The DO’s and DON’Ts of Spot Cleaning Your Area Rug In-Home
When it comes to area rug stains, we have seen it all! Coffee spills, blood, curry, red wine and pet urine to name a few. It is always best if you leave it alone or use paper towels only.
At-home spot cleaning by Homeowners or their hired cleaning crews can oftentimes cause permanent staining that we are unable to remove. This SPOT & SPILL GUIDE will help you with the knowledge to navigate through your next spill without causing damage.
If you find yourself in a jam and don’t know what to do?
DON’T PANIC
Read this SPOT & SPILL GUIDE
Do your best to absorb the liquid with paper towels as mentioned
TEXT photos to us at (602)350-4083
Do’s
DO have Fiber Protector applied to your area rugs prior to use.
DO use paper towels to soak up liquid spills or pet urine. Place a bundle of paper towels on the affected area, step on them and dispose of them. Repeat as many times as needed until completely dry.
DO leave the residual stain alone (if a stain remains after using paper towels as stated above) and call us for your next move or text us photos. WE HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF STAIN REMOVAL IF THE AREA HAS NOT BEEN TAMPERED WITH.
Dont’s
DON’T use over the counter spotters. Most store-bought spot cleaners are too harsh with high pH levels, many have bleaching agents and can cause permanent color loss. Depending upon your rug type, there may be a safe spot cleaning agent for your rug (contact us to learn more).
DON’T rub or scrub as this may cause permanent pile damage or fiber distortion that cannot be corrected.
DON’T allow your home cleaning crew to attempt a spot cleaning on your fine area rugs and furniture. They may make the situation worse and we may not be able to help. There is a big difference between DIRTY or DAMAGED.
DON’T trust the TAG on the bottom of your rug from the manufacturer OR on your furniture labels. Most of our area rugs are imported from other countries, and the fiber types listed on the tags are many times mislabeled. Furniture tags often list the fibers on the inside of the cushions, and not the outside upholstered areas. The only way for us to be sure of the fiber types is to inspect the rug/furniture item in-person for you. We may even need to do a “burn test” on each individual fiber.
DON’T attempt to spot clean your own VISCOSE rugs or carpet at home EVER. Rayon, Viscose, Bamboo Silk, Banana Silk, Faux Silk, Tencel, etc. is a very tricky fiber when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. Just plain water can cause yellowing or cellulosic browning. Please call us or text photos on how to handle the situation. If it is a liquid or pet stain, use paper towels repeatedly to soak up the liquid until it transfers as dry. Rayon/Viscose is one of the most absorbent fibers, so paper towels do work best, and FAST drying times are necessary. The pile can be distorted easily, so careful not to disturb the nap of the pile. Just call us…we are here to help!
QUESTIONS? Call us or Text photos to (602) 350-4083