Did you know you should shampoo your carpet at least every 12 months? But what about area rugs?
Since some Iranian rugs can cost tens of thousands of dollars, a professional area rug cleaning company care needs to care for them, ensuring no damage occurs during the cleaning process.
But how much do area rug cleaning services cost, and do companies provide area rug restoration if yours has signs of wear and tear?
This helpful guide covers all these questions and more, so be sure to keep reading.
Benefits of Professional Area Rug Cleaning
It’s important to know why you need a professional area rug cleaner, so you better understand how cost factors into their services. Here are some reasons why you want to go with the pros.
Extend the Life of Your Area Rug
Whether you spent several thousands on your area rug or own one of sentimental value, you want it to last as long as possible. Professional area rug cleaners perform deep cleaning services that remove dirt and stains while preserving the beauty of your rug.
They’re able to restore it to its former appearance and know which products and cleaning techniques work best.
Preserve Colors
If you clean your area rug yourself, you run the risk of using a chemical that alters the color. Professionals know which products do and don’t work and thoroughly rinse out any chemicals.
Keeps Your Home Clean
Did you know that a square inch of carpet can contain as many as 200,000 bacteria? This is why you need professional area rug cleaning.
If you have pets, you may have even more germs hiding in your rug, along with pet dander and fur, so let the pros help you keep your house as clean as possible.
Area Rug Cleaning Cost
Now that you know why you need a professional to clean your area rugs, it’s important to understand the cost of this essential service.
You can expect to pay based on the square footage of your area rug. If, for example, a professional charged $4 per square foot, for an 8×10 rug, you can expect to pay $320.
You may also encounter flat fee charges, such as stain-blocking treatments, as it’s an additional service that’s added on. There might also be a fee if your rug is picked up and taken to a shop and then delivered to your home once it’s cleaned and repaired.
If your rug is steam cleaned, the price can range from $1 to $5 per square foot. The condition of your rug and your service area location will affect these prices.
Professional area rug cleaners also offer dry rug cleaning, where they spray chemicals into your rug and then remove them, lifting out debris and dirt. This can cost $2 to $6 per square foot. This method of cleaning is safe for all rugs, even natural fiber rugs.
If you need professional hand cleaning services, you can expect to pay $4 to $8 per square foot, making this one of the most expensive area rug cleaning options. This can take a few days to complete and your rug will need to go to a shop for this service.
Your total cost is affected by the type of rug you have, as well. Let’s take a look at a few different types of rugs and what you can expect to pay.
Synthetic Area Rugs
If you purchase an area rug made from synthetic fibers, such as nylon or polyester, you’ll find they hold up well to most types of cleaning services. They cost about $1 to $4 per square foot for a professional area rug cleaning.
Cotton Area Rugs
Cotton is a natural fiber, so it’s a little more difficult to clean. It can cost $3 to $5 per square foot to clean, and dry cleaning is usually the best method for cleaning cotton, although steam cleaning is also acceptable.
Wool Area Rugs
Sheep’s fur is used in wool area rugs, and, when taken care of, you can get decades out of these area rugs. However, they’re more expensive to clean, ranging from $4 to $8 per square foot, and dry cleaning is the preferred method of cleaning.
Wool area rugs don’t hold up to steam cleaning well, and a handmade wool rug might even benefit from the handwashing method.
Other Types of Area Rugs
Rugs outside of this less aren’t as common and can range from $4 to $10 per square foot. It all depends on the material and the type of cleaning service required.
Services Offered
Now that you have an idea about the cost of area rug cleaning, it’s important to understand what’s included with these services. Your area rug cleaner will thoroughly clean your area rug, beginning with an inspection.
Area Rug Inspection
Before beginning work on your area rug, a professional cleaner will thoroughly inspect the rug. They’ll look for any stains, spots, and damage, assessing its fibers and overall construction, testing its colorfastness.
From here, they’ll be able to figure out how much work is needed to properly clean your area rug.
Remove Dry Soil Particle
Dry soil and other particles need to be removed before deep cleaning your rug. Your rug will be dusted with a special machine that vibrates, knocking soil particles loose. It’s then vacuumed on both sides.
Washing
Your area rug cleaner will wash your rug once all soil particles are removed. If any spots require special treatment, such as stains, they’ll work to remove them before rinsing your rug. They can also apply pet urine treatments if needed.
Drying
Your rug will be rinsed in a centrifuge that spins as it removes residue. This also expedites the drying process. Your rug will be groomed using a special carpet brush and a stain guard is applied if requested.
Your rug is carefully wrapped and delivered to your home.
Area Rug Restoration and Repair
Should your area rug need restoration or repair, a professional carpet cleaner can handle it for you.
They can re-fringe your carpet since the fringe is easily damaged. It catches in vacuums or can catch on shoes if you choose to wear them in the house, although it’s better to take them off.
You can have your rug re-fringed if it’s machine-made. However, if it’s handwoven, the process may be more difficult. An expert will need to cut back any damaged fringe before sewing new fringe by hand.
You may also need your rug re-weaved. Rips or holes happen due to abrasive cleaning methods or from rugs stored improperly. You want the tear or hole taken care of before it grows in size and is too large to repair.
Repairing a tear is a three-step process. First, your area rug cleaner cleans and inspects the rug. Then the foundation where the damage is located is repaired. If you don’t repair the foundation, it’s very difficult to attach a reweave, leaving you with an ineffective repair that won’t last very long.
Hand reweaving is next. This is where the color and pattern of your rug are expertly matched and knots are made to closely resemble your rug’s original knots. When done correctly, it should be next to impossible to identify where the damage originally was on your rug.
Other Services
While area rug cleaners can restore and clean your rugs, they also offer other services for other fabrics found in your home. Here are other ways they can help.
Outdoor Cushions
Rug cleaning services also include outdoor cushion and cleaning storage options. If you need patio furniture cleaned, you can hire a professional to take it to their shop where they’ll remove the covers, wash them with the appropriate solution depending on the material, remove any stains, and apply a fabric protector spray if specified.
These professionals can work to remove mold, mildew, wine, grass stains, condiments, grease, oil, blood, and bird droppings from your outdoor cushions.
Even better, if you find yourself with limited space to store your outdoor cushions, you can safely keep them with a trusted cleaning service when they’re not in use. This protects them from the elements since rain can lead to mold and mildew growth, ruining your cushions over time.
Professionally storing them also works to prevent small rodents from burrowing into them, and ensures they’re looking their best when you use them. Rodents transmit disease and bacteria and pose a serious health issue, so professional outdoor cushion storage is an absolute must.
Professional Leather Cleaning and Restoration
It’s important to have your leather cleaned from time to time. As leather accumulates dirt and oils from your clothes and skin, it often suffers signs of damage. Lighter-colored leather runs the risk of discoloration if it comes into contact with dark dyes, such as denim.
The longer leather goes uncleaned, the greater the risk of stains setting. This is why you need your leathered cleaned regularly, as it prevents long-term damage.
If you’re looking to increase the lifespan of your leather, you must invest in leather cleaning services. Professionals can condition the leather, preventing it from cracking and helping maintain its color.
Regular leather maintenance also helps to keep it feeling soft and comfortable. When leather is neglected, it cracks, looks unsightly, and is uncomfortable to wear or sit on. If you have leather furniture you plan on selling, regular leather maintenance helps it retain its resale value, making this an invaluable service that pays off in the long run.
Protect Your Area Rug Between Cleanings
While you need area rugs and carpets cleaned regularly, there are steps you can take to preserve the integrity of your rugs. Here are some examples.
Seal Your Rug
The first step you can take is to have a professional seal your rug. These sealants protect against stains, pet odors, and dirt.
Professionals typically use 3M Scotchguard or MicroSeal Permanent Protectant. Scotchguard can last for two years, coating your rug with Teflon. MicroSeal uses nanotechnology for a non-toxic, hypoallergenic, long-term solution.
Vacuum Regularly
It’s important to vacuum your rugs regularly, especially if you have children and pets. Dirt and dust particles embed themselves deeply into the fibers of your rugs and contribute to wear and tear. You should vacuum daily if you have small children that play on the floor.
You should also vacuum daily if you have pets. Remember to invest in a quality vacuum, as inexpensive machines only suck up surface dirt and don’t penetrate deep into your carpet’s fibers.
Rotate Your Rugs
Area rugs aren’t typically rotated, which means certain areas see more foot traffic than others. Be sure to rotate your rugs often, especially if they’re under furniture. Areas of rugs that are in stagnant areas are more prone to pests and moths feasting on them.
A rule of thumb is to rotate your rugs at least once a year. And remember to schedule routine rug cleaning with a trusted professional to keep your rugs looking newer for longer.
Professional Area Rug Cleaning
Now that you know the benefits of professional area rug cleaning, along with the average cost and the process involved, it’s time to schedule your rug cleaning services today! If you notice any damage to your area rugs, rest assured that professional rug cleaners can expertly repair any damage, giving you a rug that looks and feels like new.
Mother Nature’s Cleaning offers area rug cleaning and so much more. Choose from a list of residential and commercial cleaning services, with options to expertly clean mattresses, tile, grout, upholstery, and more. Contact us today!
