Can I Wash Floor Rugs In Washing Machine?

Can I Wash Floor Rugs In Washing Machine? Floor rugs add an aesthetic appeal to your home. They can uplift the entire look of your home. However, maintaining them is equally important. Most people think that floor rugs can be washed in the machine. But can they? Today, we will answer this question in great detail. Read on!

Can I Wash Floor Rugs In Washing Machine?

No, most floor rugs get spoilt if washed in the machine. Even if polypropylene is the primary construction material, it might have jute backing. It is especially true for indoor rugs. In case they have a jute backing, they aren’t machine washable.

The story, however, is different for outdoor rugs made from olefin. That is why; they can handle the machine washing cycle. However, even when dealing with olefin rugs, taking a few precautions before putting them into the machine is essential.

Precautions to undertake:

Once you take a few precautions while washing the floor rug in the machine, you can minimize the damage and maximize the cleaning efficiency.

1. Shake off the dirt:

If the floor rug is full of excessive dust and contaminants, those can clog up your machine. So, you will clean your floor rug, but the machine’s efficiency might suffer.

There is a simple solution. Before you put the floor rug into the machine, shake off the excessive dust on the carpet and contaminants. Rub the carpet against a hard surface or shake it rigorously. That will undoubtedly dust off the excess dirt and impurities and minimize the chances of clogging up your machine.

2. Pre-treat the rug:

Does your floor rug have stubborn stains?

If so, pretreat the stubborn stains. Use a regular detergent and a toothbrush to apply the detergent or to the rug and rub it gently. Let it sit for fifteen minutes before putting it into the machine. It ensures you can eliminate even the most stubborn stains without running the engine for multiple washing cycles.

3. Load it appropriately:

Simply stuffing the washing machine with the floor rug will reduce the cleaning efficiency of the device. Load it up appropriately, and you can clean the carpet quickly.

• Loading into the front-loading washing machine: You can wash only two small floor rugs for the front-loading washing machine. Add a couple of towels to it to balance the entire load. Anything more than that and the cleaning efficiency will reduce.

• Loading in the top-loading washing machine: For the top-loading washing machine, add only the towel along with the rug to ensure that it moves around evenly.

Follow these rules and principles, and you can easily wash the rug in the machine.

4. Use gentle setting:

The machine cycle you use for washing the floor rug also matters a lot. Apart from that, use cold water along with mild detergent. Always use the delicate wash cycle.

If you plan to use the bleaplease, make sure it is oxygen-based and compatible with rubber-backed rugs.

5. Air-dry the rug:

There is another problem with machine washing the rug. If you use the drying cycle of the washing machine, it can lead to fading and shrinking. It means that the life of your carpet will reduce.

A better approach is to air-dry the rug. Simply put it on the clothesline or the drying rack and let it dry naturally. Apart from that, ensure that there is no direct exposure to sunlight. If there is direct exposure to sunlight, it can lead to discoloration or wrinkles. If you still notice wrinkles, iron on the low heat setting, and you can eliminate the wrinkles.

Even with olefin rugs, follow all these precautions to wash carpets in the machine. However, what if you don’t have an olefin rug? In that case, you have two options.

What to do if your rug isn’t machine washable?

1. Hire the professionals:

The best way to clean any rug is to hire carpet cleaning professionals. We strongly suggest that even if you have an olefin rug, hire professionals to clean it. There are quite a few reasons for the same.

• Firstly, you can save a lot of time when you hire professionals to clean your rug.
• Professional cleaners have different methods according to the type of rug; therefore, they can clean all kinds of rugs efficiently.
• While outsourcing to professional rug cleaners, you won’t have to worry about wrinkles or discoloration. They handle numerous rugs daily and know the most suitable method to clean the carpet.
• Professional cleaning time and again can increase your rug’s life span, resulting in cost savings in the long run.
• Most professional rug cleaners provide pick-and-drop service. That is why; you won’t have to modify your schedule.
• If you regularly want to clean your floor rugs, you need to opt for a monthly or quarterly plan, and they will take care of the rest.

Due to these advantages, it makes sense to let professional cleaners handle the floor rugs rather than doing so yourself.

2. Makeshift solution:

There is another makeshift solution. Through this solution, you might not be able to get high cleaning efficiency, but you can partially remove the dust, grime, and stains.

Use a garden hose to wash off your floor rug. The problem is that if you have a delicate carpet, the threads might suffer damage due to the high-pressure water from the garden hose.

Note: This is only a makeshift solution, and you cannot use a garden hose to clean the floor rugs in the longer run.

Can I Wash Floor Rugs In Washing Machine? – Conclusion

So, only olefin rugs can be washed in the machine. For the rest, it is best to hire professionals. Since the professionals will be able to handle the entire process for you, you can also save a lot of time. If you’re searching for ways to clean your floor rug, it is best to go through our guide above, and you will be able to find a suitable solution.