Braided rugs, oriental rugs and even cheap area rugs all need attention and care to ensure that their beauty is maintained for many years. This article will give you a few hints on how you can care for your custom floor mat and how to preserve its beauty and longevity. If you have rugs that have been on the floor for many years and are very old or in need of repair you may want to consider replacing them completely. A vacuum cleaner does wonders and can be used to effectively clean your favorite mat. It's important to use a sweeper brush attachment and vacuum or sweep in the direction of the pile. Oriental rugs sometimes come with elaborate fringes that are intricately woven into the edge of your rug, so remember to not pull these into the vacuum cleaner as you will slowly weaken them over time. The amount of traffic that your cheap area rugs experience will dictate how often it needs to be cleaned and generally, a rule of thumb is, every three to eight months. It's beneficial to flip the rug over and clean the underside with a sweeper or vacuum cleaner that utilizes beater bars. The beating action of the bars will cause the dirt and grit to fall out from the pile. After you've cleaned the backside turn it over and clean the front as you would normally.

When oriental rugs and braided rugs are new, they retain a certain amount of moisture. Over time, it's important to wash your rug carefully so it can regain some of the moisture and keep its' long lasting beauty intact. There are also certain important guidelines that you should follow so you don't damage your rug when cleaning it. If you have an expensive oriental rug, you may want to consider entrusting it to a professional oriental rug cleaner. Don't let the cleaning price deter you as it can easily be offset against the residual value that your rug will maintain. When you've given it that proper maintenance, it will do wonders in retaining the beauty of your rug.

If you've decided against a professional cleaning, here are a few tips to keep in mind to ensure that you've treated your rug with the respect it deserves. The first thing to keep in mind is that oriental rugs can be washed too many times, so keep it to once a year. Always ensure your rug is dried properly after cleaning as leaving it damp could significantly ruin it. Make sure that when you undertake the job of cleaning braided rugs or oriental rugs that you complete the job. After you've thoroughly washed it, it needs to be thoroughly rinsed, sometimes more than once, and left in direct sunlight to dry. Use a good wool shampoo along with some detergent and a cup of vinegar in the bathtub. Scrub it using a soft brush and a rhythmic motion to clear the pile of grit and dirt. After you've completed the washing process, thoroughly rinse with liberal amounts of water, several times until all of the soap is removed. Put the rug out to dry on a level surface in the sun. Thoroughly examine the rug after several hours to ensure that no dampness remains. If you find any damp spots remaining, use a small blow dryer to finish the drying process. If your rugs are old and haven't been cleaned for a long time, the dirt may be ground into the pile deeply. Because some oriental rugs have a thick weave, you may consider washing your prize rug more than once to make sure that all of the dirt is removed.