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I have an 8 x 10 area rug in my living room over the hardwood flooring. I've spot cleaned on and off but it could use an overall cleaning..

Recommendations are needed guys!

Carpet shampooer work? Would it put too much water, would I need to put the rug up on something to let it dry so it wouldn't get the hardwood damp?

All your ideas are welcome!
Thanks!

If you can roll it up and transport it (pickup, van or cartop), might be worth your while to have it cleaned by a pro shop? I have done this with similar sized area rugs, and total cost was around 40 dollars or a bit under. I did have to haul over and pick up for that price, but they did a great job on them.

If I was going to try and clean one myself, I would probably lay some rolled plastic out on the drive and use a steam cleaner. Have to be a nice weather day, and hope no dog or bird decided to soil it while it was drying?

Totally agree with "conrad," If you can afford to take it to a professional cleaner - do so. If not, wait until weather is reliable, take outside, mount on blocks, steam clean and bring back inside when dry! Don't think I would try to clean "in place" - too much moisture on hardwood floors from the under-side...

Resolve makes a cleaner (Foam type; they make a crystal type that got bad reviews)) that you brush in and then vacuum out. Since I like the resolve brand for small spots I bought the kit. But I have not tried it yet. When I do I will let you know how it works.

Just my opinion here, but with the spray on/foam/powder and vacuum off cleaners for carpet?
I always think of.... say a pair of soiled jeans that have been walked on with soiled outdoor shoes for months. Do I honestly believe spraying something on them and vacuuming it off after a bit is going to get them clean enough to wear?

Wetting the area with a spot cleaner and wiping it up/blotting with a clean/dry microfiber or terry cloth at least makes more sense than a dry powder, to me.

Is it wool? I recently got a wool one and the rug store gave me information on spot cleaning. If you need to clean it overall, then I'd take it to a professional.

Thank you guys for the tips.

No it's not wool...berber. White...what was I thinking?..lol!

I"ve used the spray on foam cleaners which work well but I've noticed the rug seemed to get dirtier quicker after I've used the product.

Looks like I'll be making a trip to get it cleaned.

After you have it cleaned, you may want to invest in a can of Scotchguard to treat the newly cleaned rug. (If the place you take it does not automatically do it)
I have always SG treated new auto upholstery and auto carpeting (including the removable carpet mats) It makes a huge difference when it comes to cleaning them again. The soil stays on the surface and often is easy to vacuum off.

Oh thanks for the tip Conrad! I have never done the scotch guard but this time I will!

Since I do not have any place I can take a rug to be professionally cleaned, I waited for a nice breezy day and put it out of my deck. Swept it with a stiff broom, vacuumed it, then sprayed it down with a hose and danced(literally) some dawn into it. Rinsed it well with the hose and hung it over the railing. Because it was breezy it dried quickly and did not fade. It worked well and was fun. Admittedly, I did not spend a lot to purchase it in the first place.
Connie

This rug is maybe too large for my favorite way of cleaning area rugs but what I have done in the past is to wait for a section of nice sunny days, take my rug out (vacuum it first) and throw it over my hammock, rinse it off with hose; scrub it with woolite in water (using a scrub brush of some kind) then thoroughly rinse it with the hose and let drip dry!

I have bought and sold many small rugs and always clean them first using this method. Works just fine. Smaller rugs I toss in the washer inc. hooked wool rugs.

For larger rugs a trip to the local reputable rug cleaner is in order. They basically do the same thing I do but with large rugs.

Update....

I had tried to find somewhere locally to clean the rug to no avail...

So on Tuesday morning, The Hubs and I drug it outside onto the patio...I mixed up a concoction of water, oxiclean and a bit of Arm and Hammer liquid laundry soap. I put this in my super rinsed out yard sprayer, sprayed and scrubbed it in with my broom. Placed the rug over my saw horses, proceeded to grab the water hose to rinsed and rinsed....left it to dry all day and half the next...

Tada!!! Lovely and clean!!! And luckily no birdies left a deposit while it dried!!

I'm tickled pink!!

NICE! Glad you found a way to clean it!

I'm glad it worked Anneyland. It has always worked for me and you know for sure your rug is as clean as it can possibly be. You will enjoy it that much more now.

Good! Now that it's clean be sure to Scotchgard it as suggested. Be careful with the foam cleaners because, yes, they do attract dirt! Think about leaving soap to dry on any item...it's sticky. When I have rented a carpet cleaner, I used half the amount of detergent called for, then went back over the carpet with clean clear water to suck as much of the soap out as possible.

Many times, a sprinkle of plain old baking soda with absorb "stuff." Pat it in, let it sit awhile to absorb whatever, then vacuum it up.

Connie, would have loved to see you dancing on the Dawn. That stuff is great used it to wash my hair, ran out of shampoo. Sure took care of the grease LOL

Hey guys the best way to cleaning area rugs is just vacuum it, or go for the details visit:-
http://www.jacobsenrugs.com/clean.htm

Baking soda is very useful in cleaning stains from carpet or rug. For fresh stains just pour baking soda in carpet and let it sit for sometime and then wash it with fresh water.
But for old stains a solution of baking soda, detergent and hot water is used.

street cleaning

Rugs can be beautiful additions to your home, but they can be expensive and sometimes delicate. Always try to keep your rugs clean but do not beat your rugs because it can cause the woven threads to loosen. You can use a rotating brush vacuum on the back of a wool rug. Make sure that all the shampoo should be rinsed properly if you have used it for cleaning. Never vacuum the fringes.

Upholstery and Carpet Cleaners Leeds

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