Caring for Your Rug

Proper care and maintenance will ensure that your rug investment will provide years of comfort and beauty to your home or office.

Rug Padding

Rug padding is recommended for all rugs that receive any amount of foot traffic. Rug padding provides a buffer to reduce impact and abrasion which is most problematic on hard floors such as wood or tile. Rug padding also gives the benefit allowing the rug to "grip" the floor to hold the rug in place, preventing unsightly buckles and accidental slipping while preserving the finish of your floor. When placing a rug over wall-to-wall carpet, a Magic Stop rug pad for carpet will hold the rug firmly to the carpet, thus reducing the rug's tendency to "creep" or "walk".

Stain Protectants

Applying a stain protectant to your rug is an excellent way to keep it cleaner, longer. Visit a local carpet store for recommendations and be sure to tell them the content of your rug (wool, polypropylene, olefin, nylon, etc) so that you will get the proper protectant.

Cleaning your rug

Vacuum your rugs as often as needed, being careful not to catch the fringe in the roller-bar of the vacuum cleaner. You can clean most spots by blotting with a damp cloth and a drop of a mild soap such as Woolite®. Dish detergent is too harsh. Overall washing an oriental rug is usually best left to a professional. Most rugs, especially wool, should be hand-washed only every 5 to 7 years or as needed. Using a commercial carpet cleaning machine on your rug is not recommended.

• In order to evenly distribute wear, rotate your rug every two to three years.
• Avoid steam cleaners, as they can damage the fibers or construction of your rug.
• Potted plants placed on your rug can cause mildew and severe damage. If you must put a plant on the rug, be sure it has a waterproof dish underneath it.
• When spot cleaning your rug, test a small area for color-fastness.
• Silk or Rayon rugs should be dry-cleaned only. They are not colorfast.
• Shag rugs should generally be vacuumed only with the hose attachment. Regular vacuuming can snag or tangle the long fibers in a shag rug.