How Often Should I Clean My Rugs?

NYU Microbiologist Phillip Tierno recommends cleaning area rugs once every six months, while the American Lung Association recommends deep cleaning carpets once every year. We recommend frequent routine cleaning when your rug is in a high-traffic area or there are household members with health and respiratory concerns. Cleaning is recommended if you’ve stained your rug and if it’s visibly dirty.

How much does it typically cost to clean a rug?

The price depends on the fiber content and pile length of your area rug. Expect to pay anywhere between $240-320 for an 8 x10 rug made of standard length wool fiber.

Is it worth getting carpets cleaned professionally?

Rugs are one of the dirtiest items in your home. Carpets and rugs are filters that trap dirt, dust, dust mites, bacteria, mold, viruses, dead skin cells, pet debris, and other pollutants. For one of the dirtiest items in your home, Professional Rug Cleaning is one of the most vigorous cleaning processes available for any item in your home.

Can you steam clean an area rug?

Submersion cleaning from a professional specialty rug cleaner is always safer and more effective. However, if your rug is cheap, made of synthetic fiber and isn't particularly dirty then you can opt to steam clean it instead to save money.

How To Spot Clean A Rug - Babash Rug Services

Name: Rug Cleaning
Brand: Babash Rug Services
Rating: 5.0 (417 reviews)

This article is very important. A large part of Babash’s business comes from people who attempted to clean a stain at home with solution. Not only did it not work, but it made the stain worse and increased the cost of their repairs. If they knew how to spot clean a rug using the techniques described below, they would’ve saved a lot of time, money and unnecessary stress. Whether your little one spills food on the rug while watching TV or your furry friend has an accident, it is important to know how to properly handle a situation like this. Luckily for you, we have insider tips on just how to take care of a situation like this. If you act fast, you just might be able to eliminate the stain entirely. If not, you can try to minimize the stain and the cost of professional cleaning (if it is even needed!).

Keep in mind that this article is intended for fresh stains that have just occurred recently. If the stain is settled into the rug, PLEASE do not apply any sort of cleaning solution to it as this WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY damage rug. This includes seemingly harmless household substances such as hydrogen peroxide (with Alkaline pH levels that are not safe for dye/fiber bond) and baking soda which can cast a white shadow over the area which they were applied on.

HOW TO SPOT CLEAN A RUG

Before anything else, we recommend using a highly absorbent paper towel over the stain to soak up as much of the stain as possible. You want to dab the stain without applying any pressure so as to avoid smearing the stain. Rubbing the stain will spread it around the rug resulting in higher stain removal fees! It also increases the probability of irreparable damage. Once you’ve done this, use a vacuum to create a suction seal around the stain for a few minutes. If your vacuum has a water treatment feature, then use it with fresh cold water to contaminate the stain and unsettle it. Do not mix in any detergent without consulting an expert first. If you mix in dish detergent or even carpet stain removal solution then you’re risking making the stain even worse or damaging the fabric and dyes of your rug. There is no detergent type that comprehensively and safely works on all types of fabrics and dyes. Once this step is complete we recommend leaving a blow dryer or a fan next to the area to evaporate as much away as possible. Doing this should remove anywhere from 60-100% of the stain. If you don’t have a vacuum or any way of fanning the stain (remember you can always use a blow dryer) then use a spoon to carefully eliminate as much as possible without spreading it around. Wool, if left damp and warm for a prolonged period, can grow microorganisms (bacteria, fungi). If you’re not up to the task and the rug is freshly soiled, rush on over to Babash Rug Services and we will extract as much of the stain as possible using specialized vacuums to minimize damage. Check out the hilarious video below which should really be titled “what not to do when you stain your rug.”

Remember: just dab it!

Don’t use carpet stain solution. Not only are these solutions often meant for wall-to-wall carpets and machine-made rugs but they usually don’t even work on the products they were designed for, let alone your precious handwoven rug. Moreover, fine rugs, especially Persian ones, are highly susceptible to color bleeding when the wrong sets of detergents are used. While we never recommend the use of these products, especially on handwoven or fine rugs, if you do end up using one then we recommend testing it on a small corner of the rug to ensure that it is safe for your specific type of rug.

We’ve had several clients who attempted to clean their stains with in-store solution and a rug doctor only to have to pay more for repair because the solution ruined the colors of the rug and the stain didn’t come out. For example, one client accidentally spilled tea on a fine pure Persian rug and tried to wipe the stain with generic over-the-counter product. The rug was worth over $50,000! See pictures of what happened and what we did to eliminate the stain altogether.

Still need help? Call us at (818) 963-9153 and a trained rug expert will be glad to assist you!