Made to last generations, with a little care
A good rug is one of the few things in a home that improves with age. Here is everything we tell our own family about keeping one beautiful for decades, in plain English.
Give it a good start
Let it settle. A new rug may have creases or a slight curl from being rolled. Lay it flat, and within a week or two it relaxes into place. Gently reverse-rolling a stubborn corner helps.
Use an underlay. A quality anti-slip underlay stops the rug sliding, cushions every step, protects the pile from grinding against a hard floor, and makes the whole thing feel more luxurious underfoot. We include the right one with every rug.
Mind the light. Strong, direct sun will slowly fade any natural fibre. Near a big window, rotate the rug now and then so it ages evenly.
The five-minute habits
Almost all of keeping a rug beautiful comes down to a few small, regular things.
- Vacuum gently, with the pile. Once a week is plenty. Skip the rotating beater bar on high, and never vacuum the fringes, run over them by hand or with the hose.
- Rotate twice a year. A half-turn every six months evens out sun and footfall, so the rug wears as one piece.
- Lift furniture, don't drag. Heavy legs can leave dents. Shift pieces occasionally and fluff the pile back up with your fingers or a spoon edge.
- Shake or air it. Smaller rugs love a good shake outside now and then. It lifts grit that grinds away at the base of the pile.
Act fast, stay gentle
Nine spills out of ten come out completely if you get to them quickly and resist the urge to scrub.
Blot, never rub
Press a clean, dry white cloth straight down to lift the liquid. Rubbing pushes it deeper and frays the pile. Work from the outside of the spill inwards so it doesn't spread.
Rinse with cool water
Dab with a cloth dampened in cool water. For most food and drink, that alone does it. Keep blotting with a dry cloth in between.
Only mild soap, if needed
Still there? A drop of mild wool-safe soap in cool water, blotted on and then rinsed out. Never use bleach, stain removers, or hot water, they set colour and damage fibre.
Dry it flat
Blot out as much moisture as you can, then let it air-dry flat with good airflow. Lift it off a damp floor. If a stain won't shift, stop and call us before it sets.
Do this, not that
Do
- Use an underlay under every rug
- Vacuum gently, with the pile
- Blot spills straight away with a dry cloth
- Rotate the rug twice a year
- Have it professionally cleaned every few years
Avoid
- Scrubbing a stain or using bleach
- Hot water and harsh chemical cleaners
- Machine washing or steam cleaning at home
- Long spells in harsh direct sunlight
- Dragging heavy furniture across the pile
Deep cleaning & storage
Professional cleaning. Every three to five years, a proper hand-wash by a rug specialist brings the colours back to life and clears out the deep grit a vacuum can't reach. Ask us for someone we trust.
Storing a rug. Roll it, never fold, so it doesn't crease. Wrap it in breathable cloth rather than plastic, and keep it somewhere dry. A cedar block or a few cloves nearby keeps moths away.
If it gets wet. Dry it flat and fully, as soon as you can. A rug left damp is the one real way to ruin it.
Care questions, answered
About once a week for a rug in a living area, gently and in the direction of the pile. High-traffic hallways can take a little more. Avoid a hard rotating beater bar, and keep the vacuum off the fringes.
Very. A denser weave (1200 reeds and up) shrugs off day-to-day traffic, and spills blot out easily when you catch them early. If you have young kids or pets, tell us and we'll steer you to a grade and colour that hides life well.
Yes, and we include one. It stops slipping, protects the base of the pile from grinding on a hard floor, adds cushioning, and helps the rug lie flat. It genuinely lengthens the life of the rug.
Please don't. Home steam cleaners and washing machines force in heat and moisture that can shift colour and damage the fibres. For a deep clean, use a professional rug hand-wash every few years, we're happy to recommend one.
Stop before you set it. Blot up what you can, leave it, and call us on 0469 705 537 or send a photo on Instagram. We'll tell you the safe next step, or point you to a specialist.
Not sure? Just ask us
Every rug that leaves our showroom comes with the advice to keep it beautiful. Any question at all, a spill, a curl, a clean, we're a phone call away.