Polypropylene rugs are designed to make cleaning and maintenance easier. Rugs made of polypropylene have been on the market for more than 50 years. They’ve shown to be a good choice for sites with a lot of foot traffic throughout the years. Polypropylene or PP is a versatile synthetic material with a variety of industrial and commercial applications. One of them is the creation of rugs that beautify the interior of buildings while also safeguarding the wooden floors.
Another major appeal of polypropylene rugs is the fact that the material is incredibly low maintenance. While polypropylene rugs don’t need a lot of upkeep, when the material does need to be cleaned, the approach is fairly simple.
Vacuum Regularly
The first step in maintaining a great-looking rug is to vacuum it regularly. It’s a dreadful duty for some, or regular habit for others… In any case, it’s an important step in keeping patterned rugs looking fresh. Prevention is also crucial, and preventing your rug from becoming soiled in the first place is crucial. To avoid introducing extra ick to your carpet fibers, store your shoes by the front entrance and wipe your pet’s paws after they come in from outdoors.
Is it possible to steam-clean polypropylene rugs?
Certainly yes. You may steam clean a polypropylene area rug in the same way that you would any other rug material. Because the melting point of polypropylene is around 160°C and the temperature of steam is only around 100°C, steam-cleaning your rug is entirely safe and acceptable. Steam cleaning proves to be an effective way to get rid of all the dirt thoroughly. This way, you end up cleaning your rug deeply and without affecting the wood flooring. The stains of food and oil are softened up and dissolve more easily in hot steam than cold water.
Spot Cleaning Stains
Got a few spots on your rug? Don’t wait until it’s too late! Whenever you get a questionable substance spilled on your area rug, be sure to blot it immediately with a wet cloth to dilute the stain. Then use a wet washcloth or sponge with a little bit of liquid soap (like dish soap), and scrub until the stain releases. Be sure to do final sponging with only clean water to be certain all of the soap is rinsed out of your rug, or it may attract dirt to the area again.
If the stain is stubborn, add a teaspoon of dish soap to your cloth for a bit more cleaning strength. This is especially effective for grease stains, which polypropylene rugs are known to absorb quickly. If dish soap is not tough enough for these types of stains, having a dry-cleaning solvent on hand can be helpful. Once you feel like you’ve tackled the majority of the stain, vacuum up the area to remove any residue.
Disclaimer: To make sure your dish soap or dry-cleaning liquid won’t discolor the polypropylene, you can test it in an out-of-the-way corner of the rug. You’ll also want to ensure that the water you use to blot the stain is cold. This will help to avoid any potential for heat damage.
All Over Clean
Want to give your rug a thorough washing? The beautiful thing about polypropylene rugs is that when it’s time to give them an all-over clean, all you need is a hose, a brush, and some dish soap.
Steps in Cleaning Polypropylene Rugs
- Take it Outside: The first thing to do in cleaning your rug is to take it outside and place it on flat bricks or a flat concrete surface. Placing the polypropylene rug on stairs or sloppy surfaces can make your task much more difficult.
- Vacuum-Clean it: Regularly vacuum cleaning your rug is very advisable just as we have mentioned earlier. However, when you intend to take your rug through a thorough washing process, you would still need to vacuum clean it to remove every dust and loose dirt particle hiding within the rug pile Vacuum cleaning your rug is a task that can be done in a few minutes, depending on the size of your rug.
- Pressure-Spray the rug with clean water: The next thing is to spray water on the rug to wet the fiber and loosen up clogged dirt particles. Use a pressure sprayer machine if you want to make your work easier as the machine pressure can help displace particles faster and easier.
- Wash Up With Rug Brush And Shampoo: Mix some liquid detergent or rug shampoo with a sizeable amount of water in a bucket. Ensure that the solution has enough foam to help remove stains more effectively, then take your carpet cleaning brush and dip it in the soap mixture. Remove the brush and scrub the carpet gently but thoroughly from one end to another until it is free of all stains and dirt.
- Rinse Up: Once you are sure that your rug is thoroughly cleaned, pressure-spray it with clean water to rinse off the soap and any other remaining dirt. Do this about two or three times to ensure that no soap or dirt is left unwashed.
- Drying: Spread your polypropylene rug on a raised flat surface or a tall fence and leave it under the sun to dry for a day. You can also take the faster route of using a drying machine if you have access to one.
Hire a Professional
If you live in an apartment and have no yard access or way to wash your rug yourself, you can always take your rug to a professional cleaner. Many dry cleaners will take your rug and wash it for you, giving you one less chore and a fresh rug once again. Call your local cleaners and ask for an estimate to give your rug a fresh new feel again.
Source: plushrugs.com, overstock.com, luxeweavers.com, rugknots.com, rugs2go.com