How To Clean A Shag Rug? : Our Ultimate Guide

So, you have newly furnished your bedroom with a fluffy and comfy shag rug, and made it cozier and appealing!

That’s amazing! You are now having a luxurious vibe in your home as well as a touch of elegance and affluence.

Hold on. Take a break, and just pay attention to the thick and lengthy tendrils on the shag rug. Do you think this shaggy rug will let you have your peace by not gathering any dirt and debris into them?

No. Absolutely not. From the very moment you buy a shag rug, you have to keep it cleaned on a daily basis, otherwise, it can make your room more messed up than you’ve ever thought.

Ok, don’t get that much worried. I have just warned you about the maintenance work you should do to keep your elegant and luxurious rug healthy and decorative for years after years.

Now, let me introduce you with some tricks and tips about how to clean a shag rug. Here, I am gonna show all those things you should maintain and know about to have your fluffy rug cleaned and enchanting for years to come.

You Should be Aware of The Upsides and Hurdles

Let’s assume, you are about to buy a shag rug for yourself. First and foremost, you have to decide, if you’re fit for having a shag rug or not. The pack of positives and negatives about shag rugs I am gonna describe below will help you make that decision.

Upsides:

Decorative Appeal: From some aspects, the shag rug is a sign of luxury. It will add an aesthetic look to your interior. Besides, the bright-colored shaggy rug makes this appearance more appealing.
Comforting Structure: You can find a shag rug extremely comfortable. If you keep it clean daily, you can relax on it feeling its comfy pile.

Complications:

Susceptibility to Stains: It’s a big concern, if there’s any liquid spillage on the shag rug, it will immediately go down deeper and your rug gets messed up. So, having children or pets in your home can be a nightmare for you, if they crawl on the rug’s surface and eat food on it frequently.
Unraveling and Shedding: After a long time of usage, you may face shedding of the shag rug. Also, the knits may unravel over time. Besides, your pet animals can bite the fibers of the rug and scatter the threads around the floor. It may pose a health threat to your little children.
High Price and Maintenance cost: Shag rugs are costlier than other types of rugs because of their manufacturing costs. Also, if you want your shag rugs cleaned by the professional, it will cost you a lot of money.
Hazard for an Allergic Person: Those who have allergies, should not bring these shag rugs in the home. They accumulate a lot of dirt and debris, making the allergic person suffer badly.

Now you have the idea about upsides and downsides of a shag rug. You should consider them carefully and decide whether or not a shag rug is suitable for you.

Various Types Of Shag Rugs

Well, I suppose, after learning about so many cons about shag rugs, you are still now determined about buying a shag rug. Then, you should know that there are various types of shag rugs out there in the market. Let’s have a look at them:

Flokati:

This type of shag rug is one of the fluffiest shag rugs. You may treat them like a sheepdog, as they look like their fur. They are specifically made in Greece and 100% wool is used. Though they are mainly of white or cream color, they are dyed and various colors are available in market

Wool:

Wool is vastly used in making shag rugs. Because they undoubtedly add a luxurious look to them. They are constructed as two types: noodle and shaggy. In the noodle structure, wool fibers are twisted to make a noodle shape. On the other hand, in shaggy woolen rugs, the fibers are comparatively thinner and they stay closer together, making it easier to clean the rug.

Leather:

Leather construction makes the shag rug more impressive. This type of rug has a delicate structure, that makes it vulnerable to children, pets, food, liquids, or high traffic area. So, if you are having a leather rug, make sure you are aware of these factors. However, they are comparatively easier to clean.

Acrylic:

This kind of rug has a cheaper look and they are vulnerable to fire. Thus, they are not usually recommended by interior designers. However, they are easy to clean and you can wash them regularly.

Synthetic:

This type of rag also has a cheap appearance like acrylic wool shag rugs. Also, they are easy to clean. But, their lifespan is not so great as pure wool rugs.

So, according to your requirements and budget, you can choose any of them. Additionally, cleaning and maintenance requirements are different for these various types of shag rugs.

Shag Rug Cleaning Materials And Tools

These tools listed below are necessary for the overall cleaning methods. You may buy or rent them from the local stores or buy from online stores.

Beater brush
Vacuum
White Vinegar
Rug shampoo
Carpet detergent
Steam-cleaning machine
Fan, blower or heater
Damp rag
Microfiber cloth
Cleaning brush with strong bristles

How To Clean A Shag Rug?

At this point, you are gonna acquire adequate information about how to clean a shag rug. Firstly, you should be aware of the material used in your shag rug. Because different materials require different washing procedures.

However, whatever the materials are, shag rugs need special attention when it comes to cleaning them. They will give you a lifetime company if you take decent care of them. Now, let’s find out some methods of cleaning shag rugs:

Method 1: Releasing Dirt

If you have a smaller rug, take them outside and shake forcibly. This will loosen the dirt and dust present in the rug.
Take a rug beater or a handle of a mop and beat the rug vigorously. Before that, hang the rug over a fence or clothesline. Beat both sides and after beating shake the rug properly to remove the dirt and debris.
Place the rug where there is enough sunlight. The UV light from the sun will assist to kill bacteria and mites. But, keep in mind, don’t leave them under sunlight for so long. It can damage the color of the rug.

Method 2: Vacuuming

Vacuuming a shag rug weekly is fair enough. But, if your children or pets usually lay and play on the rug for so long, you should vacuum it daily.
The beater brush of a vacuum cleaner can distort the fibers. Also, the whirling action may pull or tear out the strands. So, don’t use it when cleaning.
You should suction out the dirt with a high suction power setting on the vacuum. The dirt and debris from deep down will come out.
Turn your rug over and start vacuuming the backside. In this case, you may use the beater bar. Vacuum with a higher suction and that will take out the dirt from the fiber.
Shake out the rug outside to release the dirt and debris.

Method 3: Dry Bathing

Vacuuming the rag sometimes doesn’t help enough to remove all the dirt. Dry shampoo can help to renew a shag rug after a proper vacuuming.
A powder formed dry shampoo can be sprinkled on the carpet. And after that, leave the rug for an hour. Later, vacuum the shag rug and ensure all the shampoo is removed.
If any amount of shampoo is left on the rug, dirt can adhere and create a mess.
However, read the instructions properly before applying shampoo cleaning.

Method 4: Steam cleaning

First, check for any instruction, if the rug is suitable for steam cleaning. Also, check if you should use hot water or cold water.
Before steam cleaning, vacuum the rug properly.
Simply add carpet detergent and water into the steam cleaner machine and run the cleaner over rug until the discoloration or rigid stains fade out.
Shaggy rag absorbs lots of water and it may stay wet for a longer period of time.
Allow it dry in the air or under the sun. Otherwise, you may use a blower fan or heater to let it dry for about two hours.

Method 5: Cleaning Random Spots and Stains

Spillage of any juice or curry on your shag rug can cause you a heart attack. Because the aesthetic look immediately gets ruined and turns into a horrible appearance.
As soon as the unwanted liquid spillage occurs, you should take a neutral color microfiber cloth immediately and soak the liquid spill. You may also use white vinegar to remove the satin.
Don’t let the spill go deep inside the rug. This will make you suffer when cleaning in the future.
Don’t ever rub the cloth on the rug, the stain can spread over. Just blot the spill with the cloth. You may use a brush with stiff bristles on that particular stained area.
After removing the stain, let the shag rug dry in open air properly. Use an air blower or heater for this purpose.

Method 6: Cleaning by Professionals

If you are not confident enough about cleaning your shag rug deeply, you may reach to cleaning professionals.
Furthermore, you have to consider the fact that, professional cleaners will take a great deal of money from you for cleaning the shag rug.
You should be aware of the fact that, even cleaning professionals might fail to clean the rug completely.

Any of these methods explained above you may try at home. But, my advice is, before applying any kind of cleaning method on the whole rug, run a test on a smaller portion.

My Final Words

Shag rugs will definitely contribute to improving your home decoration to an outstanding level. Their amazing texture and comfy vibe will add elegance to your living space.

The cleaning method of these shag rugs may involve some tedious approaches, but it is not a bad idea to buy this gorgeously looking rugs for your home. Proper cleaning and daily maintenance of shag rugs will be beneficial for its durability.

I hope, after reading the above guidance about how to clean a shag rug, and following them precisely, you won’t have to worry about your shag rug’s longevity.