How to clean jute, sisal, silk, viscose, shag and outdoor rugs
Most of these rugs need little or no water: jute, sisal and viscose stain, yellow or shrink when soaked, silk is cleaned dry except for blotting, a shag rug is vacuumed with suction only and an outdoor rug is the one you can hose. Each section below gives the steps for one fiber. WATERFALL's rug cleaning works in your home and cleans jute, sisal, silk, shag and outdoor rugs; it does not clean viscose or cowhide. The prices page lists the price. WATERFALL cleans area rugs at your home for $89: call (747) 214-6199.
How do I vacuum a shag rug without damaging it?
With suction only and the beater bar off, at the highest height setting, or with the hose and a wide floor tool.
- check the label first, above all for wool, viscose or a handmade shag
- turn the brush roll off: long strands wrap round it, pull out and fuzz
- test a hidden corner and stop if strands come out or wrap round the tool
- go slowly in the direction of the pile, without pressing the head into it
- keep the head off the fringe; vacuum the fringe with the hose, from the rug toward the ends
- now and then turn the rug over, vacuum the back and the floor under it, and shake small ones outside
How do you clean natural fiber rugs without ruining them?
Vacuum them often and keep water away. Natural plant fibers such as jute, sisal, seagrass and coir soak water up, then stain, darken or shrink as they dry, so a wet cleaning is the exception and not the routine.
How do you clean a jute rug?
Vacuum it without a beater bar, blot a spill at once and dab the mark with a barely damp white cloth. Jute is soft and absorbent, and water leaves a ring that can stay, so it is never scrubbed or soaked. A dry compound or a professional low-moisture method is the safer route for a bigger mark.
Can I wash a jute rug with water after a spill?
No: do not wash, soak or steam it, because jute browns, shrinks and can rot when it stays wet. Treat the spill almost dry instead.
- scoop up solids and blot the spill at once with a white cloth, pressing, not rubbing
- keep blotting until nothing more comes up
- if a mark stays, dab it with a cloth barely damp with water and a drop of mild soap, then blot it with a dry one
- dry it straight away with a fan or a hair dryer on cool
- never pour water on it; an oily stain or a large spill is a job for a cleaner; WATERFALL cleans jute rugs in your home, so text (747) 214-6199
How do you clean a sisal rug?
Vacuum it regularly, blot spills right away and spot clean with a barely damp cloth. Sisal is stiff and strong but it is a plant fiber: water can leave a stain that outlasts the spill, so dry methods are preferred.
Can you steam clean a sisal rug?
Not with a rented machine. Steam and hot-water extraction put a lot of moisture into the fiber, and sisal can stain, shrink or loosen its backing as it dries. If a sisal rug needs more than a vacuum and a spot clean, WATERFALL cleans sisal rugs in your home: text (747) 214-6199.
How often should you clean a sisal rug?
Vacuum it every week or two, and have it professionally cleaned when it looks dull or dirty; tell the cleaner it is sisal, because it takes little water. Dirt gets into the weave and wears the fiber, so regular vacuuming does more for a sisal rug than an occasional wash.
What is the right way to clean a silk rug at home?
Keep it dry and leave the deep clean to a rug specialist. At home, vacuum it gently with suction only or brush it with a soft brush, blot a fresh spill at once with white towels, pressing and not rubbing, and if a mark stays, dab it with a cloth barely damp with cool water and dry it with towels and moving air, no heat. Do not use a steam cleaner, carpet shampooer, bleach, laundry detergent, vinegar or baking soda on it. Check the label first: bamboo silk and art silk are viscose, which reacts to water even more, and WATERFALL does not clean viscose rugs. A real silk rug we do clean, in your home; for a big spill or a pet accident, text (747) 214-6199 before anything else.
Can viscose rugs get wet?
They can, but they should not be soaked: viscose is a cellulose fiber that turns weak, stiff and yellow or brown when wet, and the pile flattens where water sat. After a spill, blot at once with a dry white towel and keep blotting until nothing comes up; do not rub, scrub or spray a cleaner straight onto it. Dry it with a fan or a hair dryer on cool, away from sun and heat, then brush the pile back up once it is fully dry. A large spill, a ring or a yellow mark needs a cleaner who works on viscose with very little water. WATERFALL does not clean viscose rugs.
How do you clean a viscose rug without ruining its sheen?
Blot a spill with a dry cloth, lift the pile with a soft brush and avoid water and any scrubbing. The sheen is a surface effect and rubbing flattens it, so you press and lift and do not wipe in circles.
How do you clean a shag rug?
Shake it out, then vacuum with suction and a brush roll off, or use the hose; a spinning beater bar tangles the long strands. Shag traps dirt deep in the pile, so a deeper clean means extraction followed by thorough drying. A rug with long fibers can be slow to dry, so plan for it.
How do you wash a shaggy rug, or one with long hair?
Check the label: some small shag rugs are machine washable and most large ones are not. If the label allows it, wash on a gentle cycle in cold water and dry flat or on low heat. If it does not, spot clean the marks and leave the rest to extraction.
How do I clean a cowhide rug without ruining it?
With as little moisture as possible. Shake it outside now and then, vacuum it on suction only with the beater bar off, going with the direction of the hair, and blot a spill at once with paper towels. Wipe what stays with a barely damp cloth and a little mild soap, after a test on a hidden spot, and let it dry flat, hair side up, away from heat and sun. Never soak it, steam it, machine wash it or use bleach. A cowhide rug is genuine leather, and we do not clean genuine leather; for a large stain, ask the maker or a leather specialist.
How do I clean an outdoor rug after a party on the patio?
Clear it, wash it with mild soap and a hose, and dry both sides before it goes back.
- pick up food and shake or sweep off crumbs
- blot drink and grease spills, do not rub them
- mix a little mild dish soap into a bucket of lukewarm water and test it on a corner
- hose the rug, scrub the dirty parts with a soft brush and rinse until the water runs clear
- drape it over a rail or chairs so air reaches both sides; a rug put back damp grows mildew
- clean the patio under it while it dries
- no bleach and no pressure washer unless the label allows them
- a natural-fiber or latex-backed rug is not an outdoor rug and is not hosed; wax, oil or red wine that stays after washing needs a professional
How often should I wash my bathroom rugs?
Wash a bathroom rug about every week or two, and follow the care label. A bath rug sits where feet are wet, so it stays damp and takes soap, skin and moisture; hang it to dry between uses.
Questions and answers
Can you wash a jute rug?
Not safely at home: water leaves rings on jute that can stay, so vacuum it and spot clean with a barely damp cloth. WATERFALL cleans jute rugs; text a photo of the label to (747) 214-6199 and we confirm how we clean it.
Are jute rugs easy to clean?
Day to day, yes with a vacuum. Wet cleaning is the problem, because jute is absorbent and stains from water.
Can silk rugs be cleaned?
Yes, carefully, with almost no water. WATERFALL cleans silk rugs; text a photo of the rug and its tag to (747) 214-6199 and we confirm how we clean it.
Can viscose rugs be cleaned with water?
Not safely: viscose yellows and stiffens when wet, and WATERFALL does not clean viscose rugs or viscose carpet. Blot spills dry with a white cloth and vacuum with suction only.
How do you clean a shag carpet?
Shake it out and vacuum with suction and the brush roll off. A deeper clean means extraction, because shag holds dirt deep.
How to clean a long hair rug?
Shake, then vacuum with suction only. The long strands tangle in a beater bar.
How to wash a shaggy rug?
Check the label: small shag rugs are sometimes machine washable and most large ones are not. Dry flat.
How do you care for silk and viscose rugs?
Keep them dry: vacuum gently with suction only, blot spills at once with a white cloth and never rub. Keep them out of long, strong sun. WATERFALL cleans silk rugs but not viscose; for silk, text a photo of the label to (747) 214-6199 and we confirm how we clean it.
How do you clean a sisal rug at home?
Vacuum regularly, blot spills right away and spot clean with a barely damp cloth. Never soak it, because sisal stains from water.
How to clean an outdoor rug?
Sweep, hose, scrub with mild soap and a soft brush, rinse and dry in the sun and air. Most outdoor rugs are made to take water.
Prices and booking
More guides
- Area rug care: all guides
- Wool, Persian, Oriental and antique rugs — Wool is cleanable but needs gentle products and little heat; a Persian or antique rug needs a look at the dyes and the fringe first.
- How to clean an area rug at home — A sturdy synthetic rug can be washed at home with mild soap, little water and fast drying; wool, silk and large rugs need a professional.
- How often to clean a rug — Vacuum weekly and deep clean about once a year for a busy rug; the right pad, rotation and quick blotting make a rug last longer.
- Can you steam clean a rug? How rugs are cleaned — Inspect, remove dry dirt, test the dyes, wash, rinse and dry; the methods are on-site extraction, immersion washing, steam and low-moisture cleaning.
Sources: The Carpet and Rug Institute (The carpet and rug industry's trade association, for how carpet is made, cared for and cleaned.)