Spills happen, usually in the most inconvenient of places, but thankfully we have a solution for your natural-fiber rugs! Whether it’s a little mud from your pets or children running around, spilling your drink or a bit of food, cleaning your rug is actually quite simple!
MODERN OUSHAK:
The first thing to remember is that moisture should only be used sparingly, drowning your rug in water is more likely to spread stains. As soon as you realize that there’s something to be cleaned up, grab a clean WHITE kitchen towel and firmly blot it from the outside of the stain inward in order to avoid spreading. Make sure not to rub, just continue blotting, until there’s no more moisture on the rug that is transferring to the towel. We recommend only using white towels, due to the fact that our hand knotted rugs are dyed with vegetable dyes. You do NOT want the colors from your towel transferring onto your hand knotted rug.
Our first line of attack is using a mild foaming hand soap and water. (We recommend the Whole Foods 365 brand.) On your white towel, combine water and foaming soap. Carefully blot the stain until it begins to fade. You may have to do this more than once. Once you see the stain begin to lift, find a clean portion of your towel and blot only clean water onto the rug once again.
In the case of solid spills like chunky food or vomit, a spoon works wonders to remove all solid debris from the rug. After you’ve effectively removed that, follow the steps outlined above. If you still see a stain, combine baking soda and water to form a paste. Using the backside of a spoon,spread the paste onto the stain. Allow it to sit and penetrate the rug. Then remove with a clean towel and water.
If you’re like us and have pets, you know that accidents happen sometimes. To remove urine, blot as much as you can firmly using a solid WHITE clean kitchen towel or paper towel from the border of the spot inward. If you still smell a lingering odor, a solution made of ¼ cup of white vinegar and ¼ cup of water can be put on the towel to neutralize it. If that isn’t enough, you can combine baking powder and water to form a paste. Spread over the stain and let it sit overnight to absorb the smell.
One of the most painful spills that occurs is that of red wine or any dark-colored liquid such as tomato sauce on your rug. If this happens,pour salt all over the area to absorb the liquid. Once absorbed, use a spoon to lift off the salt. Then sprinkle cold water onto your rug and blot with white towels. Still not working? Try a white cloth that’s been dipped in club soda as quickly as you can. The club soda works to neutralize the spill and the bubbles help lift up the colors of the spilled liquid for easy clean up!
No matter what has made itself on to your rug, let it completely dry after attempting the steps above. If there is any remaining stain left, we recommend using a cloth dampened with warm water and very mild soap or a specialized rug cleaner to blot.
For normal maintenance, we highly recommend the purchase of our non-slip rug pad, the Super Secure. It will not only make your rugs more comfortable to walk around on, they also keep the rug from sliding and lessen the wear and tear on your beautiful new rug! Normal vacuuming as needed can help keep the rug healthy and clean, especially if
it is in a high-use area with pets and other people! (Make sure to turn the beater bar OFF on your vacuum.) Every two months or so, we also recommend flipping your rug over and vacuuming the underside of your rug to remove any built up dirt. In addition, regularly rotating or flipping the rug will increase the longevity of your rug by reducing foot-traffic patterns.
If you have any specific stains or cleaning help that you can’t quite figure out, please feel free to reach out to us so we can best help you troubleshoot your issue!
SCALLOPED JUTE:
Jute rugs have lots of positive attributes. They are handcrafted from the skin of the jute plant which in turn traps dust, helping to create a low allergy environment. Jutes are also relatively easy to care for: Simply vacuum regularly to keep dirt and dust from building up over time.
If you see a stain, remove it as soon as possible. Start by blotting with wet paper towels or a clean white towel. Do NOT rub! If that doesn’t work, dip clean towels in a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar. Then simply blot.
FLATWEAVE DHURRIES:
Flatweave Dhurrie rugs are thin with no pile. This makes them easy to vacuum without damaging the rug’s texture. Flatweaves are also reversible which is definitely another added bonus. If you see a stain, you will need to gather a clean white dish towel, cold water and mild foaming hand soap.(We prefer the Whole Foods 365 brand.) 90% of the time, blotting with ice cold water will lift the stain. However, if it has not faded try blotting the area on the rug with a mild foaming hand soap. You may have to repeat this step more than once. Then rinse by blotting with clean water.
People often say they are waiting to purchase a hand knotted rug because they have small children or pets. This is all the more reason why you need one! We have all heard the saying, “You get what you pay for.” This is very true, especially when referring to rugs. The machine made rugs you get from Amazon are not made to withstand real life. Locust Lane’s handcrafted rugs were made knot by knot to withstand almost anything
life throws at them! For more information or questions , please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.
brooke@locustlanerugs.com or carlee@locustlanerugs.com
