Rugs are an important part of our home décor, brightening up a room and adding just the right ambience or style. Functional, in adding comfort and warmth. The drawback is that if they are not kept clean, they can quickly appear dingy. Sooner or later, they will start to look drab and dull from everyday traffic, pets, spills, and dust.
Laundry detergents are cheaper than professional cleaners, but do they do the job? Read on to find out if you can use laundry detergent to clean your rug, how to use it, and how it compares to professional cleaning products.
Will laundry detergent work or Will only a professional cleaning product do? The two rug cleaning techniques we tried and evaluated are compared below as method 1 vs. method 2.
Step Two: Mix and Apply Laundry Detergent
In a bucket, mix laundry detergent with 5 litres of water. We used a biological laundry pod, which contains enzymes that help break down the dirt.
Pour the mixture over the rug, saturating the entire surface.
Step Three: Brush, Agitate and Wait
With a soft-bristled brush, work the mixture into the rug. This agitation emulsifies the solution and breaks down the dirt found in the rug fibres. Taking note that laundry detergents do not produce much foam.
Allow the rug to sit for 15 minutes before rinsing it off.
Step Four: Extract, Rinse and Dry
We recommend you use a carpet cleaning wand (a deck brush will work too). Start on the side closest to you and push the water towards the opposite side to sluice out the rug.
Pressure-wash the solution off. Ensure the run-off is completely clear.
Repeat the carpet cleaning wand procedure.
Using a wet-dry vacuum, suck out the last of the moisture.
Step Two: Mix and Apply the Professional Cleaning Product
Mix the solution in the bucket as per the manufacturer’s instructions and then pour the mixture over the rug, saturating the entire surface.
Step Three: Clean the Rug
With a soft-bristled brush, lather the cleaning product into the rug. The rich foam emulsifies and encapsulates the dirt.
Step Four: Extraction, Rinsing, and Drying
We recommend you use a carpet cleaning wand (a deck brush will work too). Start on the side closest to you and push the water towards the opposite side to sluice out the rug.
Pressure-wash the solution off. Ensure the run-off is completely clear.
Repeat the carpet cleaning wand procedure.
Using a wet-dry vacuum, vacuum out the last of the moisture.
The professional cleaning product came out 95% clean. It has more brightness, and the colours are more vibrant.
The laundry detergent side was about 75% clean. The colours seemed more muted and darker in comparison.