How to Prolong the Life of Your Favorite Area Rug

March 18, 2021

4 minute read

How to Prolong the Life of Your Favorite Area Rug

Keep your most-loved area rugs looking their best for as long as possible with these care and maintenance tips from Sisal Rugs Direct.

Have you ever heard the popular quote that states: “If you love someone, let them go”? If so, you might not be aware of a secret second half to the quote that says, “However, if you love a rug, do everything in your power to keep it looking it’s best because perfect-for-you rugs aren’t easy to find.”

The fact of the matter is that, if you love something, you never want to let it go… including rugs. Holding onto a rug for years and years isn’t impossible, it just requires a little knowledge and maintenance. That’s why, in today’s post, we’ll be talking about the things you can do to better prolong the life of your favorite area rugs.

Vacuum your rug regularly and properly.

This tip is the most obvious one, but also the most important. Vacuum your rugs every week! You don’t want dust and other detritus getting ground into your beloved rugs. Unvacuumed rugs can dull in color and lead to health problems like the exacerbation of allergies because of their capability to hold onto dust.

That said, if you’re going to be more vigilant about vacuuming your rugs, make sure you’re doing it right. Namely, never use a beater bar on any rugs that are especially delicate or soft-fibered like antiques or those made from wool. Also, when you are vacuuming, make sure to go slow and switch directions as you go so you can make sure to get the dust from either side of each fiber.

Don't skip out on rug pads.

Rug pads are a necessary purchase for anyone who really cares about prolonging the life of their rugs. Rug pads act as a barrier between your rug and the floor, lessening the chance of movement against the floor wearing down fibers.

There are plenty of other benefits, too! They make your rugs comfier underfoot and help to keep them secured safely in place. Additionally, they allow for more clean air circulation beneath your rugs, lessening the chance of any mold or unpleasant smells developing.

Know how to spot clean before disaster strikes.

Right after you’ve spilled an entire glass of wine or cup of coffee isn’t the right time to google how to spot clean your rugs. Doing a little reading and having the right supplies set aside for easy grabbing and go-ing will make the difference between an easily lifted spill and one that requires a lot more elbow grease. We have a number of general and spot cleaning guides you can reference depending on the specific type of rug you own or are interested in owning:

Rotate your rugs.

There are going to be different areas of your home or portions of your rugs that get more wear than others. If you have a rug in a high traffic area and a rug in a low traffic area, you can get the most from both by switching them out for one another every six months or so. This same logic applies to rugs under furniture where certain areas are covered and others get walked upon. Spin those rugs around so they're getting even wear and you'll extend their overall lifetime.

Following these tips to extend the lives of your favorite rugs will have them thanking you (if only they could talk). Just because you take good care of the rugs you already have doesn’t mean you don’t have room for new ones, too. Before you go, don’t forget to check out the huge variety of natural fiber area rugs available online from Sisal Rugs Direct.