So, thinking about selling your home? Most likely you’re going to be having an open house with your furniture still around. Does this scare you? It would scare me! Mainly because stains on the rug around furniture are hard to clean and can often seem like a daunting task. Wanna know how to clean your rugs to prepare for an open house? Here we go!
Step one: Check for any special directions. Some rugs have restrictions on how they can be cleaned or what products should be used on them. Read over these carefully to be sure that none of the remaining directions here have the chance of damaging your rug.
Step two: Vacuum the rug. This will get rid of the standard loose dirt, dust, and grime. It’s ideal to do a thorough cleaning using a high quality device, like Eureka vacuums, to make sure that the rug has dirt lifted from the areas where it could be embedded the most.
Step three: Check for pet fur. If you have any pets, it’s a good idea to double check for any fur that might be stuck to the rug, even after vacuuming. You can remove the fur by moving your hand over the carpet in circular motions, loosening the stuck fur. If you have pets, it’s also a good idea to spray down the rug with Febreze to remove any pet odors.
Step four: Wipe down the carpet. Begin by creating a mixture of dish soap, or another gentle cleansing agent, and warm water in a bucket. Dip a sponge in this solution and wring the sponge out to prevent any excessive moisture. Using the rough end of the sponge, thoroughly scrub down the entire rug.
Step five: Do the detail work. If the rug has any tassels or decorative parts that require some care and attention, you can use a small or medium bristled brush with the cleaning solution from step four to clean them.
Step six: Rinse the rug. Empty the bucket and re-fill it with warm, clean water. Using a soft cloth or other gentle material, rinse the rug from end to end. Be certain to wring out the cloth prior to beginning to avoid any unnecessary moisture getting on the rug. If needed, scrape off any excessive water with a squeegee.
Step seven: Dry the rug. Placing the rug in the sun is the best way to dry it. You can place the rug on a clean area in the sunlight or hang it on a clothes line. If weather does not permit this or if you don’t have an area where you can put the rug outside, you can use a fan positioned so that it will blow air directly over the rug. If you place it on the ground outside or use the fan method inside, you will need to flip the rug over so both sides dry completely.
Step eight: Restore the desired texture of the rug. You will go over the rug with a vacuum one more time, not to clean it, but to restore the fluffy texture that is ideal for any indoor rug. A simple once over should do the trick.
Follow these steps and you’re on your way to having the perfect open house. Get clean and get ready to sell- and it doesn’t hurt to have a nice clean rug to sink your toes into in the mean time.
