If you’re like me, you’ll agree that having carpeted floors or rugs around your house makes it look and feel cozy.
I’m a big fan of the shag rug and all things fancy.
I’m also a proud owner of several shag rugs, which by the way, give a stylish and sophisticated touch to my rooms.
That’s not all, whether you’re a kid or an adult, you’ll love lying on those shag rugs. My kids and I spend maximum time together on our shag rug in the living room.
That said, the only thing that’s slightly daunting about these shags is getting them cleaned.
If you own one of these, you probably already know that shag rug cleaning doesn’t come cheap.
You may even be confused about how frequently you should clean them.
But, what if I told you that there’s a cheaper of way of getting these rugs cleaned on a regular basis?
Yes, you read that right!
Shag rugs can be cleaned for cheap and can be cleaned at home by yourself.
Why I Resorted to Cheap Carpet Cleaning?
Back in 2014, I was struggling with unemployment and was juggling my responsibilities as a single mom.
Evidently, I couldn’t afford a high standard of living but I was fortunate that my husband left behind his ancestral house before he passed away.
Amid all the grieving, the house was our only saving grace and if it wasn’t for my children, I would have had no ray of hope.
I tried several jobs but nothing paid me enough to make a decent living.
On one hand, I was facing difficulty cleaning my house for cheap and on the other, keeping my kids happy and making ends meet.
You might wonder what this has to do with cheap cleaning right.
Well, while I was cleaning my shag rugs one day, I ran out of my expensive cleaning agent, which left me in distress.
And then I experienced an ‘Aha moment’ and used all I had at home to make the perfect cleaning solution.
After several attempts of trial and error, I found the best concoction and decided to put it to everyone’s use.
I made carpet cleaning my livelihood and it did good to me and everyone else as well.
4 Secret Shag Rug and Carpet Cleaning Tips That Actually Work
Shag rugs are high maintenance, but poverty and distress taught me a lot.
I turned expensive maintenance into simple and cheap methods and harmless DIYs most of which are no-brainers but most fail to do.
1. Dusting the Dirt Off
Get your shag rug outdoors.
By that I mean, take it outside to dust off the dirt.
Throughout the day, there’s pollution from the windows that creep in and settle on your rug.
And if you have little kids like me, then you know how food crumbs and spills are your daily battle.
The best was to dust the dirt off your rug is by shaking it.
You might need more frequent dusting if you have kids and pets.
In case your rug is bigger, you could use a broom handle or a solid stick to smack the dust out of it.
2. Vacuuming Right
When you have a shag rug, you need to be careful while vacuuming.
Test your vacuum cleaner’s ‘High Pile’ carpet setting, to see if that does not suck up the rug threads.
If that doesn’t work, you could also use an upholstery attachment to gently vacuum between the rows of thread on your rug.
Vacuum frequently to prevent dirt buildup if your carpet receives high traffic.
I flip my rug over and vacuum its base as it helps loosen dirt from the pile.
You can also try this to ensure a more thorough cleaning.
3. Shampooing it Dry
You can use a dry carpet shampoo, which generally comes in powder form.
I made my own dry shampoo as you know I was on a limited budget.
The plus side of this DIY is that it’s all-natural, which makes it child-friendly.
I grind the mixture of baking soda, cornmeal, cornstarch, cinnamon, borax and bay leaves in a food processor.
I use cinnamon and bay leaves as they are anti-bacterial and also leave the carpet or rug smelling nice and fresh.
I then gently vacuum up the granules after allowing them to settle for a few hours.
The end result is totally worth it.
4. Treating Spots
This is probably one of my most favorite cleaning techniques of all, and that is my removing stains from your carpet.
It’s simple and includes the most common carpet cleaning ingredient – vinegar.
So, if you want to try it out, simply take equal parts of plain white vinegar and room-temperature water, and pour the mix directly onto the affected area.
For a small stain caused by a few tablespoons of spilled liquid or food, start with ½ cup of each ingredient to form the mixture, making more if necessary.
This is a technique that requires drying out, as it involves moisture.
Thus, it ensures you keep your shag rug in a well-ventilated area to dry completely.
Final Note
High pile never goes out of style, so, keep yours fresh with these simple steps.
A rule of thumb is to care for your shag rug more than you would for traditional rug.
Vacuuming and deep cleaning by professionals should definitely not be ignored.
Before taking carpet cleaning seriously and inventing my own carpet cleaning solutions and techniques, I became a part of a trusted cleaning brand called Dri-Masters, which supported me through thick and
thin.
So, be sure to receive the same support for your shag rugs, woolen carpets or oriental ones, if you ever decide to give them a shot for carpet cleaning in Ellicott City or neighboring locations.
