Did you know that improper vacuuming can damage and de-value your rugs? Vacuums with beater bars can break the fibers and distort the pile. When it comes to vacuuming it is important to know what TO do as well as what to avoid so you can minimize damage and maximize the life of your rug.
It is important to note that the beater bar of your vacuum is turned off or at very least use it at the highest setting as the aggressive motorized brush can break the surface fibers of the rug. If you are using a standard vacuum attachment and have a sturdy, thick foundation rug either with or without pile, vacuum sideways across the width of the rug and across the pile. Be sure to avoid the fringe as the beater bar can damage your rug beyond reasonable repair. The other thing you can do is to use an upholstery attachment to vacuum and vacuum with the direction of the pile.
If your rug has a thin foundation with a pile, vacuum with an upholstery attachment and vacuum WITH the direction of the pile only. It should be noted that if you are using an upholstery attachment you need to be picking up the attachment from the rug on your return stroke otherwise you are pushing the dirt further into your rug and causing damage.
If your rug has a thin foundation without a pile then you will want to use an upholstery attachment and vacuum across the width of the rug. If the face yarns are very delicate or very old, it may be best to avoid vacuuming entirely. Instead, you will want to use a soft horsehair brush to perform the dusting of your rug. Make sure that you are working across the width of the rug when you are brushing. This idea is that you are dusting off the dust from the tips of the fibers before they have a chance to penetrate the foundation of your rug. Luckily, these extremely delicate or old rugs are generally hung on the wall and not found on the floor. This is a good thing as that will mean that the rug itself has been washed and you only need to worry about caring for the surface fibers.
To deal with the fringe you will want to use an upholstery attachment only and vacuum with the direction of the fibers. Again, if the fibers are very old or delicate, then you will want to use a brush to clean the fringe.
In general, you should be dusting the front of your rug every week or so depending on the location in your home and the amount of traffic. Every other month you should be dusting the back of your rugs and work across the width of the rug using the same attachment you used on the front of the rug. If the rug is extremely delicate then you should use a brush but it still needs to be done periodically as this will disturb these areas and help keep bug and moth activity down.
If your rug is sturdy, woven and has a fairly thick foundation then every 6 months you should flip the rug over and dust the back of the rug moving across the rug with the beater bar going at a low setting in order to shake out the dust and dirt with the vibrations of the vacuum. DO NOT use this method on a tufted rug as this can do more harm than good.
If you have further questions about how to care for your rug then be sure to contact us.