We often hear the question, “Can you deep clean my area rug at my house?” The answer is no. And truthfully, if a company says that they can, do not let them anywhere near your area rug! Why? Because they are either not cleaning your rug, OR they are putting the integrity of the rug and/or floor at risk. 

Why Do Area Rugs Need So Much Care?

So, here’s the thing. When it comes to “value” area rugs will vary in the following ways:

1. Price
2. Materials
3. Size
4. Emotional Attachment

Obviously, price will play a big role in the value, but it is not the only factor! Ultimately, the “value” of an area rug is based on the combination of all four variants! So, sure, not every single type of rug “needs” the same amount of care. But if the area rug is important to you, and you would be really sad if it were to get hurt (or worse, destroyed), then it needs to be cared for properly.

The area rug’s materials (and age) will determine the methods of cleaning and types of chemicals that can be used in efforts to clean the rug. And in order to keep the rug intact and the colors in place (they can bleed easily!!) the rugs cannot just get a chemical bath at your house.

What can go wrong:

Below, you can see where inexperienced rug cleaners and/or not using the proper equipment can hurt a rug. (This is why we say “No!” when asked, “Can you deep clean my area rug at my house?”)

1. Not Identifying any damage before cleaning.
2. Not Identifying fiber can cause damage by cleaning with the wrong solution.
   1.  Cleaning a wool rug with an alkali can cause fading and or bleeding of colors. 
   2. Beating rugs before Identifying fiber can cause fiber damage. 
3. Improper removal of dry soiling can permanently cause an imprint. This is prominent in silk and viscous fibers.
4. Shrinking, puckering, and curling can occur due to use of high water temperatures.
5. Not using the proper process and solutions for fringes can cause loss of wool at the edge of the fringes. 
   1. This can also cause your fringes to turn yellow over a period of time. When this happens your fringes will literally start coming off of your rug.
6. Latex-backed rugs can start delamination(the back will start separating from the rug). Note that, frequently, latex rugs will have an odor and this can not be prevented.

To prevent damage, is critical that the individual in charge of cleaning an area rug needs to know/determine what the rug is made of and how the rug is made. Then, they need to know which process will work for the type of rug… and the process requires specific tools that are not available in homes. 

The Topaz Cleaning & Restoration Process

When it comes to properly cleaning an area rug, these are the steps we take to do so:

• Vacuum
• Specialty dry-soil removal 
• Vacuum
• Rinse in specialty rinse tub
• Pretreat for urine, odors, or soiling
• Document solutions
• Clean rug using specialty tools based on type of area rug
• Rinse
• Extract remaining water
• Place on specialty drying rack
• After 24 hours, inspect for odor. Repeat if necessary
• Treat and finish fringe
• Vacuum

Each process is conducted in a specific area next to or on a specialty tool. These items are not readily available in a house.

Final Thoughts

So ultimately, if  you are wondering, “Can you deep clean my area rug at my house?” The answer is no. And hopefully, this shines some light onto the reasons why we cannot do that.