ByGrant
Rug Cleaning vs Carpet Cleaning – what is the difference?
In looking at Rug Cleaning vs Carpet Cleaning, it is often thought that rug cleaning and carpet cleaning is really the same thing but there are distinct differences in how it is done.
There are a number of things that need to be taken into account when cleaning rugs that are different than cleaning carpet.
- Rugs are more delicate than carpets and care needs to be taken not to damage them.
- Some rugs are subject to dye bleeding
- Rugs often get soiled right to the edge, which is seldom the case with laid, wall to wall carpet
- Longer pile carpet like shag rugs trap dirt particles that normal carpet will not trap
Care needed with cleaning rugs
In Melbourne, an estimated 30% of carpets are made of wool. Woollen carpets require detergents that are less harsh than that which can be used on synthetic carpets. With this said, woollen and other natural fibre rugs like viscose rugs are, generally speaking, more sensitive than woollen carpets. Cleaning woollen carpets can be more forgiving when using detergents that are too sprong where rugs will be damaged.
Dye Bleeding
Rugs are more often subject to having colour fastness issues so when a rug is cleaned, it needs to be checked to make sure that the dyes are not going to run. This is the first step before cleaning is done. The last thing anyone wants is a rug that once had beautiful, detailed patterns to become a patchy mess.
More attention to detail
Because rugs are made differently, more attention needs to placed on the cleaning process including the edges of the rug which is seldom a problem when cleaning regular carpets.
Also, when handling stains, more agitation and harsher spot cleaning chemicals can be used on carpet than rugs.
Shag pile Rugs
Long pile rugs like shaggy rugs can have dirt particles lodge deep, at the base of the pile, making it difficult to remove all these particles with regular cleaning or vacuuming. For this reason, attention needs to be paid to this to remove these particles.
Shag pile carpets are not very common today so this type of work is not necessary for carpets.
Things you can do to maintain your rugs:
- Regular vacuuming. This should be done at least weekly but depends on how much use the rug gets. Doing this reduces the dirt particles from acting as abrasives and damaging the fibres of the rug.
- Spot cleaning. When there is a spillage, get to as soon as you can with a very mild and heavily diluted cleaning solution. Getting to it right away may be all that is needed to avoid having to use specialised cleaning chemicals and processes later.
- Rotate the rug. Depending on the space in which the rug is and the arrangement of furniture around it, rotating the rug can be used to even out the wear and can minimise fading where parts of the rug are exposed to direct sunlight.
- Regular rug cleaning. Having professional rug cleaning done on a regular basis can lengthen the life of your rug and keep it looking good.
We find that doing steam rug cleaning does a better job than dry rug cleaning most of the time. However, there are times when dry cleaning is the way to go. This depends on a number of things including the severity of soiling and if the rug’s colour fastness is poor.
We come out and clean your rugs at your home and don’t remove your rug from your home for cleaning. This way, when we leave, you have a clean rug and don’t have to wait for it to be returned.
Rug Cleaning vs Carpet Cleaning
With an understanding of rug cleaning vs carpet cleaning, you can see that it is important to use a cleaning company who are specialists in rug cleaning. This is can help avoid rugs that are damaged or just not that clean.
For more information about our rug cleaning service, have a look at our rug cleaning page. Also, have a look at our carpet cleaning page for more information out that service.
If you are in the Melbourne metro area and have a rug in need of cleaning give us a call on 1300 778 104 or 03 9380 7785. You can also use the forms on most pages of our site.
Below are some examples of rug cleaning in various suburbs. Click on the images to see the examples.
