How To Clean An Olefin Rug
Do you have an olefin rug but are unsure how to keep it clean?
Olefin rugs, also known as propylene rugs, are a beautiful and inexpensive way to decorate any area of your home.
Lucky for you, it is very easy to learn how to clean an olefin rug. This is because cleaning synthetic rugs like olefin rugs are far easier than cleaning natural fiber rugs, mostly due to their moisture resistance.
Cleaning your rugs is an important part of ensuring they maintain their appearance over time. It can also help you deal with immediate spills and stains.
That’s why we are here to tell you exactly how to clean your olefin rug and ensure proper maintenance in the long run.
What this article covers:
How To Clean An Olefin Rug
Step 1: Vacuum
The first step to cleaning your olefin rug is to remove any loose dirt, dust, and debris that may be clinging to the carpet fibers.
You can do this by giving the rug a good vacuum on both sides.
Vacuuming your rug regularly is also an important part of maintaining your rug, which is why regular vacuuming is always recommended for cleaning furry rugs as well.
Step 2: Deal with Stains
Before giving your olefin rug a deep clean, you want to get rid of some of the most pertinent stains first.
It is always best to treat stains as soon as they occur.
Liquid stains should be blotted as soon as they occur to ensure that most of the liquid is absorbed.
Solid stains can be scraped up with a dull object. If you are dealing with an older stain that has already set into the rug, you can start applying your stain treatment immediately.
To treat stains, we highly recommend a targeted stain remover product, such as PIG out. However, you can also use a mixture of two tablespoons of dish detergent with one cup of water.
Whatever cleaning solution you choose, be sure to apply it directly onto the stain using a clean cloth or a sponge.
Then, using a white cloth, gently blot the stained area until you see it transferred onto the cloth.
This is a foolproof method for dealing with stains and is helpful for spot-cleaning a variety of rugs, including cleaning bamboo rugs or even cleaning alpaca rugs.
Step 3: Deep Clean
After you have dealt with dust and stains, you are ready to give your rug a deep clean. There are a variety of ways to do this.
Method 1: The Garden Hose Method
The first way to give your olefin rug a proper wash is by using a garden hose. To start, lay out your rug flat on a hard surface (preferably outside).
Use industrial carpet cleaning chemicals and dilute it according to the instructions on the bottle. For olefin rugs, we highly recommend using something like our Pure O2 Powder with Citrus.
Oxygenated cleaners work wonders with Olefin carpets because these carpets often suffer from oil tracking and wicking, both of which require oxygenated cleaners to get properly cleaned.
The good news is that olefin is quite resistant to chemicals so most carpet cleaning chemicals will work on this type of carpet without damaging it.
Carpet chemicals also won’t affect the colors of your olefin rug.
To clean your carpet, spray the entire carpet with your cleaner and allow the formula to sit.
If you don’t have professional chemicals on hand, you can use a mixture of dish detergent and water. After letting your cleaning solution sit, hose down the entire carpet with a garden hose.
Work from top to bottom to ensure the dirt moves downward.
You can also hose from the back of the rug through to the front to release trapped dirt deep in the carpet fibers but ensure that you rinse the top of the rug after you have hosed down the bottom.
Continue hosing down the rug until all of the dirt as well as the soapy mixture has been removed.
Method 2: The Pressure Washer Method
If you have a pressure washer, you can also use this machine to lean your olefin rug. Unlike the process for cleaning handmade rugs or cleaning chenille rugs, cleaning olefin rugs do not require a gentle approach.
Start by using the pressure washer to wet every fiber of the olefin rug. The initial was is enough to displace the dust particles and to prep your rug for cleaning.
After wetting your rug, you can apply a mixture of dish detergent and water or a professional carpet cleaner.
Work the cleaning solution of your choice into the carpet fibers by either spraying it on or using a brush. Allow the solution to set and work into the carpet. Follow this with another round of pressure spraying.
Method 3: The Dry-Cleaning Method
Another option for giving your olefin rug a proper deep clean is by using a dry-cleaning method. This means no water is involved.
Dry cleaning has been promoted as a good way for cleaning nylon carpet stains and even for cleaning cotton rugs.
It is also a suitable method for cleaning rugs that do not respond well to moisture such as when cleaning leather rugs.
To dry clean your olefin rug, you want to sprinkle a cleaning powder of your choosing over the entire surface area of the rug.
There are many carpet cleaning pre-sprays that work well for this purpose.
We highly recommend something like X Foam which is a concentrated and specialized defoamer powder.
If you don’t have professional chemicals on hand, you can opt for a homemade cleaning powder.
To prep your homemade cleaning powder, mix baking soda with some essential oils and cover the entire rug with this.
Use a brush and work your cleaning powder into the fibers of the rug.
Allow your cleaning powder to sit on the rug and do its magic.
Then, use a vacuum to vacuum the cleaning powder.
Step 4: Finish Off
After finishing your deep cleaning, you are ready to complete the cleaning process.
You only need to complete this step if you followed one of the first two methods.
Because the water was used on the carpet, you need to allow the carpet to dry.
Olefin carpets may be resistant to moisture and mildew but you still need to allow them to dry before returning them to the floor to ensure that they are fresh and clean.
Luckily, olefin carpets can be left out to dry in the sun. You can also dry them in a well-ventilated room with some fans on or open windows.
Try to hang the carpet over a fence or rail to ensure that it can properly dry out.
How To Clean Olefin Area Rugs
Step 1: Remove Dust and Debris
Cleaning olefin area rugs are far easier than cleaning larger rugs because they are a more manageable size.
When cleaning an olefin area rug, the first step is to remove as much dust as you can.
You can opt to vacuum the rug or grab it by the corners and give it a good shake outside till most of the dust comes out.
Step 2: Spot Clean
Before giving your whole area rug a wash, it is a good idea to deal with any stains that may be present.
The best course of action is to apply a targeted stain remover, such as Super Gel, directly onto the stain.
You can also use a mixture of dish detergent and water and apply it to the stain.
Then, use a clean white cloth and blot at the stain until it starts to disappear.
Step 3: Wash & Dry
After cleaning the stains and removing dust, you are ready to give your carpet a good wash.
Luckily, olefin area rugs can be easily washed in a washing machine because of their manageable size.
Put your machine on a gentle cold cycle and add the recommended amount of laundry detergent. Then, give your rug a good wash and hang it out to air dry.
Alternatively, use a commercial carpet cleaner (like our Pure O2 Powder with Citrus) or a mixture of dish detergent and water and spray it onto the entire rug.
Allow it to work into the rug before starting to hose down your rug. Work from top to bottom to ensure all the dirt is being removed from your rug.
Hose it down until you are sure all the dirt, dust, and debris (as well as the soapy mixture) is removed.
Then hang the rug out to air dry.
Tips For Maintaining Your Olefin Rug
Place It In The Correct Area
Olefin may be resistant to water and stains but it is a weaker fiber compared to some other synthetic carpets, which means regular foot traffic may cause it to wear down over time.
It is not a good idea to place it near an entranceway or corridor where it will get a lot of foot traffic.
Olefin is also known for absorbing oil quite easily so it is not recommended to place this carpet on a floor with high oil content or somewhere where oil stains are likely to occur.
Because of its resistance to water, you can place it somewhere where water gets tracked in or a room where spills are likely to occur such as a kids' room.
Wash Regularly
If you have an area rug, you can easily use a washing machine to give it a regular wash, which will maintain its shine and appearance over time.
For larger rugs, you can use any of the alternative methods listed above but you need to ensure that you clean your rug on a regular basis to ensure its upkeep.
The recommendation is to do a deep clean once a year and to do spot cleans for stains as soon as they occur.
Remove Dust Regularly
Similarly, it is a good idea to vacuum your rug at least once a week to prevent the accumulation of dust on your olefin rug.
For smaller rugs, the occasional shake will also do the trick to ensure excess dust and debris are removed from the rug.
Avoid Placing Heavy Furniture On it
With olefin rugs, there is a risk that the carpet fibers can fuse together if heavy pieces of furniture are dragged over it, due to its low melting point.
So, avoid dragging heavy pieces of furniture over the carpet and placing heavy furniture on it.
Avoid Fire
Olefin has a low flammability rating, which means you need to keep it away from fires and possible flammable objects.
This is the reason why these types of carpets are not recommended for busy environments such as airports, banks, or schools.
Conclusion
By now, it should be clear that olefin rugs are quite easy to clean, especially because of their resistance to moisture.
They are also resistant to most chemicals, which means most cleaning products are safe to use on this type of rug.
Proper maintenance, in conjunction with proper cleaning, is all that is required to ensure that your olefin rug always looks its best.
Did you find our blog helpful? Then consider checking other guides:
- How to Clean a Rug
- How to Clean a Wool Rug
- How to Clean Faux Fur Rug
- How to Clean a Shag Rug
- How to Clean Sisal Rugs
- How to Clean a Jute Rug
- How to Clean Sheepskin Rug
- How to Clean Cowhide Rug
- Clean a Silk Rug
- How to Clean a Polyester Rug
- How to Clean Persian Rug
- How to Clean Braided Rug
- How to Clean Oriental Rugs
- How to Clean Woven Rug
- How to Clean a Moroccan Rug
