How to Clean Rugs: Easy Methods to Cleaning Your Area Rugs, Runners, and Stair Treads

House Home & More carries a variety of beautiful indoor and outdoor rug products, and just like most functional home decor, everyday living can take a toll on their appearance. This is to be expected, and it's nothing a little elbow grease can't fix.

If your area rug or runner has been collecting dust for a while and the stains are piling up, it's time for more than a good vacuuming. It's not something that's fun to do, but the satisfaction of walking across your freshly cleaned carpet will more than pay off. 

So, what do you say? You ready to learn the simplest methods of cleaning your indoor and outdoor rugs? We promise we won't ask you to work too hard. This is the easy way, after all!

How to Clean Indoor Carpet Area Rugs and Runners

We know you're excited to sock it to those stains with a proper cleaning, but before you get carried away, please keep this in mind: don't put your indoor carpets in the washer OR dryer. All of that rolling around deteriorates the non-slip rubber backing, and the heat from the dryer actually melts the backing.

Many people think washing a rug in their washing machine is fine, as long as they don't put it in the dryer. It's okay, it's a common mistake.

The non-skid rubber backing on your indoor House Home & More items is strong and durable, but it's not indestructible. 

To avoid any further confusion, putting a rug or runner in the washing machine actually does just as much damage as putting one in the dryer. So take care of your rugs without damaging them, by using our recommended methods of cleaning.

1. Prepping Indoor Carpet Rugs and Runners

House Home & More rugs and runners are easily vacuumed to remove loose dirt and debris. Thanks to the non-slip rubber backing they will stay flat on the floor, without getting bunched up or stuck in your vacuum. You can also sweep your rug to remove surface dust.

Sidenote: if you like the look of this carpet runner, the pattern is called Laurel Lane.

If your carpet is still dusty after sweeping or vacuuming, you can also try beating it with a broom handle, or a tennis racket.

2. Washing Indoor Carpet Rugs and Runners

When it comes to tougher stains, you can spot clean your rugs and runners just like any other carpet in your home. We recommend using warm water and a mild soap or detergent for spot cleaning.

Our indoor products can also be cleaned with a carpet cleaner. Before using any carpet cleaning product, make sure to test the product on an unnoticeable area of your rug to make sure the product will not damage or fade the carpet.

3. Drying Indoor Carpet Rugs and Runners

After spot cleaning your indoor rugs and runners, it's best to let them air dry. You can speed up the drying process by hanging them outside or turning on fans in a well-ventilated room. If the weather is nice, you can open the windows and freshen up the house while drying your rug! 

How to Clean Indoor Carpet Stair Treads

Just as with the indoor rugs and runners, the non-slip rubber backing on most House Home & More carpet stair treads will become damaged if put into the washing machine or dryer. Because of this, we recommend following a similar cleaning method for your stair treads as the area rugs and runners

1. Prepping Indoor Carpet Stair Treads

House Home & More skid-resistant stair treads are best prepped with a handheld vacuum or hose attachment to remove surface dirt. Because of their smaller size, it's easy for these rugs to get stuck in a full-size vacuum.

Our attachable and adhesive stair treads will stay in place better when using a full-size vacuum, but it might be more convenient to use a handheld tool.

2. Washing Indoor Carpet Stair Treads

Spot cleaning is the ideal method when your carpet stair treads need additional care. We recommend using warm water and a mild soap or detergent. You can also use carpet cleaning products, but be sure to test them on an unnoticeable spot first to avoid damaging or fading your treads. 

Our skid-resistant and attachable stair treads can be removed as needed for cleaning and drying. 

3. Drying Indoor Carpet Stair Treads

After spot cleaning your stair treads, they should be air-dried only. Try to avoid walking on them until they are completely dry. Skid-resistant and attachable stair treads can be removed and placed in another room or outdoors for faster drying. 

How to Clean Outdoor Carpet Area Rugs and Runners and Door Mats

Our outdoor carpet rugs and carpet runners are available in a variety of fashionable colors to complement your home or special occasion. And keeping them looking sharp couldn't be more simple.  

1. Prepping Outdoor Carpet Rugs and Runners

Vacuum or sweep your outdoor rug or runner to remove any loose debris. If you have a smaller size rug, you can simply pick it up and shake the dickens out of it! 

This is especially helpful for cleaning off your door mat.

2. Washing Outdoor Carpet Rugs and Runners

The most convenient cleaning method for our outdoor carpet products is to simply hose them off.  Our outdoor carpets are made of materials the are resistant to mold and mildew, so you don't have to worry about soaking them.

You can also spot clean your outdoor carpet products if needed.

Just like with our indoor items, we recommend using warm water and a mild soap or detergent and testing any carpet cleaning products on a small portion of the carpet first.

3. Drying Outdoor Carpet Rugs and Runners

We've come to the easiest step of all in this recommended cleaning method: let it be! Since your outdoor rug or runner is already outdoors, just let it air dry naturally.  

How to Clean Outdoor Artificial Turf Rugs and Runners

Just in case you didn't know, House Home & More also provides a great selection of artificial turf products. Our turf rugs and runners can be used for special events, backyard beautification, camping, picnicking and more! And cleaning them couldn't be easier.

1. Prepping Outdoor Turf Rugs and Runners

Use a leaf blower or shake out your artificial turf rug or runner to remove loose debris. This step isn't completely necessary, but some customers find it helpful for step 2.

2. Rinsing Outdoor Turf Rugs and Runners

Use a hose to thoroughly rinse away any debris or dirt. You don't have to worry about saturating your rug or runner because all of our artificial turf products are mold and mildew-resistant. We don't recommend spot cleaning or using any detergents or cleaning products on artificial turf rugs or runners. 

3. Drying Outdoor Turf Rugs and Runners

After rinsing, artificial turf rugs and runners can be left in their position to air dry naturally.