Cleaning Rugs in the Snow
If the groundhog’s prediction wasn’t convincing enough, then the recent snow storms have made it certain: winter is here to stay for a while. Cold temperatures and precarious amounts of snow and ice have swept their way across the U.S. these last few weeks with more bad weather seemingly on the way. The result? Most of us have huddled up in our homes, turned up the thermostat, and dreamed of sunshine and beaches. At this point, however, it’s more than likely you’ve developed a case of cabin fever, and we’re here to offer you a cure.
You may not know, but on top of sledding, snowmen, and igloos, snow has another, more productive function: it provides the perfect conditions for cleaning your oriental rugs! So throw on your hats and gloves, zip up your coats, and roll up your dirty carpets, because we’re going to teach you how to clean a rug in the snow in eight simple steps:
1. If your rug is vacuum friendly, give it a quick sweep before taking it outside to pick-up any loose dirt and debris.
2. Once outside, remove as much more dirt as possible by giving your rug a few firm shakes.
3. Leave your rug outdoors (not in the snow just yet) for approximately 30 minutes. This will provide time for any grease or grime to harden up as well as ensure that your rug won’t melt the snow once you lay it down.
4. Now that your rug is good and refrigerated, spread it face down in the snow and beat it all over with a large broom or paddle. This process will shake out the remaining dirt which will then be retained by the snow underneath.
5. Flip the rug over and repeat step 4. If necessary, move the rug to another clean patch of snow and repeat on both sides again.
6. Lift the rug and shake out as much excess snow as you can.
7. Lay the rug somewhere dry where any clinging bits of snow will quickly evaporate.
8. Put your sparkling new rug back in its place and enjoy!
We hope you enjoy this nice little trick to keep you busy during these snow storms, and we look forward to seeing you soon once it’s safe enough for you to come visit!