Rugs become worn as dust settles on your rugs in the same way it settles on your furniture, floors, and counter-tops. Also, abrasive dirt is tracked on your rugs from foot traffic.
This dirt starts off on the very tips of the face yards of the rug, but over time the dirt becomes embedded in the base of the yards; and finally, into the foundation of the rug.
With continued foot traffic and the full body weight of people walking on the rugs, the fibers of the rugs are cut and worn out from contact with the dirt. This is the reason most rugs are loss. The rugs simply wear out; there are no fibers left, no design, and nothing soft to walk on.
Prevent damage to your rugs by breaking the cycle.
You can prevent this damage by breaking the cycle. When dirt gets deposited on the face yards of the rug vacuum or dust it before it has a chance to work its way into the foundation of the rug, this will prevent abrasive wear in the foundation.
When the dirt becomes embedded in the foundation it’s almost impossible to remove it without a thorough washing, and it’s never a good idea to surface clean rugs the way a carpet cleaner would. This type of cleaning cleans the face yard but does nothing to remove the damaging dirt in the foundation.
The best way to prevent wear on your rugs is to frequently vacuum or dust them.
Three Factors that affect the need for cleaning and the life of rugs
1. High Traffic Areas
The general activity and level of soiling where the rug is located. Most rugs are in relatively high traffic areas of the home, where there’s a lot of dirt and foot traffic.
Most rug owners use rugs at entry ways to wipe off their feet, and hallways to remove the dirt before it gets to the rest of the house, as well as in family rooms where everyone gathers. These are high traffic areas.
2. The quality of the materials used in the manufacture of the rug.
Many modern rugs are chemically washed to soften the face yards and give the wool extra shine. Unfortunately, this also damages the wool and can shorten the life of the rug. There may not be much you can do about this factor, but the third factor is completely in your control.
3. Proper vacuuming
Appropriate maintenance on a frequent and consistent basics.
If it’s been two years or more since your rugs have been submersion washed, it won’t be possible to get ahead of the cycle. There’s probably already embedded dirt in the foundation of your rug and vacuuming alone won’t remove it.
A thorough washing will remove the dirt in the foundation and frequent dusting will help to keep it from coming back. This is why, we recommend washing your rugs every 1 to 3 years depending on the traffic levels on the rug. And, we recommend vacuuming and dusting your rugs as often as you can.
If you have any questions about the proper maintenance of your rugs, just give us a call and we’ll be happy to help you out.
This article was written in collaboration with Lisa Wagner “The Rug Chick” and Mark Kennedy.
