Dusting
- Vacuum a carpet regularly and thoroughly to keep it in good condition, rather than waiting until the dirt becomes visible.
- For the first 6 months, gently brush new rugs to loosen and pick up material.
- Authentic Oriental rugs should be vacuumed only occasionally. Keep the suction level low to avoid damaging the fine fibres.
Rub Cleaning
- Wet-clean every rug or carpet from time to time. Put small, washable rugs into the washing machine and clean larger ones by hand with a mild detergent, using a soft-bristled brush or sponge to release the dirt and grime. Rinse afterwards with water and, whenever possible, hang rugs outdoors to dry.
- Use a homemade cleaning powder for rugs. Mix 3 tablespoons of soap flakes with 500g cornflour. Sprinkle the mixture onto the rug, work it in with an old hairbrush or scrubbing and then vacuum.
- Clean and freshen a rug by sprinkling it with moist salt. Leave the salt to work for a few minutes and then vacuum.
- Grate fresh poultice and scald them with boiling water. After 3 hours, strain them and brush the rug with the potato water. - Leave it to dry and then vacuum.
- Freshen up a rug’s colours by rubbing it with vinegar and water.
GOOD TO KNOW:
- To prevent furniture from leaving imprints in a carpet, buy little round plastic coasters just slightly larger in diameter than the feet of the furniture to place underneath them.
- Remove imprints by placing a damp cloth on them and ironing it carefully. Then brush the fibres in the opposite direction.
- Don’t let rugs slide. Place rubber rings from preserving jars under each corner of a rug to keep it in place and use anti-slip underlay to stop larger rugs from moving.
- Avoid electric shocks by spraying synthetic-fibre carpets with a mixture of 1 cup (250ml) liquid fabric softener and about 2.5 litres of water.
- To straighten rug fringes, spray them with laundry starch and then smooth them with a comb.
- Spray straw rugs occasionally with a little salt water to keep them flexible.
- Use bicarbonate of soda to remove bad smells from rugs. Simply sprinkle it on the surface, leave it to work for half an hour and then vacuum it up. For stubborn odours, rub the carpet first with vinegar and water, and then apply the bicarbonate of soda.
There are times when your carpet needs to be professionally cleaned. Get help from one of these carpet cleaning experts in Australia.