How to clean area rugs by hand, in the washer or outside

Step by step

1. 1

   Read the label

   Find the care tag on the back. Note whether it says machine washable, spot clean only, dry clean only or professional cleaning, and what the fiber is.

   Why: Rugs vary from washable cotton mats to hand-knotted wool. Some shrink when wet, some dyes bleed, and dry-clean-only rugs shouldn't be washed at all.

2. 2

   Shake or beat it outside

   Shake small rugs outdoors. Hang larger movable rugs over a clothesline or sturdy railing and beat them with a rug beater or the back of a broom.

   Why: Beating dislodges deep grit that a vacuum misses, and grit is what wears rug fibers down.

3. 3

   Vacuum both sides gently

   Vacuum with gentle suction, working from the center toward the fringe so it isn't sucked in. Flip the rug or lift the edges and vacuum underneath, and the floor beneath it.

   Why: A beater bar catches and tears fringe and can fuzz wool. Dirt sifts through to the back and the floor.

4. 4

   Spot-clean stains like carpet

   Blot spills with a white cloth. Test a cleaner on a hidden corner, apply it to the cloth, work from the edges in, then blot-rinse with plain water. A good basic solution is 1/4 teaspoon of clear dish detergent per cup of lukewarm water.

   Why: Edge-to-center keeps the spot from spreading, and rinsing removes residue that would attract dirt.

5. 5

   Wash only if the label allows

   For small rugs labeled machine washable, wash in warm water (the Carpet and Rug Institute suggests 90-105°F) with mild detergent, then tumble dry on the lowest heat or air-dry flat.

   Why: Moderate water and low heat limit shrinkage and protect rubber or latex backings.

6. 6

   Dry completely before it goes back

   Let any damp rug dry flat, both sides, before you put it back on the floor.

   Why: A damp rug traps moisture against the floor, which can mark wood and grow mildew.

What your rug is made of decides the method

Machine-washable rugs (cotton, many synthetics, bath mats) can go in the washer. Synthetic tufted rugs with a glued backing can be spot-cleaned and vacuumed, but soaking can loosen the backing. Wool is a protein fiber: it's sensitive to alkaline cleaners, chlorine bleach and enzyme cleaners, and it can shrink or felt. Jute and sisal are plant fibers that can stain and distort when wet. Hand-knotted Oriental, Persian and heirloom rugs have dyes and foundations that need a specialist.

That's why the label rules. If yours says dry clean only, roll it and take it to a dry cleaner that handles rugs, calling first since many don't. For an Oriental or heirloom rug, follow the maker's specifications or hire a professional rug cleaner.

How often: vacuum area rugs as often as you vacuum carpet, at least weekly in busy rooms. Treat spills right away, and deep clean according to the label or by a professional. Mats at entrances and shoes off keep rugs cleaner for longer.

Deep cleaning a very dirty rug

For a rug that's dingy all over, the American Cleaning Institute suggests the same ladder as for carpet: spot clean first, then rent an extraction cleaner, then call a professional if that isn't enough. Extraction is suitable for synthetic rugs that tolerate water. Use the recommended amount of solution, do extra water-only passes, and dry the rug flat with fans.

Wool, jute, sisal and hand-knotted rugs are the exceptions: an extraction machine can make dyes bleed and fibers shrink, so these are professional jobs.

By situation

Cleaning an area rug by hand

For a synthetic rug that isn't machine washable, vacuum thoroughly, then work through it section by section with the dilute dish detergent solution on a white cloth or sponge, blotting rather than scrubbing. Blot-rinse each section with plain water and dry it flat. Keep the rug damp, never soaked, so the backing isn't loosened.

Cleaning an area rug outside

Outside is the best place to shake and beat a rug. Hosing down or pressure-washing a rug is a different matter: none of the carpet and cleaning institutions this page relies on recommend it for indoor rugs, which can shrink, bleed or lose their backing. Do it only if the rug's own label says it can be hosed (some outdoor synthetic rugs do), at the pressure the label allows, and dry it completely in the sun before bringing it in.

With baking soda

To freshen a rug, sprinkle baking soda on the dry pile, leave it several hours or overnight, then vacuum thoroughly. It absorbs odors but doesn't clean stains. Use it sparingly on wool, which is sensitive to alkalis, and vacuum it out completely.

Slime on a rug

Lift off as much slime as you can before adding liquid. Then dab on a solution of 1 cup white vinegar to 2 cups water and let it sit a few minutes: the acid breaks the borate links that make slime stretchy, so it turns runny and can be blotted out. Follow with the dilute dish detergent solution, rinse, and blot dry. Treat any color left behind as a dye stain. Full steps: slime on carpet. Test vinegar first on wool.

Getting wrinkles or ripples out of a rug

The Carpet and Rug Institute lists humidity, the wrong cushion and moving furniture as common causes of buckling in carpet, and the same things push area rugs into ripples. Letting the rug lie flat in a dry room, using a suitable rug pad underneath and lifting furniture rather than dragging it address those causes. A large rug that stays buckled is a job for a rug professional.

Fringed and Oriental rugs

Vacuum from the center toward the fringe with gentle suction, never across the fringe with a beater bar. For stains on a valuable rug, blot with water only and take it to a specialist.

What not to do

• Don't machine wash a rug that isn't labeled washable. It can shrink, bleed dye or lose its backing.
• Don't scrub or brush stains. It damages the pile texture and spreads the stain.
• Don't vacuum fringe with a beater bar. The brush catches and tears the strands.
• Don't use chlorine bleach, ammonia or enzyme cleaners on wool rugs. Wool is a protein fiber damaged by bleach, alkalis and protein-digesting enzymes.

Other methods that work

Professional rug cleaning

The right choice for wool, silk, jute, hand-knotted, antique and dry-clean-only rugs, and for any rug with a deep pet or smoke odor.

Caution: Not all dry cleaners take rugs; call ahead.

Rented extraction cleaner

Works for very dirty synthetic rugs that tolerate water, after spot cleaning.

Caution: Don't over-wet, and dry the rug fully before it goes back down.

Stain still there?

The rug came out of the wash smaller

Heat and agitation shrank it, and shrinkage is usually permanent. Next time use warm, not hot, water and the lowest dryer heat, or dry it flat.

A cleaned spot is darker than the rest

That's usually detergent residue attracting dirt. Blot-rinse with plain water and dry under a weighted pad of white paper towels.

The colors ran

Stop wetting it, dry it quickly and flat, and take it to a rug specialist. Further home washing usually spreads the dye.

Safety

• Never combine vinegar with chlorine bleach on the same spot. See what never to mix.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

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