Cleaning Area Rugs

I swear the one thing I struggle with the most at my house is keeping the floors clean. Between 3 kids and 2 dogs I am constantly sweeping and mopping. The amount of dirt they track in is almost impressive….

With that being said I have to clean my area rugs every few months because they get so dingy and dog smelling… uh yuck! I used to call a carpet cleaning service but it was so inconvenient and costly or {even more costly} I’d just throw out the rug and go buy another one.

Then I learned this method that really works so I’ve been cleaning my rugs myself ever since!!

It is a super easy process that yields great results! It can be a little time-consuming but so worth it!

Look at the picture above!! Do you see the huge difference!! No more grimmy carpets around here!!!

Here’s what you need:

• 3 Tablespoons Dawn dish soap
• 3 Tablespoons laundry detergent
• 1/2 C Borax
• Stiff bristle broom
• High-pressure water hose { This doesn’t have to be a pressure washer, I just use a nozzle on my regular garden hose, but I’m sure a pressure washer would yield even better results!

Step 1:

Find a large clean area to wash your rug. I rinse my driveway off and that works perfectly for me.

To start, lay your rug bottom up. {Carpet side down}

Working in small sections, spray your rug down with a hose and a high-pressure nozzle. It’s very important you work in small sections making sure that you spray every little fiber in your carpet.

This is going to help loosen any dirt and grime that has worked itself deep into the fibers of your carpet.

Step 2:

In a mop bucket mix your dish soap, laundry detergent, and borax in hot water. I eyeball the measurements no need for exact measurements. If you want you could also add some essential oils if you’re into that!

Again, working in small sections, pour a little of your mixture onto your rug and scrub with your broom. Do this until the entire rug has been scrubbed down good.

I like to scrub in vertical and horizontal directions to make sure I’m hitting every fiber I possibly can.

Let sit for 30-60 minutes.

Step 3:

Repeat step one and spray your rug down.

Step 4:

Flip your rug over. This is kind of tricky because wet carpet is HEAVY! I fold my rug over on to itself a few times, then grab the top of the bottom layer and drag it underneath. I don’t know if that makes any sense at all but hopefully you catch the gist.

Step 5:

You’re going to again repeat step 1 and spray your rug down in small sections.

You will instantly see the dirt washing off like the image above. If you’re satisfied with how your rug looks, let it dry for a few hours then roll it up and prop it against a sturdy wall. This helps the water drain off faster. Let it sit rolled up for a few hours then unroll and let it finish drying.

If you leave it rolled up to completely dry you will be left with a mildewy smell….. so don’t do that!!

If you feel like there are still a few areas that need a little more work move to step 6.

Step 6:

Mix up another bucket full of your soaps and reapply but this time with the right side facing up. Scrub in small sections then let sit for another 30 minutes or so. Then thoroughly rinse the rug again.

 

Let dry then put back in your house and roll around on it before it gets dirty again!! All jokes aside enjoy it before the heathens get to it lol

This cleaning hack is a life safer!! Try it out and let me know what you think!!

-Ann