Tips for Rug Cleaning?

Like everything else today, rugs need special care to ensure long life. Regular cleaning, using proper treatments will help extend the life of your rug.
Vacuuming:
Regardless of whether your rug is a cut pile or loop rug, vacuuming is the basic and primary step for caring for your rug. Rugs are exposed to endless mistreatment, such as treading feet, dirt, dust, oil and spills of all sorts. By frequently vacuuming, you can prevent soils from building up. Vacuums with good suction are recommended to lift surface dirt. This especially applies to looped rugs where damaging the loops is possible. Cut pile rugs on the other hand, require rougher treatment. Besides removing surface dirt it is necessary to agitate the pile to loosen the dirt which may have sunk to the core. These rugs require a vacuum with a beater or brush bar to lift the residue embedded in the rug. While vacuuming remember to never allow the soil storage bag to become too full or dirt may escape the vacuum.

Cleaning:
Even though vacuuming removes a lot of soil, oily substances deposited on the rug also pose a problem. If left to pile up, these oils cause matting due to the pile sticking together. Gradually the rug starts to form ridges and the colors dim. If not removed when first noticed, it becomes hard to clean. It is, thus, advised to clean your rug when dullness first starts to appear. There are many ways to clean your rug but almost all require clean clothes or paper towels, warm water and a cleaning substance. To avoid altering the rug's texture DO NOT RUB as fuzziness may result.

Removing Stains:
Many rugs are treated to be stain resistant which delays the stain setting in, giving you a chance to act. The key is to treat the stain or spill quickly before it is absorbed by the rug and dries.

Basic cleaning steps for typical everyday stains:
1. Scoop up as much of the spill as possible
2. Absorb as much of the liquid that's left with a dry cloth/paper towel by blotting.
3. Apply warm water to the stain then blot again If the stain remains visible, mix warm water with a mild non-bleach laundry detergent. Using a clean cloth apply some of the mixture to the stain and let it soak for 5 minutes. Rinse the stain with warm water and blot it well to extract the residue. Repeat until there is no detergent on the rug.
When satisfied and the rug is completely dry, vacuum the area.
Specific Stains:
Since different stains require different cleaning treatments, it is important to identify the source and nature of the stain. Below is a list of common stains and how they are best removed.

Stain Cleaning Treatment
Alcohol Warm water & detergent
Asphalt Dry cleaning solvent then warm water & detergent
Blood Warm water & detergent
Butter Dry cleaning solvent then warm water & detergent
Chewing gum Freeze using ice, shatter gum, vacuum, warm water & detergent
Most Makeup Dry cleaning solvent then warm water & detergent
Shoe Polish Dry cleaning solvent then warm water & detergent
Urine Warm water & detergent then white vinegar & water (1:3)
Vomit Warm water & detergent then dry cleaning solvent
Wax Freeze using ice, shatter gum, vacuum, dry cleaning solvent then water & detergent
Wine Talcum powder then warm water & detergent
Please note that the above is provided for informational purposes only. We cannot be held responsible for any damage done. We highly recommend regular professional cleaning for your rugs. Good luck.

If you truly want a clean carpet I only recommend Stanley Steamer, they are reasonable, guarantee their work and do great work! I speak from personnal experience.

They have a spot cleaner that you can buy from any dealer or service person. The secret to keeping a carpet clean to me is keeping the spills treated at the time, not waiting for them to set in so keep a bottle of Stanley Steamer's spot remover on hand and be ready. No I don't work for them I just think they are the best.