Regardless of how busy your household is, or how meticulous your cleaning regime might be, it’s inevitable – there will come a time when you need to get your area rug cleaned by a professional. Even if it doesn’t look that dirty, it will be carrying a buildup of dust and allergens that affect the atmosphere in your home and cause the rug’s quality to deteriorate quicker.

You might be thinking but I’m a great cleaner – why can’t I just do it myself?

It’s a question we get asked all the time. Rather than listing the reasons, we’ve shared some area rug cleaning horror stories that we’ve come across in our years in business.

Read on to learn from others’ mistakes and learn why it’s best to get your area rug cleaned by a professional.

Reasons to get your area rug cleaned regularly 

Be warned – the following contains many occurrences of décor that has been ruined beyond repair. If your rugs are listening, plug their ears.

The oldest scam in the book

This one’s a tragically common tale about a beautiful Persian rug that was the pride and joy of a busy family household. After a particularly demanding summer, the family decided to hire a carpet cleaner to freshen up their home.

When the cleaner caught sight of the beautiful rug, he offered to clean it for them as well, right there and then. Eager to save some time, they agreed.

When they inspected their rug after the ‘cleaner’ had left, it was almost unrecognizable – the colours had bled into the once-white fringe border. And that wasn’t all – as their busy routine continued, the rug began to quickly wear down and show signs of damage.

Rug, ruined.

Why did this happen?

Persian rugs are extremely sensitive and should be treated with the utmost care – as a rule, they should never be cleaned inside your home. Anyone who offers to do this is probably a scammer.

They’re made using delicate handcrafted weaving techniques and natural dyes and materials, which must be taken into consideration when developing a cleaning strategy.

At a rug cleaning facility, a professional can recommend a course of treatment that’s tailored exactly to a specific Persian rug. From there, they will use specialized equipment to test, clean, and dry your rug, so that the quality is protected during the entire process.

The DIY disaster

Once upon a time, there was a simple, modern, black and white low pile rug that a young couple had purchased second-hand, from a realtor who had used it for staging. They scored an awesome deal, and the rug perfectly complimented the aesthetic in their Scandi-chic loft.

Life was great, until one fateful day when someone (okay, yes – it was the husband) walked through the living room with mud on his shoes…

The rug took some carnage – a dirty brown smudge stood out against the beautiful white. The owner did the thing that most of us do when we’re in need of an answer: she went online to find out how to treat the stain.

But after applying water and rug cleaner, the problem worsened – the ink from the black section of the pattern bled into the white and then spread into an ugly, grey circle.

Rug, ruined.

Why did this happen?

Because the owner didn’t have the care label for the rug, she didn’t realize that the dye was susceptible to bleeding and that the cleaner she had bought would damage the rug’s natural fibres.

Pro rug cleaners are familiar with different rug materials and would have been able to assess the stain, do a color-spot test, and apply a course of treatment that prevented the colors from bleeding.

The rented steam-cleaner regret

There once was a thick, luscious wool rug that belonged to a savvy homeowner. After spending time each week vacuuming and caring for her shaggy pride-and-joy, she decided to give it a DIY deep clean.

She rented a steam-cleaner from a local shop and got to work, following instructions that she’d found online. After an afternoon of meticulous cleaning, she sat back and waited for her rug to dry. And waited. And waited…

Instead of returning to its fluffy glory, her rug began to give off a sour, wet smell. 18-hours after the cleaning, it was still damp to the touch – and the underside of the rug was sopping wet. She tried blasting it with a heater and dehumidifier, to no avail.

Rug, ruined.

Why did this happen?

Industrial cleaning machines work on carpets because they are able to saturate and dry synthetic fibres at an effective rate. However, a thick-pile rug made of natural wool is far denser and more absorbent than a carpet.

A rental machine doesn’t stand a chance at being able to effectively extract the amount of water needed to finish off a cleaning job. At a professional cleaning facility, specialized equipment is used to dry rugs quickly and evenly, to ensure no moisture is left behind. 

Effective ways to get an area rug cleaned

As you can probably guess, there’s only one effective way to get an area rug cleaned: at a professional rug cleaning facility.

Pro cleaners will be experienced in cleaning and treating all sorts of rugs, and they’ll know exactly how to assess your rug’s condition and devise a plan that will ensure it’s not only cleaned, but also protected from damage or color bleeding.

At our area rug cleaning facility, we have equipment and planet-friendly products that are specifically designed to deep clean and efficiently dry your rug. That means we can remove dirt and debris, treat stains and damage, dry it out properly, and return it to you in beautiful condition. 

Professional area rug questions we get asked (all the time)

How much does it cost to get an area rug cleaned?

We’ll develop a cleaning strategy for your rug based on its specific condition, design, and materials. Because of this custom approach, the cost will vary.

Generally, area rug cleaning costs between $4 and $12 per square foot of rug, depending on the material. Check out our pricing for a detailed cost breakdown.

Can you take an area rug to the dry cleaners?

It’s true that some synthetic area rugs may survive a trip to the dry cleaners – but it’s a risk we wouldn’t recommend. Even if a dry cleaner does accept your rug for cleaning, there’s a chance that the colors will bleed, the material will be damaged, and the foundation of your rug could be weakened.

Whenever possible, opt for a professional, off-site rug cleaner.

How do you deep clean an area rug?

Keep your area rug in top shape by:

• Vacuuming it regularly using the right attachment and settings – check out our guide on how to vacuum, for more advice.
• Rotating it every few months
• Treating stains quickly – always call in a professional, if you can.

Can I use a rug doctor to clean an area rug?

 No – we don’t recommend using DIY carpet cleaning machines on your carpets, let alone your rugs (see the above ‘rented steam-cleaner regret’ story for reference!).

These machines aren’t designed to effectively saturate and dry out your rug. They can easily damage the fibres and cause carpets and rugs to become damp and mouldy.

If it’s time to treat your rug to the deep clean it deserves, get in touch with our team to schedule a professional service. We can pick it up, or you can drop it off at our rug cleaning facility. Read on to learn more about our rug cleaning services.