As you may know, an area rug or carpet must be maintained properly all the time to keep it clean. You cannot allow dirt and dust to accumulate on it. But vacuuming is not always enough for cleaning an area rug. When the area rugs have stubborn stains on it, you need to clean them properly. This article will show you how to clean an area rug on hardwood floor.

How To Clean An Area Rug On Hardwood Floor

When it comes to cleaning the area rug on the hardwood floor, it is better to avoid washing the entire rug. You have to only remove the stains and get rid of the deep-rooted dust mites, dust, smell and stains. Read on to know more about how to do it.

Getting Rid of Dust

You have to vacuum the rug thoroughly to get rid of the dust. Make sure to vacuum on both sides of the rug. Repeat the process at least twice. This is the best and most effective way to remove as much dust as possible. In case if the vacuuming is not that effective, you can lightly beat the rug with the help of the broom and similar tools. The rug will be ready then and there will be no dust clouds coming out of the floor. 

Get Rid of the Smell

Why clean carpeting in the first place? It might be because your area rug has some sort of odor. To get rid of the smell of the area rug, you have to pour a bit of sodium bicarbonate over the rug and then leave it overnight. In the morning, you have to simply vacuum the area rug properly. This way you will protect the carpet from the smell without harming the hardwood floor.

Protecting Hardwood Floors

You have to be very careful when it comes to the hardwood floor as you cannot play with a lot of water. But you need to remove the stains from the area rugs. Here are some of the ways that you can follow to protect the hardwood flooring: 

• If you want to remove the stains only, you have to put a rag below that stained area for protecting the floor. Now, you must not use too much water.
• If you want to clean the rug and freshen it up, roll up your carpet and put a waterproof barrier underneath. It is better to use a thick sheet of plastic which is not easy to damage or tear. You can also look into the carpet cleaning process if you want a deeper cleaning. 

Cleaning the Rug

First, you have to test the cleaning product on a smaller corner patch of the rug to see whether not the chemicals will damage your rug. Use sodium bicarbonate to get rid of the stains as well as the bad odor from the carpet. You can also try steam cleaning for removing the stains on the area rugs. It can also effectively eliminate germs and odors. From there on out, you can also make your own homemade dry carpet shampoo to keep your area rug fresh. 

Conclusion

Don’t know how to clean an area rug on hardwood floor? Now you know a couple methods to use — especially to keep your carpet looking new. You need to be very careful about the floor and make sure that the floor is unharmed. For this, use minimal water for cleaning the carpet.