How do I spot clean my area rug?

Whether your rug is hand-knotted, or machine woven, or made with wool or synthetic fibers, spot cleaning your area rug is the same.
First, evaluate the stain. Is it a wet stain? (i.e. wine, tea, coffee?) If the answer is yes, simply making a mixture of a cup of tap water and 2 tbsp. of vinegar will clean the stain without the use of harsh chemicals. ALWAYS BLOT, don’t rub! While it may seem like the quickest and surest way to work the stain out, vigorously rubbing the area rug can damage the fibers, weakening them making the rug look worn quicker. This is especially true for synthetic based fibers.
If the stain is dry, i.e. grease or dried liquids, use a dry cleaning agent like Capture, from your local home improvement store and follow the directions to safely remove the stain.

NEVER USE SOAP. It’s very difficult to remove all the suds out of carpet fiber-even if using a small amount. Have you ever spot cleaned your area rug or carpet and after a few days the stain reappears? This is because there were still suds left behind in the last application, which is now attracting dirt.

If your rug needs an all over clean, we recommend visiting a professional rug cleaning service to do the job right the first time. Have a large rug? Many professional services will come to your house or even pick up your rug to take back to their facilities at minimal cost. “I have a carpet shampooer. Can I just use that?” The short answer is, yes. Be very mindful of the directions and if soap is necessary, use a miniscule amount.

Tips to help us help you:

Use the vinegar and tap water solution FIRST. This is the easiest and safest way to spot clean your rug. If this solution doesn’t remove the stain, consult your local rug cleaners for further assistance.