I was using one of those metal lint brushes on a low pile synthetic rug in my living room, mostly for the lols. I use it on the couch and I thought I’d give it a go.
It horrified me how much dust it kicked up in addition the to fibers it removed. We use a robot vacuum almost daily, and vacuum the rug separately with a “real” vacuum as well. I don’t expect the vacuum to get all the hair that gets tangled I guess, but the dust was just 🤮
Do people still have to take their rugs out and beat them? Haven’t we progressed from that?
I have a small steam cleaner for spot cleaning large fabric things that can’t get washed. Maybe that is something I should be using on the whole rug, on occasion?
I don’t have any carpet flooring in my house because I hate the idea of it being a massive burden to change a fabric floor cover, but I realize I could probably do better on keeping the rugs clean. I don’t think it warrants tossing just because it’s dusty.
Can someone share some wisdom with me? Replies sharing how little cleaning you do are not helpful, but go off I guess. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to not want dust accumulating in my rugs.
Edited to highlight that I am specifically asking about rugs, I don’t have carpets.
Thank you! l do have outdoor space but it’s humid af. I guess leaving the rug out isn’t different than leaving clothes on the clothes line so it’s probably okay. It’s a pretty big rug so not sure I have the strength to haul it outside and beat it, but I can certainly spend a few hours with the steam cleaner 😅
I have a few of those washable rugs too, but I don’t love them so I think I will resign myself to a rug cleaning day once and a while.
In the old days, the common practice with rugs was to hang them out on a clothes line dry and whack the shit out of them. There was a specific tool for that called a rug beater–you can find them on ebay. An amazing amount of dirt will come out if you do that.
Anyway that method does not require a steam cleaner, nor does it matter that your area is humid. It may be a bit of a workout though.
Yeah, probably one of those chores that its better to spend a few mins on more often, than making it a whole ordeal once in a while. Id help you drag it outside haha, maybe someone could help you?
Its not much different than hanging clothes no. I think, and I could be wrong, but the sun is like disenfectant this way too. I cant tell you how excited I am to purchase a steam cleaner. I feel so lame, but my excitement beams. More stoked to do the couch, tbh, but rugs deserve attention too!
I was also looking into the washable rugs. I thought about getting one, surprised you dont like it, is there a reason? Im just curious as I was thinking about getting one
I can confirm steam cleaners are extremely satisfying.
Washable rugs (at least the one I have) is very thin. It has to be to be washable! Because it is thin it is a nightmare to vacuum. It just gets sucked into it. I have to put my foot down right behind the vacuum to keep it taut.
I believe there are types you can get that have a lower layer you detect before washing. To be honest the one I have was an impulse purchase. I liked the colours, the price was right and I wanted something to go below my office chair that wasn’t a plastic mat, so the incredibly low pile was a pro not a con. I think the two part ones are considerably more expensive and I’m not interested in paying that much to find out it doesn’t solve the problem.
Because it’s under my desk I don’t really care too much about wear, but the one I have has the print applied to the top, not created by dyed fibres being used. So when the pile is disturbed it doesn’t quite look right and I don’t think I could brush it all perfectly in line again.
Here is a cross section, I have washed this once.
Maybe I just bought a cheap and shitty one?