Don’t Do These 4 Things When Cleaning Your Textiles

Did the dog knock over your coffee again? In the best attempts to clean up the spill many people make small mistakes that can leave the carpeting or area rug permanently damaged. Make sure to avoid these 4 common mistakes when cleaning up spills on your textiles.

1) Don’t Use the Wrong Type of Cleaner

High PH or acidic cleaners and bleaching agents such as Oxyclean, Woolite or Resolve will bleach the area often stripping the color from your rug. This mistake is irreversible. We recommend using neutral PH cleaners such as Dawn Dish Soap, white vinegar, or a neutral detergent. We also recommend Wine Away to clean immediate wine spills.

2) Don’t Rub the Area

Rubbing causes friction which heats the fibers causing them to fray and unwind. This can leave texture damage that may appear darker leaving the appearance of a stain. This mistake is irreversible. We recommend blotting the area by placing a white towel on the spill and repeatedly stepping on the towel. Continually switch sides of the towel until you no longer see spill transfer from your textile to the towel. You may need to use multiple towels to absorb the spill.  

3) Don’t Over Shampoo

As tempting as it is to use the entire bottle of shampoo on your spill DON’T! Using too much shampoo causes soap residue to remain on your carpet or rug. This residue attracts dirt and over time the area will appear darker because the dirt has magnetized to the soap. We recommend starting with a small amount of shampoo and making sure to rinse it out thoroughly with water.

4) Don’t Over Rinse

If too much water is used to rinse out the soap it may soak into the bottom of the carpet and even the carpet pad. If this occurs it is difficult to dry the area completely. This can cause carpet backing to discolor, shrink, or leave mold and mildew issues. We recommend starting with a small amount of water and adding as needed. When drying the area use fans and open a window for air circulation.

If in doubt, call Atiyeh Bros. the rug and carpet experts for over 120 years.