Making Your Rug Last Longer

When we buy a new rug, we don’t just purchase it for the short term, instead we expect it to grace our homes for years to come, even generations. So, to make sure your rug lasts the test of time, how do we maintain its qualities? How do we make sure the colours and patterns don’t fade and it remains the quality product it always was?

In this article, we’ll answer all your rug maintenance queries in our tips and advice section from how to vacuum your rug to rotating the furniture.

Always remove shoes

An absolutely classic starting place for maintaining your rugs is one of the simplest tips to date – a no-shoes policy. By asking everyone to remove their shoes, the combination of dirt and grit that collects in rug fibres will be less likely to be absorbed further into the rug fibres.

Some people have fab collections of soft-soled slippers at the door for any visitors. With this one simple tip, you’re not only reducing the build-up of abrasive particles but also eradicating the chance of hard soled shoes from grinding at your rug.

Vacuum your rug

Probably the most commonly used method of cleaning a home rug is vacuuming. The amount of vacuuming needed for rugs varies depending on the size and type, however, in general we suggest vacuuming your rugs at least twice a week, and if you have a big family home, you may need to up this to 3-4 times a week.

High-traffic areas need more attention, though, and if the rug is small enough and light enough, you may be able to hang it over a railing outside and beat to get rid of some of the dirt particles. We also suggest every three to eight months turning your rug over and vacuuming the backside, especially for larger rugs. This makes it certain that no debris gets stuck underneath your rug, which can damage your floor beneath it.

We would all like to be able to maintain our homes ourselves, but sometimes it’s the professionals’ job to keep it up to date. In the case of rugs, we suggest you have them professionally cleaned at least once every two to three years.

This type of cleaning is more effective at getting rid of the build-up of destructive residue from spills or pet accidents that could have built up over the years, making the rug a lot fresher. Importantly it will also remove the abrasive dirt particles from the backing and in between the fibres.

Spot clean and remove those stains

A lot of people will always throw a perfect rug out because of a stain not due to wear and tear at all. This is ridiculous! Instead, make sure you remove stains and spills as soon as they happen and keep your rug looking fresh for longer. If you’re unclear of how to remove stains from rugs, refer to our guide on “Stain removal for rugs” with handy tips and advice on how to stay on top of any spills.

Rotate your furniture

If the design of your room allows it, try and rotate your furniture on a regular basis – we advise every six months. This should help to thwart premature wear and tear in confined areas, and will also help with fading from sunlight and continuous pathway use.

Remember, each chair leg will create divots in the rug, and even light furniture will sink over time. A 5-year divot is almost certainly going to be permanent so rotating furniture and repositioning it will help to keep fibres fresh and bouncy.

Top Tip: Use the repositioning as a chance to give your rooms a spring clean. This time is a great opportunity for de-cluttering and cleaning under all furniture and those forgotten corners of your rooms.

Washable Rugs

Some rugs are perfectly fine to be machine washed, as long as you follow the recommendations on the care label for water temperature and wash cycle, making sure you use a mild detergent. If you can’t find the care label, we advise using a warm-water setting and the gentle cycle on your machine, always tumble dry at the lowest heat setting.

Top Tip: we advise to always shake the rug before washing if possible, and then vacuum prior to washing.

Provide an underlay for all rugs

Within our other rugs guides we have championed the importance of the underlay, and once again there is no difference here. An underlay can be an essential part of making your rugs last longer.

Keeping the fibres plumped can help to prevent the flattening of areas. In effect, it is a vast cushion under your rug, not only adding extra softness it also makes sure the rug stays in place and as much as possible reduces movement, and doesn’t slide or bunch up, which in turn also adds to the length of time your rug can potentially last.