poor rug cleaningRugs are the centrepiece of every room. They are also often the most expensive piece of décor in your home. Many people see their rugs as an investment, as a good quality rug will last you generations. But these rugs only last if you care for them. And too few people treat rugs with the proper care they need. Some people never get their rugs cleaned, some use online “hacks” to clean that make the situation worse. Today we are going to look into the consequences of poor rug cleaning.
Bleeding Dye
Bleeding dye is the biggest consequence of poor rug cleaning habits. When a rug is not properly cleaned, the dyes can bleed during the process. This can lead to the design of your rug being lost because the colours have bled together. You might also end up with changes in colour or losing the pattern entirely from your rug.
Some rugs are also not as colourfast as others. Some modern rugs are only surface dyed, which can cause colourfastness issues. Other, traditional rugs can utilise unstable vegetable dyes that can react poorly to different cleaning methods and solutions. Rugs that use a red dye also tend to have the biggest issues with dye bleeding.
This is why it is important to hire a professional rug cleaning company like Woods Rug Laundry. Professionals have the in-depth knowledge to understand the different dye processes and will know which is the right cleaning method for your rug dye, fibres, and size. Our cleaners always do a dye test prior to cleaning, so we know exactly how to clean and treat your rug.
Setting Stains Rather than Removing Them
No one wants a stain in their rug. Which is why there’s a huge community of “experts” online giving DIY tips for removing stains from your rug. However, most of these methods can not only damage your rug, it can actually set the stain into the fibres. And once a stain is set, it is much harder to get out in most cases, the damage is irreversible, or at best, it can be lightened slightly. Pet stains are notoriously hard to clean, as are red stains – from wine, cordial and soft drink. Any food with a high dye content can create a difficult stain to remove.
It is important to seek professional help as soon as a stain occurs. The longer you wait the harder the stain will be to remove. Be sure to discuss the type of stain with the professional cleaner beforehand so they can give you a realistic quote on how much of the stain can be removed.
Unwanted Odours
Most DIY and home rug treatments are only surface treatments. This means they leave behind dirty, musty odours. While these surface cleaning products and techniques might make your rug look good on the surface, dirty, treatments and chemicals can get trapped. This not only causes terrible odours, it can cause further damage to your rug as it rots due to the liquids sitting in the fibres and base of the rug. If you hire an in-home cleaner and your rug still smells the same, you should be very concerned.
Professional rug cleaners can remove odours from your rug using patented, environmentally friendly solutions and equipment. This allows professional cleaners to remove odours without using harsh chemicals or damaging processes.
Poor Rug Cleaning Introducing Harmful Chemicals to Your Home
Unfortunately, most home cleaners and DIY products contain harmful chemicals that can pose a risk to your family, as well as your rug. Many off the shelf products and surface cleaners contain high risk chemicals, including:
Naphthalene
This chemical has the ability to dissolve dirt and kill moths. While this sounds fantastic, liberal use of this chemical can lead to nausea, confusion, and vomiting. In extreme cases it can also lead to nerve and liver damage.
Perchloroethylene
This particular chemical can quickly leave your family feeling fatigued, dizzy and nauseated, even in small amounts. Continued exposure can lead to kidney and liver damage.
Butyloxy Ethanol
This chemical poses a risk if you breathe it in or your skin comes in contact with it. If traces are left in your rug, it can cause nerve, liver, and kidney damage.
Professional cleaners, like Woods Rug Laundry, use in-house, patented cleaning solutions that are also environmentally friendly. This means we avoid using any harsh chemicals during the cleaning process. Further, because we have speciality facilities for rinsing and drying your rug, any cleaning solutions will be completely removed from your rug before it is wrapped and delivered home to you!
Water and Moisture Damage to Rugs
Home cleaners and steam cleaners can leave moisture behind in your rug. And because your home is not designed to dry your rug out properly, this moisture and water will remain sitting in your rug. And we all know the dangers of standing water. It can quickly damage your floors as well as your rug. Moisture build up can cause mold to grow, which is not just dangerous for your rugs but also for your family. Mold spores can cause respiratory issues and more, especially for children, those with weak immune systems or immune suppression, and the elderly.
If your start to smell a wet dog or musty odour after having your rugs cleaned, check for moisture. You can try to get a dehumidifier as quickly as possible but it would be better to take your rug to a professional cleaner to have it checked for mould and to be properly cleaned and dried.
Shorten the Life of Your Rug
Unfortunately, improper rug cleaning can damage the rug’s fibres which shortens the life of the rug. While you might not notice a change in your rug after one cleaning, the more times your rug goes through poor cleaning attempts, the more wear you’ll see. Further, if a rug is surface cleaned and dirt is left in the rug, the trapped dirt can turn to mud, making the dirt and damage even worse. And as dirt and mud is left trapped, buried deep in the fibres, the fibres can break down. Each time you walk over your rug, the dirt grinds in more and more, leading the rug to wear down even faster.
If you start to see areas with tears or odd disruptions to your rug’s pattern, this is a sign that the fibres are breaking down. At this point, you will need to find a professional cleaner who specialises in repairs to restore your rug while also cleaning it. Some rugs can become so damaged that repair and cleaning will no longer be possible. This is why it is important to ensure you have appropriate, professional cleaning services clean your rug in the first place.