How to remove a spill from your rug

What is the best way to remove a spill from your area rug?

There are a few rules that you should always keep in mind regardless of the rug fiber or construction. They include:

1)Get to the spill as quickly as possible.

2)If there is debris other than liquid (IE food piece, etc) scoop them up with a spoon. Having a rag nearby to put the food remnants onto is a good bet so that you do not mistakenly drop the food on a different area of the rug again on your way to the trash bin.

3)Do NOT RUB the spill. If you rub a spill, it will cause the fiber to come unravelled and in some instances it will result in immediate fuzzing of the fiber. Rather than rubbing the spill you should always blot it.

4)What do you use to blot the spill? There is a great cleaner on the market called Rug Renew. It works on all fibers and tends to get spills out of both carpets and rugs. But if that is not readily available always choose a product that will bring the PH of the spill back to neutral. An example is if you spilled milk (PH very basic-then you would use a combination of Vinegar and water to bring the PH back to neutral) If you spilled something acidic such as orange juice then you would blot the spill with a combination of Baking Soda and water-again to bring the PH back to neutral. This works especially well on wool rugs.

Area rugs will get spills on them. The important thing to keep in mind is that they can be removed if you take the correct steps. If all else fails, having a professional cleaning company come in to service the rug is an important option rather than tossing out the damaged rug. A good and qualified cleaning company will test the spill to determine it's type and what are the best solvents to make your rugs look new again.

This is the first in several How To guides that should help you have a better experience with your area rugs not just when you first get them but well into the future.