From luxury floor coverings that have been hand crafted for centuries, to products made with the latest man-made materials, rugs require a certain level of care and attention.
Persian and Oriental rugs, for example, are often manufactured from wool and silk, which requires sensitive cleaning techniques, while viscose rugs are pH sensitive, and need special rinses to keep them safe during cleaning.
Not only will proper maintenance keep luxury rugs looking their best and soft to the touch, it can also help extend their lifespan, protecting a substantial investment and allowing future generations to enjoy them for many years to come. While regular vacuum cleaning and attending to spills swiftly can keep rugs in good shape, a periodic deep clean conducted by professionals is strongly advised.
How often this occurs will depend on many factors, like how much traffic your rug experiences, its placement, the moisture levels present, and incidents that result in a stain.
However, exceptionally well-made rugs are designed to be hardwearing, which can make it difficult to tell when they need a deep clean. This is further compounded by how rugs become soiled slowly over time, with dust and dirt often accumulating unseen over many months.
To help rug owners identify when their rug might need a deep clean, we’ve detailed some tell-tale signs below.
Visible dirt
The most obvious indication that your rug needs a deep clean is when it looks dirty to the naked eye. Despite your daily vacuuming and care routine, your rug still appears dusty, or has noticeable marks.
When you look closer, it may also have become choked with pet hair, which has become wound around its fibres.
Wear and tear
Rugs looking patchy or worn means it’s time to step up how often you perform a deep clean.
Conventional cleaning can’t always reach dirt that becomes embedded at the backing of a rug. Over time, layers of dust build up and are compacted, forming a solid layer around the very roots of the rug’s yarns. Each particle might be miniscule, but it will have sharp hard edges.
As you tread on your rug, the compounded dirt can cut into the fibres, shredding them and causing baldness.
Stains
A deep clean is also required for some stains.
A stain might result from tramped in dirt, spilled food, drink or paint, and sometimes even pet mess. Ill-informed attempts at cleaning can sometimes make stains worse. Letting a professional cleaner attend to them is often the best way to eliminate them.
Unpleasant odours
Rugs with a deep pile can trap smells, and will often let you know you it’s time to book a comprehensive clean, as they can develop an unpleasant odour.
Food particles, spilled wine and sweat can all become absorbed by the long fibres of luxury rugs, as can pet accidents. Even when you tackle such issues early, bacteria formed from residual materials can cause noxious smells to emanate from your rug.
Professional deep cleaning eradicates such smells by utilising bacteria-killing treatments.
Rough or greasy to the touch
You might also feel a rug’s condition via touch.
Dirty rugs may feel oily or greasy to your fingertips, feel rough and stiff underfoot from cleaning residue, or caked in dirt that has dried in.
Dust released into the air
Another sign that your rug is due a deep clean is when dust rises from it when you step on it, try to move it, or simply turn the central heating on.
You might not notice it immediately, but in strong sunlight you can see dirt, dust and other types of allergens entering your air.
Increased allergies
Following on from the last point, when your carpet needs a deep clean due to dust, pollen and pet dander, it can manifest as allergic reactions.
Human allergies are mostly respiratory, so you may experience impacted breathing, sneezing or coughing. However, watery or dry eyes can be another symptom. House pets like cats and dogs are more likely to suffer skin allergies from dirty rugs.
Loss of colour and pattern
Luxury rugs are renowned for their beautiful colours and intricate patterns, but dust build-up can take its toll.
A strong indication that you should be booking a deep clean for your rug is when its colours seem to lose their lustre, or when a detailed design starts to lose its definition.
Do you need expert rug cleaning services in Essex?
If your rug is displaying any of these indicators, we can help you return it to its former glory.
Experts in refreshing and deep cleaning rugs, we use a comprehensive nine-step method for the best results possible. With experience of cleaning all types of rugs, we have developed techniques that ensure no harm comes to floor coverings, but they are always cleaned effectively.
Reach out to us today at the Rug Cleaning Studio to access our specialist and stress-free service.
