The easiest way to spruce up a living room has always been the inclusion of an area rug. These rugs are generally very large, covering a significant amount of the floor surface in the living room, or even bedroom. And due to their size as well as quality, area rugs can be very expensive – which is why you don’t want to replace them, you want them to last for years. The best way to maintain the quality and longevity of your rug is to send it for cleaning, especially before dirt and mold cause the fibers to weaken and lead to irreparable damage. But should you do your own rug cleaning? Read on to find out why you should leave that to professionals.

They Are Very Valuable

Would anyone spend a lot of money on an area rug, only to destroy it by their own hands? Rugs can be very expensive, especially Oriental or high pile rugs, and some have value beyond just the monetary – they may be a souvenir from your travels, or given to you by your parents or grandparents. Some rugs are even considered works of art and family heirlooms, giving it a greater value than ever. As such, only the greatest care should be shown to cleaning and treating a soiled rug. Different rugs require different type of care, which a rug cleaning professional would be able to advise you on. With the right kind of attention, rugs can be saved from early deterioration, and last a lifetime or even more.

They Can Be Fragile

Many rugs, in particular Oriental or Persian rugs, are delicately handmade from natural materials. They would certainly not be able to survive a hard scrubbing as you might give your wall-to-wall carpet. Furthermore, they would not be able to withstand harsh chemicals, rough cleaning brushes, and inexperienced hands, which can do more harm than good to your precious decorative piece. Even if you have a carpet cleaning machine to use at home, do not use it on these types of delicate, fragile rugs, unless you are prepared to say goodbye to them forever.

They Are Made Of Special Fibers

Synthetic fibers are generally easy to clean, using a steam cleaner or home use carpet cleaning machine. However, some rugs are cut from a different cloth – rather, made from different materials. The complex natural fibers that many special rugs are made of, such as silk, wool, cotton or jute, would not stand up well against a harsh steam cleaning. Upon closer inspection you can see the natural tiny crevices and imperfections in the weave that make these rugs difficult to clean. No machine for these gems – you would need to send them for professional cleaning by hand.

Dirt May Be Compressed

If this rug has gone uncleaned for a while, chances are that with repeated footfall over your rug, any dirt that has been there would have been pressed down deeper and deeper into the rug with every step. Rugs are made differently from carpets in that they are thicker and have more fibers per square inch. Therefore, it is much more difficult to remove dirt from these thick fibers as compared to carpets.