The washing machine is designed to clean all the dirty clothes, covers, or other daily wearing stuff. But there is some stuff that you should either not wash or put with extra care in a washing machine.
Can you put a shaggy rug in the washing machine?
You might find it a little uncomfortable to put a shaggy rug in the washing machine because of the fear of shedding. But it is fine to use the frontload washer for washing the rugs.
It also depends on the size of the rug, i.e., either it fits in your machine or not. If there is no frontload at home, you might need to take the rugs to the laundry mat.
Even if frontload washer is available at home, it is better to use a bigger frontload washer available at the laundry mat. But again, it all depends on how big the rug is.
How to Wash a Rug in a washing machine?
Just vacuuming a rug is not enough because, with time, it gets pets, kids or just plain life stains. So, without deep cleaning, your rug will no longer be clean.
The washing of rugs largely depends on their sizes. Bigger rugs require a large area to be washed. The smaller ones can easily be washed in a washing machine.
Following are some steps or instructions to wash a rug:
· Read the care label on the back of the rug
Carefully read the label. The note for dry clean only shows that the colors may run in the wash. If it can be washed in the machine, go for it. Most throw rugs are perfectly fine in the washer.
· Shake the dirt off from the rug
Shake the rug thoroughly to get rid of any dust or hair. For this purpose, take your rug outside the house to avoid mess inside.
An effective way to do this is to grab one end of the rug and beat it against something, like the side of the fence or back of the shed. The more stuff you can get out of the rug, the better it is.
· Pre-treat the spots or stains
This step will reduce your workload to half as pre-treating will restore the original glory of your rug.
Treat the stains accordingly, no matter they are of chocolate, wine, or grease. Then treat a small amount of strong liquid laundry detergent on the spot and rub it in gently. A toothbrush is perfect for smaller stains. Let the treatment run for about fifteen minutes.
Wash the rugs in the washing machine
Fill the washing machine with cold water, and then add your detergent. Avoid using chlorine bleach if the rug has a rubber backing. That can cause a big mess as the rubber weaken in the machine.
For such rugs, you can use oxygen-based bleach to brighten your rubber-backed rug without harming it.
Dry the rugs
After washing is done, dry your rug on a clothesline, dryer rack, or just sling it over the fence. Try to avoid direct sunlight, so all those newly washed colors don’t fade.
The option to dry the rugs in the dryer is not good as the heat can shrink the rug and damage the backing.
What are some additional tips for washing a rug?
Shaggy rugs catch dirt at a faster rate, and there are challenges while cleaning these shag rugs.
Given below are some additional tips to clean the rugs:
- Avoid placing the rugs in high-traffic areas as they would accumulate more dirt and lose their uniqueness at a much faster rate.
- Guide every family member not to eat or throw trash on the carpet.
- Avoid walking on the rug with shoes.
- Try to make sure that the floor beneath is clean and dust-free.
What are some methods to clean the rugs?
Shrugs enhance the beauty of your house, but the cleaning of its long hairs is quite challenging. You need to put some extra effort to clean a dirty rug.
Following are some methods to clean a rug:
Shaking Method
This method is best for smaller rugs as shaking large rugs is quite a difficult task to do. One can easily hang smaller rugs on chairs to get the dirt out of them.
The shaking method is easy because it sends dust and debris flying. Besides, letting your carpet soak up UV rays kills mites and bacteria.
Vacuum Cleaning Method
This method is pretty straightforward to clean your shaggy polyester rug. This tool will remove debris, thus refreshing the carpet and bringing back its fluff. All you need is a vacuum cleaner with an extension to thoroughly clean the carpet strands.
Related questions
What types of rugs can be washed in a washing machine?
Most commonly, cotton rugs are machine washable. While Olefin, Nylon, polyester, Polypropylene, Viscose based rugs can also be washed.
Can a rug go in the dryer?
Wet rugs should always be air dried because high heat can cause shrinkage. Try to dry the rugs on a clothesline or dryer rack away from direct sunlight, which can fade some colors.
Conclusion
The washing of shaggy rugs is not as much complicated. You just need to put some extra care to retain their originality and shaggy nature.