Regardless of their type, rugs are among the most popular and common furnishing accessories in the world. These objects can furnish a room, giving it character, colour and fine aesthetic finishes, whose beauty is usually accompanied by a degree of subtlety. It is therefore reasonable to ask the following question: how can we take care of them without damaging the fabrics? Here is a short guide with everything you need to know on this subject!
Vacuuming
Whether they are made of wool, silk, cotton or synthetics, rugs in the living area have one thing in common: they collect dust, pet hair and anything brought into the house by shoes. In order to properly clean them, you should thoroughly vacuum once or, if possible, twice a week. You must clean both the rug’s upper side (the one in which dust gets lodged between the fibres) and lower side. Adopting these sanitary practices will ensure that dust is effectively removed and that it does not settle in the fabric.
Washing
When it comes to washing, there are different methods depending on the type of fabric:
- Wool carpets should be dry-cleaned, but with the right care they can also be washed at home. After vacuuming, soak the rug in a basin of cold water and soap, brushing it with a soft-bristle brush. Finally, leave it to dry in the sun, on a smooth surface, and on the reverse side.
- Since they are very delicate, silk rugs can only be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, or sanitized by dusting them with sodium bicarbonate, leaving it to act for about an hour and then gently removing it with the same appliance.
- Rugs made of vegetable fibres, such as cotton, can be cleaned with a simple mix of soap and water and then left to dry outdoors.
- Finally, synthetic rugs can be cleaned by dusting them with sodium bicarbonate and vacuuming them after leaving it to act for an hour.
Steam cleaning
If there are deeply embedded stains or dirt on the surface of your rug, the best solution may be to use a steam cleaner. It only uses hot water (without the addition of detergents), which can remove the most stubborn dirt from rug fibres. First, pass the steam vacuum cleaner over the rug to remove surface dirt. Next perform a pre-treatment by spraying hot water on particularly dirty or stained areas of the rug; this will soften them and make them easier to remove. Leave it to act for a couple of minutes. Now take the water tank out of the cleaner and fill it with warm water. Connect the steam cleaner to the electrical socket, wait until the water has reached the right temperature and start cleaning by pressing the appropriate button (usually located on the handle).
Common mistakes
It is easy to make mistakes when cleaning rugs. Here are the most common ones that are best avoided:
- Using stain removers that are too violent to remove stains.
- Putting them in a washing machine.
In all three cases, the rugs end up ruined, especially wool rugs, since these processes will damage their knots.
Mites
For allergy sufferers, dust mites are a real problem. To sanitize your rugs in a 100% natural way, we suggest that you sprinkle some sodium bicarbonate on the dry rug, brush it and leave it to act for at least seven/eight hours (ideally overnight). At this point you should vacuum and, as soon as you have finished, empty the appliance.
It goes without saying that it is very important to choose the right appliance. H-FREE 500, the most compact and lightest rechargeable vacuum cleaner in the Hoover range, offers the performance of a corded vacuum cleaner and adapts to any type of home environment thanks to its 69 cm height, which allows it to be easily stored anywhere. Equipped with numerous accessories, including the special Intense Floor roller, which is highly effective on rugs, H-FREE 500 will guarantee excellent cleaning results... even on your most valuable carpet!
