolate brown colour

The client had to stop using the rug because of the excessive shedding. When we unrolled the rug and rolled it back up there were six little tufts of fibers on the floor.

If that is what comes out from just unrolling I would hate to see what comes out after it is walked on.

The fibers of the area rug are wool, but in two different textures. There are the fuzzy thick tufts and twisted narrow fibers.

The two different types of textures make the area rug harder to clean because the long narrow fibers lay down and trap the soil underneath them.

To thoroughly clean these rugs it would take a lot of hours separating the fibers and making them stand up and even then we still couldn't guarantee 100% soil removal the rug is just too dense.

Why do these shag area rugs shed so much before and after cleaning?

The construction of these rugs has the fibers looped through the backing with no knots used.

Another reason could be the quality of wool used to make these rugs. If they use low quality or shorter pieces of wool it would tend to shed more than a better quality and longer strands.

What can you do to not buy an area rug that sheds?

Easy, rub your hand in a circle on the rug. If you are getting a fur ball or a lot of fluff walk away. Check the back of the rug. If it looks like the fibers are looped through like above, tug on a single fiber. Sometimes they can easily be pulled out.

When there is a fabric backing on the rug smell the rug front and back. Some rugs can have a permanent bad odour.

By smelling and rubbing an area rug you can avoid buying a rug that you will not be happy with.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary.