Area Rug Care: Your Ultimate Guide

When it comes to decorating a living room, nothing can add more warmth and texture to the space like an area rug. Whether it’s a shaggy style, a Persian, a traditional one, or something more modern, it’s the perfect way to create the perfect look in a space. But how do you keep that rug looking fresh and new? This blog post will provide tips and advice on how to properly care for your area rug and ensure it keeps that polished and new look.


Area rugs are wonderful pieces that can transform the look and feel of any room, but they can also be a bit costly. To make sure you get the most life out of your investment, it’s important to properly care for it. With proper cleaning and maintenance, you can keep your area rug looking beautiful for years to come. Keep reading to discover the best tips for ensuring your area rug looks fabulous for years to come.

Keeping it Fresh:

Tips for Maintaining your Area Rug

1. Vacuuming Regularly

One of the most important things to remember when it comes to area rug care is to vacuum your rug regularly. This helps to keep rid of any dirt or dust buildup, and it also helps to prevent things like mold and dirt from getting lodged in the fibers. Aim to vacuum at least once a week to ensure your rug isn’t accumulating dirt and to keep it looking its best. 


2. Spot Cleaning When Necessary

If you encounter an accidental spill on your area rug, don’t panic! Spot cleaning is an effective and safe way to get rid of dirt and stains. To begin, you should start by dabbing the affected area gently with a paper towel or soft cloth. Once this is done, use a mild cleaning solution to clean the spot and blot the area with a damp cloth. If the stain is resistant, use a store-bought stain remover or mix one part vinegar with two parts water and use sparingly on the affected area.

3. Act Quickly

If you have kids or pets, then you know it’s only a matter of time before something gets spilled on your rug. When this happens, it’s important to act quickly. Immediately begin dabbing the stain with a paper towel or soft cloth. This will help absorb some of the spills, stopping them from spreading. You should also try to avoid using any fabric softeners or laundry detergents on the rug after cleaning.


4. Avoid Sun Exposure

Most of us enjoy the look and feel of a sun-drenched room, but this may not be the best for your area rug. Sun exposure can cause fading and discoloration in some fabrics, so it’s important to avoid placing your rug in direct sunlight whenever possible. If you still want to enjoy the sunlight, try switching your rug to another room or installing shades or blinds over your windows to reduce the number of UV rays that come in.


5. Rotate & Fluff

Rotating your area rug once in a while is also important to make sure your rug stays in good condition. Every 6-12 months, lift up the rug and switch it to another room. This helps to prolong the life of the rug and keep it in good condition. Additionally, fluffing can also help maintain your rug. Every few months, take a moment and use your hands to fluff up the pile or fuzz of your area rug. This helps encourage the fibers to stand upright and remain untangled.

6. Make Sure the Subfloor Is Clean

Caring for your area rug means making sure that the subfloor beneath it is clean. A dirty or wet subfloor can be a breeding ground for bacteria and mold and can cause permanent damage to the bottom side of your rug. Wipe it down regularly and make sure it is as dry as possible.


7. Trim Loose Threads

Loose threads, snags, and frays aren’t uncommon on area rugs, especially if they’re made from natural fibers such as wool, cotton, or jute. To keep your rug looking neat and tidy, use a small pair of scissors to snip off any excess threads. Make sure not to cut too much, as this can damage the rug fibers.


8. Professional Cleaning

Finally, one of the best solutions for keeping your area rug looking its best is to visit a professional cleaning company. Professional cleaners are experienced in caring for different types of rugs and know the proper methods for cleaning your rug. You can trust that by hiring a professional cleaner, you’ll be ensuring that your rug is in the best condition possible.

Caring for your area rug doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. As long as you follow these essential dos and don’ts, you’ll be well on your way to having a beautiful and well-maintained area rug that will last for years to come. In addition to regular upkeep, regular professional cleaning is necessary to extend the longevity of your rug. Regular professional cleaning will help your rug look better, last longer, and help protect your investment.

The Best Area Rug Cleaning in Aptos - Doctor Clean Has You Covered!

Aptos, Santa Cruz, CA homeowners can rest assured knowing they have the best area rug cleaner in town - Doctor Clean! For over 30 years, Doctor Clean has been delivering exceptional rug-cleaning services to the local community.


Our team of experienced and highly-trained rug cleaners is well-equipped to handle all kinds of area rugs - from traditional oriental rugs to contemporary rugs or delicate antique pieces. We use only the best methods and products to safely clean and restore any rug to its original beauty. We have the right tools, modern technology, and experience to properly clean, revive, and protect your valuable area rugs. Our expertise also allows us to identify any possible color-run or other condition issues that might require special attention.


For over three decades, Doctor Clean's commitment to providing quality rug cleaning services has earned us the trust of thousands of customers. Our clients continue to depend on us for reliable, professional care and advice on how to preserve their important area rugs. So don't hesitate - when you need professional area rug cleaners in Aptos, Santa Cruz, CA, call Doctor Clean!

How to Prolong the Life of Your Upholstery with Innovative Cleaning Tips

By James Lincoln • December 21, 2022
If you're like most homeowners, you've probably invested a lot of time, energy, and money into sprucing up your home décor. Upholstery, in particular, can be a costly endeavor and can be a real eyesore if not maintained properly. Fortunately, keeping upholstery in top condition doesn't have to be a horrible chore—you just need to know the best tricks and techniques for prolonging the life of your upholstery. In this blog, we’re going to share just that: easy-to-follow tips and tricks for keeping your upholstery looking gorgeous and timeless. From easy vacuum cleaner hacks to strategically placing your furniture, we’ll cover it all. But before that, let's discuss how important it is for us to maintain our upholstery at home to extend its lifespan. Let's get started

Carpet Cleaning for Commercial Spaces: Keeping Your Business Clean and Professional

By James Lincoln • December 15, 2022
As a business owner, you know the importance of first impressions. You also know that a clean and well-maintained space is essential to making a good impression on customers, clients, and employees. Professional carpet cleaning is an important part of keeping your commercial space looking its best. Not only does it remove dirt, stains, and allergens from your carpets, but it also extends their lifespan. In this blog post, we'll discuss the importance of commercial carpet cleaning and how to find a reliable and professional carpet cleaning company.

Maintaining Your Tile and Grout: Tips You Can Use

By James Lincoln • December 5, 2022
Tiles are elegant and attractive as well as long-lasting. The way your floors look says a lot about your home to both visitors and buyers - but this also means that you will likely be expected to keep them looking their best for a long time. This can be a challenge. Either you don't know what to use, or you find yourself spending a lot of time on it. Tile takes a lot of abuse, especially when people walk on it with dirty shoes. However, it is possible to get your tile back to looking like new. Keeping your tile and grout clean is an essential part of having a home. Sometimes we just are too busy to take care of it. If you are unaware of the importance of maintaining perfect tile and grout or don't take proper care of it, you may damage or even lose the value of the structure. After a while, grout cleaning is not only a matter of appearance but also the effect that dirty grout has on your health. If you want to maintain a safe and healthy home, you need to try and keep your tiles and grout nice and clean.

Why Professional Area Rug Cleaning Is Beneficial

By James Lincoln • November 23, 2022
Area rugs have been used to create a warm feeling in an area of the home throughout history. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why they have remained popular. With the amazing variety of colors and designs, they can add charm and flair to any room in your home. However, like an old pair of shoes or an out-of-fashion dress, over time even the best area rug can begin to look grubby and worn. After you've been using your area rug for years, scratches and dirt become unavoidable. However, there are ways to get rid of those defects and keep the rug looking as good as new. When it comes to keeping your rugs clean and looking good, professional rug cleaning is the way to go. Most people do not realize the importance of professional area rug cleaning services in their life. A well-cared-for area rug can provide not only beauty and comfort but also an aesthetic that can make a room stand out. Professional rug cleaning services are available to restore your area rug to its former glory, giving it the new look and feel it deserves. The longevity of a rug is directly linked to how often it is cleaned, and professional rug cleaning services can increase the life of your rug. Below is a comprehensive list of benefits you can get from getting your area rug professionally cleaned.

6 Common Myths About Carpet Cleaning

By James Lincoln • November 8, 2022
Carpet cleaning is often seen as a necessary evil – something that needs to be done, but isn't particularly enjoyable. There are plenty of myths and misconceptions out there about carpet cleaning, which can make the process seem even less appealing. In this blog post, we'll dispel some of the most common myths about carpet cleaning, so that you can approach the task with a bit more confidence. Read on to learn the truth about carpet cleaning!

The Importance Of Routine Upholstery Cleaning

By James Lincoln • October 15, 2022
Your furniture, whether it is made of fabric or leather, is one of the biggest investments you will ever make for your home. Spending a tidy sum on a couch makes perfect sense because, in many respects, it serves as the center of your house. You may remove daily grime and pet hair from your furniture by vacuuming it or brushing it down, but for a comprehensive deep cleaning and stain removal, you should occasionally get your upholstery cleaned by a professional upholstery cleaning business. This cleaning will have positive effects that are worth the expense. Professional upholstery cleaning uses environmentally friendly products and takes all necessary safety procedures. Like your carpets, your furniture is probably going to see a lot of use and abuse. Your perfectly clean furniture can appear more scruffy than classy due to filthy hands and feet, food crumbs, pet hair, pet pee, beverage spills, and dust from the air, among a plethora of other impurities. If the cleanliness of your furniture has declined, you should strongly consider hiring a professional upholstery cleaner. Your furniture will receive the kind of attention it deserves by doing so. Here are just a few benefits that hiring a professional cleaner can provide you with:

Why Professional Carpet Cleaning Is Essential

By James Lincoln • September 13, 2022
After a long day at work, there are moments when nothing is better than the comfort of lying on a carpeted floor. Unless perhaps it's not the cleanest carpet. Sadly, it's not always true - a frequent fallacy held by many households - that vacuuming alone will remove particles and dirt from the carpet. The carpet in a home receives the most direct usage of any item, which leads to dirt buildup and general deterioration. In order to retain the carpet's fresh appearance and lengthen its lifespan, it must be kept clean and well-maintained. Your carpet appears to get darker and filthier every week despite your daily vacuuming. Perhaps you have previously leased a carpet cleaner, but it didn't provide the amount of cleaning you desire. It's time to think about hiring a competent carpet cleaning company. Without thorough professional carpet cleaning, toxins and impurities can get embedded in the carpet, germs can multiply and attract allergens, putting your and your family's health at risk. Regular professional carpet cleaning could be required for the benefit of your family's health, and that of your visitors, and to make sure that your home is a suitable place to live in - especially if it shelters young children, animals, or elder people.

Cleaning Grout: Everything You Need to Know

By James Lincoln • August 17, 2022
Grout, the adhesive that keeps tiles together, is a mixture of cement, sand, and water. It can also contain pigment to give it a complementary color to the tiles. Grout becomes stained very easily, and scrubbing it too vigorously to clean it can end up wearing it out. How to clean grout is a major puzzle to a lot of people. Indeed, grout cleaning is a delicate process that is best left to experts. Even after hours of scrubbing, the tiny lines between the tiles might not be completely clean or they might even become ruined. The appearance of your bathroom, tub, shower enclosure, and even kitchen sink overflow can be negatively impacted by dirty grout. There are many methods you can use if you wish to attempt grout cleaning on your own. Hiring a professional cleaner is the absolute finest method for cleaning grout. They have specialized equipment and cleaners for grout that will make it as attractive as possible without harming it. The cost of grout cleaning services is less than you might imagine, and they will spare your hands from a day of pain.

Make Your Carpets Looking Fantastic for Longer

By James Lincoln • July 29, 2022
There are a number of reasons why soiled, aged carpets could be dangerous to your health. No one wants their carpets to appear dirty, tattered, or neglected. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that most professionals advise scheduling professional carpet cleaning once a year. If you own carpets, you are aware of the value of hiring experts to remove stains and accumulated filth and crud. Whatever the expense, there is nothing like having carpets that feel soft under your feet and look brand new again. It can be very difficult to keep your carpets clean, especially if you have children or pets. In fact, you've probably had a considerable bit of spilled coffee and other beverages, possibly some food spills, and undoubtedly some dirt from regular heavy foot traffic. The cumulative effect of all these minor mishaps might shorten the lifespan of your carpet. Because it is an investment, any upkeep must be accounted for. It's crucial to keep your carpets cleaned up until your next scheduled cleaning after having your carpets professionally cleaned. Your family's health and the quality of the air you breathe in your home are both dependent on keeping your carpets clean, and they will also increase their lifespan.

All About Upholstery

By James Lincoln • July 13, 2022
What exactly is upholstery? Simply described, upholstery is the process of putting padding, cushioning, and fabric or leather textile coverings on a furniture frame. While the inside components of the chair may not be apparent, they have a substantial impact on its comfort and efficiency. The material greatly influences the chair's aesthetic character. Many different types of materials have been utilized over time. For increased longevity, modern upholstered furniture uses metal springs and foam. At the conclusion of a long day, these plush covers frequently offer padding for sitting or lying for greater comfort, preventing us from stretching out and relaxing on an exposed wood sofa. Both secondhand furniture and newly constructed, just for the customer, furniture may require upholstery. Reupholstery is the term for the latter type of trade, which can be used to repair broken furniture, improve the comfort of existing furniture, or redesign them. Let's examine some upholstery-related subjects that may be useful.