Become a Trade Partner Today

Sign Up

Search
0 Cart

What are you shopping for?

Shop by Style

Shop by Color

Shop by Brand

Shop Area Rugs

Shop by Style

Shop by Theme

Shop Kids Rugs

Shop by Style

Shop by Color

Shop Outdoor Rugs

Balta Rugs

Our Sustainability Commitment
Our Culture
Our Product Development

How to Clean Your New Rug

You did it; you finally bought a rug to tie your living room together. You’re sitting on your couch admiring how good your new space looks when all of a sudden, you knock over your wine glass. Uh oh! How will you ever get these red wine stains out of your new white rug? Fear not! This post is all about how to clean and care for your new rug after all the messes that come with daily life. 

Prevention & Daily Maintenance 

Of course, the best way to keep your new rug looking fresh for longer is to take preventative measures. Have guests wipe off their shoes before coming into the house and think about choosing a darker rug if it’s going to be in a high-traffic area.

Another way to preserve your rugs is by vacuuming them at least twice a week. We recommend a vacuum cleaner with rotating soft brushes (although not advised for high pile shags). This will remove the dirt that gathers deep down while still allowing the pile to recover more quickly. If your rug begins to develop slightly dirty marks or stains, it is best to treat them with a rug or carpet cleaning product. Remember to read the instructions carefully and always treat stains as quickly as possible. 

Deep Cleaning

If you follow our daily maintenance guide, it’s likely that you won’t need to deep clean your rug for a year or more. However, when the carpet does start to look soiled, you can either have it professionally cleaned or do it yourself. If you decide to clean the carpet yourself, make sure you use a good quality cleaning agent.

Cleaning Agents

Wet Shampoo  
It is important to use a neutral shampoo to clean your rug; never use ones with alkaline, ammonia, or household detergents. If you want to check to make sure the shampoo you have is ok to use, leave a bit in a saucer overnight, pour off excess, and allow to dry to see if it leaves a sticky residue to which dust and debris could cling to. For best results, thoroughly vacuum the rug before shampooing. Also, note that it’s important not to get the rug too wet in case the pile and backing become distorted. 
Absorbent Powder
There is a range of solvent or detergent saturated cleaning powders on the market that work well for cleaning rugs. After vacuuming, the powder is sprinkled liberally on the carpet, brushed into the pile, and then vacuumed out. It is not necessary to remove all the powder from the pile as it can help minimize future soiling. The powder method is an easy way of freshening up a carpet. It also distorts the pile less and, because the carpet is less wetted, the room is ready for reuse sooner.
Aersol Foam Shampoo
For light cleaning of small areas, aerosol foam shampoos can be used. It is advisable to test the shampoo first for sticky residue, which may attract dust. Foam is usually sprayed sparingly on the carpet and worked into the pile with a moistened sponge or brush. Vacuum after the carpet is dry.
Spray Injection-Extraction
With this method, sometimes incorrectly referred to as “steam cleaning,” the carpet pile can be injected with a hot water and detergent solution under pressure so that the soil is suspended in the water, which is extracted almost at once by a high suction, wet vacuum system. This method is particularly useful for very dirty carpets as it removes deep-seated dirt, but it may not clean the surface as well as other methods. It is also useful for removing excess detergents from successive wet shampooings – and together, the two methods can restore a very dirty, flattened carpet. Although a machine can be rented, it is best to have this type of cleaning done by a professional cleaner because care needs to be taken not to over-wet the carpet and thus distort the pile and backing.
Factory Cleaning
This is always a good option for cleaning your rugs, especially if you don’t feel you can get out the dirt and grime out on your own. 

 

Stains

       
Keeping your rugs clean from day to day is great, but what about getting rid of the wine stain you just spilled? Well, by following these four tips, you’ll be ready to tackle even the toughest of stains. 

Tips and Tricks

 
Act Fast: Whatever you do, don’t allow stains to dry if you can help it. Instead, use a clean kitchen cloth to dab up as much of the stain as possible. If there are solid elements, you can use a spoon to scoop them up as well. 

Bleach Cleanable:  Many of our rugs are 100% polypropylene, which means they can be cleaned using household bleach. If you have a stubborn stain, a mix of 50% bleach and 50% tap water should do the trick. Note: this only works with 100% polypropylene rugs 

Be Thorough:  Handle the stain with a clean kitchen cloth, working in from the outside to prevent spreading and smudging. For most stains, a carpet care product can be used. Be careful to rinse the carpet to remove the care product and the dirt. Wait until the area is completely dry before walking on it again.

Do Your Homework:  Make sure to do your research before putting different cleaning agents on your rug. Additionally, make sure to use the correct quantity of the product, not too much, not too little.

 

Feeling a little lost? Luckily we have a handy guide on how to treat all of the toughest stains.
Stain Type A B C D E
Ballpoint pen ... ... ... X ...
Beer ... X ...
...
...
Blood X
...
...
...
...
Butter
... 		X
... 		X
...
Candle Wax
...
...
... 		X
...
Chocolate
... 		X
...
...
...
Coffee X
...
...
...
...
Fruit Stains X
...
...
...
...
Fruit Juice X
...
...
...
...
Ink
... 		X
... 		X
...
Margarine
... 		X
... 		X
...
Milk
... 		X
...
...
...
Nail Polish
...
...
...
... 		X
Oil
...
...
... 		X
...
Paint
...
... 		X
...
...
Tea X
...
...
...
...
Urine X ...
...
...
...
Vomit
... 		X
...
...
...
Wine
... 		X
...
...
...

 

 
A. Water Dab off the stain as far as possible with a clean white kitchen cloth. Then treat the stain with a damp cloth and dab it off again until no further dirt adheres to the cloth.

B. Soap Powder Solution  (1 tablespoon soap powder to one cup water) Dab off the stain as far as possible with a clean white kitchen cloth. Then treat the stain with a cloth soaked in soap suds and then dab it off again until no further dirt adheres to the cloth. Note: Only repeat dabbing with clean water and remove soap residues with a clean cloth

C. Thinner Dab or rub the with a cloth soaked in thinner. Repeat until no more dirt is visible on the cloth. Note:  Never apply care products directly to the stain!

D. Dry Cleaning Solvent  Dab or rub the stain with a cloth soaked in dry clean solvent. Repeat until no more dirt is visible on the cloth. Note: Never apply care products directly to the stain!

E. Acetone Dab/rub the stain with a cloth soaked in acetone. Repeat until no more dirt is visible on the cloth. Note: Never apply care products directly to the stain!