How To Extend The Lifespan Of Your Rug, According To Experts

Try as you might to treat your home with kid gloves, there’s one household item that’s nearly impossible to protect from daily wear and tear: your rugs. Given that they’re always underfoot—and often in the most trafficked spaces in the house—they see a lot of action, from dirty sneakers to lively pets. That’s why it’s so important to make a smart, durable choice from the start. “The best advice I can offer is to invest in quality rugs where possible and to clean them at a frequency that keeps in line with your household’s needs (pet hair, kid crumbs, etc.) with a vacuum that doesn’t actively wear down the rug’s construction,” says Angie Burge, founder of Birmingham, Alabama-based rug company, English Village Lane. Here are some other things to keep in mind when caring for your home’s floor-covering heroes. 

Invest in a Rug Pad

It’s tempting to skip the pad, but it’s wise to give your rug a solid foundation. They can help prevent your floor covering from moving or slipping; they add a layer of comfort and cushioning underfoot (particularly when paired with thinner rugs); and they can give your rug some longevity. “A good rug pad will protect your floors from dust and dander that collect below what you actually see,” says Burge. “It also protects and preserves the knots in a handwoven rug from extra wear and tear.” Other rug pros agree. “We recommend using a rug pad beneath [our woven seagrass ones] because it helps absorb a lot of the stress of foot traffic,” says Page Mullins, co-founder of Rush House, a purveyor of natural fiber rugs. 

Do Some Research Before Cleaning

“When it comes to cleaning and care of your rugs, there are a few factors to take into consideration such as the rug’s material, whether a rug pad is being used, what type of vacuum is used in the household and level of traffic by adults, children and pets,” notes Burge. Before you plug in the vacuum for a quick clean-up or pull out the distilled vinegar for stain removal, do a little research. First, seek out any specific cleaning and care tips offered by your rug’s manufacturer or brand first. If those aren’t readily available, make note of your rug’s material and search for cleaning how-to’s based on that. A sisal rug, for instance, will require entirely different care than silk. 

Vacuum Carefully

While it’s tempting to put your high-powered vacuum to the Goldfish crumbs squished into your rug, remember that not all vacuums—or floor coverings—are created equally. “When it comes to weekly or daily care of hand-knotted rugs, avoid using a vacuum with a beater bar as the beater motion knocks at the woven knots and can break down the strength of a rug’s construction,” says Burge. Be careful, too, with high-suction vacuums and rotary brushes as these may pull on the fibers of the rug; this kind of tension on a regular basis can prematurely wear-down your floor covering.

Treat Stains Gently

Stain removal techniques vary depending on a rug’s material, but take the gentler route whenever possible. For their woven seagrass rugs, Rush House recommends treating spills by blotting them with a dry cloth—and resisting the urge to rub the liquid, as this might make it worse.

Burge advises taking a lighter hand with hand-knotted wool rugs too: “When it comes to treating stains (life happens!), it is important to avoid harsh chemicals and heavy scrubbing, opting instead for hot water with mild dish soap and dabbing at the spill or stain.” Harsher solutions may discolor a rug, she notes, as well as mitigate “wool’s natural antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.” Like chemicals, “overzealous cleaning” can prove detrimental too, she notes: “When you scrub a hand-knotted rug too much, it wears down the strength of the knots and loosens the fibers which in turn cause the rug to age quicker.”

Know What You’re Buying

Regardless of the care with which you treat your rugs, some materials by their nature are destined to hold up better and longer than others. You can expect a well-cared-for wool rug to last a lifetime—and perhaps beyond. “At English Village Lane, our expertise lies within hand-knotted wool rugs,” says Burge, “and there is a reason such rugs are passed on from generation to generation: They hold up!” On the other hand, rugs made from materials like seagrass or jute are likely something you’ll have to replace over the years. And you can expect the up-front investment to reflect that longevity: A handwoven wool rug will likely be much costlier than a handcrafted seagrass option. 

Embrace Vintage or Antique Rugs

If you’re worried about spending a lot of money on something that’s sure to take a beating, consider sourcing a vintage or antique rug. Though they’re not necessarily inexpensive, going the vintage or antique route is a foolproof move for finding a rug that’ll last. It’s a choice multiple Southern designers have recommended to our readers over the years. Decorator Laura Hodges even used a number of vintage and antique rugs in our 2023 Idea House: “It’s likely made better than a lot of the ones you’d buy new. If it’s been around for this long, you’re not going to ruin it.”