Rugs can be a great way to brighten up the décor in your home. Just one area rug can completely change the look of an entire room and make you feel more at home. However, rugs can get very dirty – even with regular cleaning – and lose their charm. If your area rug is looking less than its spectacular self, it’s time for a proper clean with a pressure washer.
With the help of a pressure washer, you’ll get your rug sparkling clean and lookingbrand new. You’ll need a couple of things to achieve the best results.
This includes:
- Water
- Cleaning solution
- Thick-bristled broom/scrubber
- Cotton cloth
- Dryer and pressure washer with a garden hose
How to Clean an Area Rug with Pressure Washer: Steps to Follow
Where should I clean my area rug?
You’ll need to find an area to clean your rug – one with lots of space that can getsoapy and wet without the rug coming into contact with dirt, mud, or dust. Anyclean space outside would do, because using a pressure washer inside isn’t thebest idea. A concrete space is the most recommended area, or, if you’ve got awooden deck, that is even better.
Getting started
To begin, turn your rug upside down and clean out all the loose debris and hair you canby sweeping it thoroughly. Then you can take a minute to find all the toughdirty spots and apply a gentle cleansing gel. Be sure to not use too much gel –even the gentlest gel will cause discoloration in your rug if you apply toomuch.
After this (leave for about a minute), you should gently brush the spots with a soft-bristle brush or cotton cloth to see if the stains have been removed. If not, wait another minute. By brushing, you help the stain remover do its job, protecting your rug from possible discoloration.
Prepare the detergent or cleaning solution
You can prepare the solution in a basin by filling it with water and the suggestedamount of detergent.
Note that you should only use detergents that are suited to your rug – using others may cause adverse effects. You should be able to find the right information on the internet.
Using your solution, soak your rug for about 10 minutes. However, if your rug isdelicate, such as rugs made of wool, stick to a maximum of 5 minutes. Asynthetic rug can handle 10 minutes.
Make sure the pressure washer is prepped forcleaning
Before diving into using the pressure washer, make sure to give it a quick check – it has to be well-oiled and have the accessories and attachments firmly in place.
If your washer does not have a soap tank, simply apply the detergent on your rug. Now,hold the wand close to, but not against, your rug and pull your washer’strigger.
Cleaning an area rug
Pass your washer’s nozzle over your rug moderately slowly to take out the dirt and dustand clean out spots. Make sure you pass your cleaner over the entire rug. Youcan step onto your rug if it’s rather big, but be sure to only do this barefoot– shoes will obviously mess up the rug. Be aware of the small chance that youcan slip and fall.
After cleaning your rug with water, you can rinse it very thoroughly and remove allthe soap, leaving it nice and shiny. Make sure to rinse all of the rug’ssurface, and make sure that you don’t leave any traces of soap.
To dry your rug, find a good spot where it won’t be reached by the wind, which canblow all sorts of dirt right back onto it. Many people like to use clotheslinesfor this purpose because your rug will be able to dry in the sunshine.Sun-drying your rug is actually the most recommended method of drying becauseit provides the best results. If there are any odors left, this method will getrid of it and help your rug to stay smelling good and clean for longer.
Wherever you place your rug, keep pets and small children away, because clean rugs havea way of attracting little feet and paws.
Do’s and Don’ts
Here is a quick list of dos and don’ts to make sure you get the best results whencleaning your rug:
Do’s
- Use the proper detergent/cleaning solution.
- Ensure that you’re not using a random solution or detergent because you could completely ruin your rug’s look and color if you use the wrong product.
- Use the right equipment.
- Using improper equipment will just end up causing more trouble, and you won’t get the perfect clean.
- Apply the proper pressure.
- If you apply too much or too little pressure, it will ruin your cleaning experience, because the washer won’t perform at its best level.
- Keep the right distance
- Again, mind that you have a good balance – too close or too far away won’t leave good results in the end.
- Be sure your rug is pressure-washable
- You will definitely ruin your rug if it wasn’t made for the pressurized treatment it will receive from a pressure washer.
Don’ts
- Never use hot water.
- Your pressure washer already puts the water under pressure and using hot water will increase that pressure – not a good idea.
- Keep the nozzle a good distance away.
- If you bring the washer’s nozzle too close to your rug, you will damage it. The recommended distance is about 12 inches.
Conclusion
How to clean an area rug with pressure washer? The above steps should help you. That’sall it takes to get your rug back to its former glory. Although these tips canmake washing your rug sound like a complicated or difficult task, it reallyisn’t. Once you’ve started, you’ll see it’s pretty basic and can be fun ifyou’ve got some nice music going on in the background.
Once you’re done, and you see how gorgeous your rug looks, it will be worth the little effort it took to get it clean. You don’t necessarily need a professional to come out to your house when you can do it yourself. By remembering the do’s and don’ts, you won’t have to worry about nasty effects, such as discoloration.