Keep your rug groovy and grime-free
You place a shag rug in front of the sofa to create an extra-cozy space, but after a few months, the fibers are matted and you feel a crumb or two underfoot. The fluffiness of a shag rug feels nice, but that high pile also makes a great hiding space for food and dirt particles that make your carpet look and feel worn out. Here’s how to clean a shag rug, plus tips on keeping it clean and fluffy.
Shag rugs and carpets have a high pile, meaning the fibers are long. With a shag rug, the fibers often become twisted and intertwined with one another, creating a relaxed look and soft feel. Because the long fibers can get dirty or flattened quickly, it’s best to place shag rugs in low- to medium- foot traffic areas, meaning places you and your family won’t be walking over frequently. Shag rugs probably aren’t your best choice for entryways or kitchens.
Although they are typically made of wool, shag rugs can now also be made with acrylic to look and feel like wool at a lower price point. You can even find shag rugs made with unique materials, like leather (really).
While you can lie a shag rug out in the sun or shake it off on the back porch to give it a quick clean, sometimes it needs a little more elbow grease. For the dry bath method, you’ll need a dry rug shampoo for about $10 to $25. Many stains can be cleaned with household staples, baking soda and vinegar, for less than $10.
For a deeper clean, you may need to rent a steam cleaner for $35 to $50 or purchase one for $100 to $400. The best vacuum for shag carpet is a canister vacuum that is adjustable to high-pile carpet or rugs and has an upholstery attachment. This type of vacuum may cost $60 to $300.
Thick shag rugs with long fibers can get dirty quickly, so you’ll need to keep up with regular cleanings for your rug to look its best.
Vacuum a shag rug at least a couple of times a week, or daily if possible.
Spot treat spills as soon as they happen to prevent them from staining.
Plan for a deeper clean, like vacuuming the back of the rug or giving it a dry bath, once per month.
Steam clean the shag rug once or twice per year.
There are many ways to clean a shag rug, whether you just need to shake out the popcorn kernels from last night’s movie marathon or it’s time for the annual steam cleaning for all the rugs and carpets in the house.
One easy way to dislodge dirt and debris in a shag rug is to simply gather the rug up, head outside, and shake it out into the yard. If the rug is large and/or heavy, ask a family member or friend for a hand to carry the rug outside and hang it over a porch or deck railing. Then, use a broom or mop handle to beat the rug, sending dirt particles flying.
To keep a shag rug clean, you should vacuum it daily or at least a few times a week. A canister vacuum is the best vacuum for shag carpets and rugs. Use the upholstery attachment for best results, or adjust your vacuum for high-pile carpets before tackling a shag rug. But if you use an upright vacuum, make sure to only use the beater bar on stiffer shag carpets. Soft, fluffy fibers may be damaged by the beater bar.
Vacuum the top of the rug as normal once a month, then flip the rug over and vacuum the underside to suck up any deep-set particles. You can use a low-pile vacuum setting and re-engage the beater bar for this chore.
If the kids spill a little juice or your wine glass tips over, prepare to clean up those spills right away. The longer you wait, the more difficult the stain will be to remove.
Blot spills with a microfiber cloth or paper towels.
Use a spoon to remove solidified gunk, like mud or food.
Combine one part water to one part distilled white vinegar, then use a cloth dampened with this mixture to blot over the stain.
For deeper stains, flip the rug over and gently scrub the stain with dish soap and warm water. Then blot with a cloth dampened with warm water.
After blotting spills and cleaning stains, hang the rug up to dry.
A dry shampoo bath is a quick way to refresh a shag rug. When buying dry shampoo, choose one that will work for your rug’s material. For instance, make sure to use a wool-safe dry shampoo for wool rugs.
Sprinkle dry rug shampoo over the dirty rug.
Let the dry shampoo sit on the rug for the time listed on the product label, usually about one hour.
You may want to use a carpet brush to gently rub the dry shampoo deeper into the rug.
Then, vacuum over the rug to clean up the dry shampoo granules.
Shag rugs are thick and will hold moisture for a long time, so reserve steam cleaning for the deepest messes. It’s best to steam clean shag rugs about once or twice a year. You may need to rent or buy a steam cleaner.
Lay a tarp larger than the shag rug outside.
Vacuum the top and back of the rug.
Place the rug over the tarp.
Follow the steam cleaner directions to steam clean the rug.
Hang the rug to dry.
Cleaning a rug is easier if you take good care of it. Plus, regular maintenance will extend the life of your rug. Here are some ways to keep your shag rug in great condition.
A little sunlight may be all your rug needs to look refreshed. Let the rug sit out in the sunlight for no more than a few hours at a time to remove odors. Just don’t leave it outside for too long or do this too often, as extended sunlight exposure may fade the rug.
If you don’t want to chance UV rays fading the vibrant colors of your shag rug, you can also use baking soda to bring it back to life and neutralize any odors.
Sprinkle the baking soda all over the rug, and let it sit for 4 to 12 hours.
Shake out the rug or use a broom or mop handle to beat it, loosening the baking soda and any trapped dirt and debris.
Run a vacuum over the rug.
Spills happen, but they don’t mean the end of your shag rug. Use cleaning cloths or paper towels to blot up liquid spills right away to prevent stains. Avoid blotting or rubbing solid spills. Instead, use a spoon to scoop up most solid spills. If there’s mud on the rug, let it dry then gently pull it from the rug.
The long fibers of shag rugs can look matted with regular foot traffic. To keep your shag rug looking lush, use your fingers or a carpet brush to comb through the fibers.
Create a cleaning schedule for cleaning your area rugs or carpeted rooms. Remember to vacuum daily or weekly, give the rug a deeper clean once a month, and steam clean it every 6 months to a year.
Cleaning a shag rug on your own can cost anywhere from $10 for a dry rug shampoo to over $300 or $400 to buy a steam cleaner or vacuum that will work for a fluffy rug. Professional carpet cleaning costs about $0.20 to $0.40 per square foot or about $30 to $100 per hour.
While you might want to save money on carpet cleaning by handling the easier tasks yourself, you can hire a local carpet cleaning service to take care of the more challenging cleaning jobs, like steaming the shag rug.
You can give your shag rug a dry shampoo bath to deeply clean the fibers. For smaller rugs, you can shampoo them in the bathtub, but be sure to rinse the rug thoroughly and hang it out to dry. The thick, long fibers can hold moisture for a long time, and the rug needs to dry completely before you place it back on the floor.
To fluff up a flattened shag rug, place a warm, damp towel over the rug. Turn on an iron to a warm setting, then gently run the iron over the damp towel. The gentle steaming will help the long carpet fibers perk back up. For a quick fix, use your fingers or a carpet brush to separate and lift the fibers.
