Rugs are the perfect addition if you want to décor a room, bring some color, or pattern, and utilize the space. Rugs when decorated in the correct way add both elegance and comfort at the same time.
There are many types of rugs these days. Along with a variety of unique designs, you can find rugs in many materials. There are rugs made of jute, wool, fur, cotton, synthetic, silk, and leather. One can choose from this large range depending on their preference.
But keeping a rug in your home area means it will surely catch dirt, and dust after some time. But to maintain hygiene all types of rugs needed to be washed properly. Often people who use rugs question if rugs can be washed in the washer.
If you too have a similar query you can read further to know!
Cleaning rug in the washer:
You can put a rug in the washer but you must read the label first and learn about the material. Cotton and synthetic rug are suitable for machine washing. But while cleaning wool, leather, silk, or fur rug washer should be avoided. These rugs needed to be dry cleaned or hand washed.
In this era of technology, we can barely think of washing something without using the washing machine. Rugs are not excluded too. This regularly used item gets dirty, and stained within a short time, and needs thorough cleaning to maintain its hygiene.
But we guess you know not every type of material can be thrown in the washer for cleaning. The washing machine can ruin some of the cloth and so it’s best to know what you can wash in the washer and what needs to be put aside for hand cleaning.
Coming back to rugs, jute, wool, silk, cotton, leather, fur, many kinds of materials are now used for a rug. Can you put all of them on the washer to clean? Well, let’s check it out below!
Cotton rug:
Cotton rug can be washed in the machine without any second thought. They are suitable for both machine and hand wash. But if it has a rubber back avoid machine wash for the best result.
Wool rug:
Wool rugs produces lint. So washing them in the washer can stop the machine with the residue. Also, wool rugs are not much durable if you put them in the washer.
Silk rug:
The material silk is a delicate fabric, and so are silk rugs. They cannot tolerate the washing cycles. They are best for hand or dry wash as the washer might ruin their shine.
Synthetic rug:
These types of rugs are easiest to clean. A hand wash does the job very nicely but you can clean a synthetic rug in the washer too. A gentle machine wash will not damage the quality of the material.
Jute and bamboo rug:
Jute-made rugs are very trendy these days. They get uncleaned too early so need frequent cleaning. For cleaning a jute-made rug you should choose your hands over the machine, IT will save the rug and its beauty.
Similarly, bamboo-made rugs are not appropriate for washers. They will break as well as ruin the machine.
Leather rug:
Leather is very soft and capable of getting ruined if not handled with care. Leather rugs should not be washed in the machine at all.
You can wash them manually or dry clean. Otherwise, you’ll find cracks over the rug after the first wash.
Fur rug or faux fur rug:
Fur rugs are pure elegance be it faux far or real ones. But they are not suitable for machine wash.
Because their furs are not much strong and can fall off if washed in the machine. Machine wash can also take away the fluffiness of the rugs.
How to tell if a rug is machine washable?
To know if a rug is machine washable first you need to read the label of the rug. It will mention if you have to dry clean, hand wash, or machine wash.
If the label isn’t there anymore, you can observe the material. If it’s cotton or synthetic, it can be machine washed. But rugs made of jute, fur, leather, or silk aren’t machine washable. Rugs that have patches, braids, or knots cannot be machine washed.
If you’re unaware of the material, it’s best to contact the seller or manufacturer for help.
Is it hygienic to wash rugs in the washing machine?
Cleaning rugs in the washing machine doesn’t contaminate the washer. It is the same as washing other unwashed items.
Rugs attract dirt more as used on the floor. So they get dirtier comparing any other items usually washed in the machine. That’s why many people think cleaning rugs in the washer can be an unhygienic whereas it’s not.
You can maintain hygiene while washing rugs in the washing machine by using detergent, and warm water and following the same process for the next item. So it is hygienic to wash rugs in the washer.
How do you wash a rug in the washing machine?
If you own cotton or synthetic rug and want to clean it properly we’d say put it in the washer. If the rug has no extra work on it like braids, knots, embroidery, etc. using your washing machine will make it dirt-free and look new again.
Here is how to wash a rug in the washing machine explained in a few steps:
Check the color:
Before you decide to put the rug in the washer check its color fastness. For that, damp a small portion of the rug and swab it with another clean and white piece of cloth. If there is no color transfer, go to the next step.
Remove stains:
If the rug has got stains it’s better to treat that before putting the rug in the washer. Use any good stain remover on the stain, rub it with a brush and wait as suggested.
Prepare the washer:
To clean the rug use warm or cold water for the expected results. Fill the bucket with the right amount of water and detergent powder or liquid. Avoid chlorine-based detergent if the rug back has rubber.
Balance the washer:
You have to make sure the washer is well-balanced to make it run properly. Wash multiple rugs together or add a few items.
Run gentle cycle:
Using the gentle mode of your washer starts washing the rug. Complete the cycle.
Dry:
Finally, air-dry the rugs. It’s best to avoid direct sun rays.
Tips to wash and clean a rug without a washer
There is no doubt washer is the best for cleaning clothing items properly and easily. It takes less effort to wash rugs in the washer true, but you cannot clean every material in a washing machine.
If you don’t skip the rugs that are made of silk, wool, fur, or leather washing in the machine, you’ll end up ruining their quality.
Rugs that have extra work and design on them too cannot be put in the machine to avoid damage. Moreover, many times washer facility is not available.
But since you can’t leave the rugs dirty, here are some effective tips to clean a rug without a washer:
Use vacuum cleaner:
If the dirt and build-ups are not too heavy, a vacuum cleaner does wonder to clean rugs.
A good cleaning with a vacuum cleaning machine takes away all the extra dust. crumbs from the rug and make it free of dirt quickly.
Use a brush for cleaning:
You may wonder how you’re going to clean all the heavy build-ups from the rug without a machine.
Well, you can try cleaning the brush. Soft-bristle big brushes can clean every inch of a thick rug. It can also be used on stains to remove.
Clean with cloth:
If the rug has spots or stains in some particular place, you can try cleaning it with a lint-free cloth.
Damp the area with water, apply washing liquid or powder, rub with the cloth and wait. After some time, using another wet and clean cloth washes the soap residue.
Use water pressure:
Pressurizing with water Using a hose is another tip to clean that big area rug you have. Before spraying water, you can apply detergent or shampoo all over the rug. Then rinse using a pipe.
Final Thoughts
Rugs that are made of cotton and synthetic can be put in the washer. But to avoid damage you should not wash jute, silk, wool, fur or leather rugs on a washing machine. These are delicate materials. You can instead try dry-cleaning or hand-wash these rugs to maintain the quality.