Should I have my Rug Cleaned in my home or taken off site?

February 2, 2022 | UpFront Home Services | Area Rug Cleaning

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The distinct difference between in home cleaning and off site cleaning is that the in home clean is primarily a topical clean intended for rugs that aren’t damaged with pet urine and aren’t heavily soiled. The off site cleaning however is the deepest cleaning that an area rug can go through and does an excellent job at removing pet odors and soiling.

In Home Area Rug Cleaning

In home cleaning is very similar to cleaning your homes carpet, a pre-treatment specific for rugs is applied and then the rug is steam cleaned in place. The backside of the rug is not cleaned, only the face of the rug is cleaned. It is considered a topical cleaning and is meant for rugs that are polyester, nylon, and other synthetic fibers. Wool rugs can be cleaned in home as well, however we recommend our Off Site Cleaning service for Natural Fibers and Viscose Fibers. Some Shaggy rugs are also good candidates for cleaning off site.

Off Site Area Rug Cleaning

For all of our off site rug cleanings, we utilize a large drying rack, air movers, and do post cleaning spotting. A rug is often cleaned multiple times and retouched before it ever leaves our facility. While we cant guarantee stain removal or the total removal of urine from a rug, this process does the absolute most to get as much out of your rug as possible. Some rugs may make more sense to toss rather than keep when it comes to utilizing our off site service. We do our best to offer an array of options for rugs to keep the cost as affordable as possible.

We recommend off site cleaning for any rugs with urine whether it’s a synthetic fiber or natural fiber. This method is especially recommended for natural fiber rugs and shag rugs. Shag rugs tend to hide soiling and are incredibly difficult to dry in home. If you have concerns with a rug properly drying, utilizing our off site service is the way to go.

We have 3 different options available for Off Site Cleaning.

Front and Back Cleaning (Your rug is vacuumed, dusted, and steam cleaned on the front and back side)

This treatment method is great for rugs can not otherwise be cleaned in home. Example it isn’t advisable to clean a rug on a wood floor because moisture from the backing of the rug could cause the wood to swell. In those case we recommend taking the rug off site for cleaning and doing a front and back clean of the rug. This is a good idea for rugs that aren’t urine damaged and aren’t necessarily high value or heavily soiled. It can be used on High Value rugs as well but we recommend our Deep Cleaning for these particular rugs.

Deep Cleaning (Your rug is vacuumed, dusted, shampoo scrubbed front and back side, and steam cleaned on the front and back side)

Deep cleaning is great for rugs that are very dirty. The extra agitation helps remove soiling and really give the fibers a thorough clean. We recommend this treatment for rugs that are high value as this is as deep as it comes outside of completing our submersion process. This is also awesome for shaggy rugs as it scrubs deeper into the fibers.

Submersion (Your rug is vacuumed, dusted, and submerged in a rug bath to remove urine salts and other contaminates)

When a rug is contaminated with urine the best way to remove the urine is through total submersion of the rug. Over 4000 gallons of water is circulated through the rug to provide the most thorough cleaning imaginable.

Cleaning Area Rugs On A Budget

In some cases cleaning your area rugs can often reach and exceed the cost of the rug. You will have to determine whether it is worth it for you to replace the rug or keep the rug that already goes with your furniture. We try to keep our cleanings as budget friendly as possible, however rugs with urine simply require more time and energy into getting them back to a clean state.