Contrary to popular belief, indoor and outdoor rugs or carpets aren't the same. The main difference between the two is the materials used to create them. An outdoor rug, also called an indoor outdoor rug, is made from polypropylene, rubber and other synthetic materials or recycled materials.
They're more resistant to the sun's ultraviolet rays and resist fading, and they're also mildew resistant and mold growth resistant as they don't cling onto moisture as easily. Another additional benefit of an outdoor rug is that they are much easier to clean.
Here is how you can clean your outdoor rug!
How to Clean an Outdoor Rug
As your carpet is located outside of your home, it's a given that you'll need to do this on a clean and sunny day to let your carpet dry completely.
To clean outdoor rugs, there are a few things you need to prepare. You'll need a vacuum, a broom, a garden hose or a power washer, a microfiber cloth, a scrub brush, and a bucket. You'll also need a stain remover, some dishwashing liquid or a bottle of all-purpose cleaner, and some paper towels.
Step 1: Prepare the Outdoor Rug
Before proceeding, you should remove any stains and spills that you can. Apart from shaking out the rug to rid it of any loose dirt, any liquid spills can be blotted away with some paper towels or a microfiber cloth. For any sticky stains that have solidified and hardened, you can use a dull knife to gently scrape off whatever you can.
Step 2: Vacuum and Sweep
After getting all the stains off that you could by hand, it's time to get your vacuum and run it through the entire rug to make sure that the entire surface is rid of other debris that may be hiding between the rug fibers. If you don't have a vacuum cleaner or an outlet to plug it into, you can always get a broom or a scrub brush and brush away the remaining particles.
Step 3: Power Hose It Out
When all the loosened particles have been removed, hang your outdoor rug over a railing or simply lay it out over a flat surface. Then, grab your garden hose and put it on the lowest power setting available before spraying your outdoor rug to rinse away any soil clinging onto the rug fibers.
Step 4: Lather and Scrub
Once the rug is sufficiently wet, grab your bucket and fill it with some cold water and 1/4 cup of your dish soap or all-purpose cleaner. When the solution is ready, you can apply it onto your outdoor rug with your scrub brush and begin gently scrubbing, making sure to pay extra close attention to tougher stains.
Step 5: Rinse Away All the Soap
When you've finished scrubbing away all the stains, use your garden hose to rinse away the soap and leave the outdoor rug to dry completely.
It may take around eight hours to dry completely, but make sure that you turn it over at least once to make sure that it dries evenly. Once you've made sure that there's no more excess moisture left, you can put your outdoor rug back in place.
How to Clean an Installed Outdoor Carpet
All carpets need a regular cleaning, but it might seem hard to deep clean a rug that has been installed. However, it isn't that different from the rug cleaning of a regular outdoor rug. The biggest difference is that you can't hose the rug down.
For this method, you will need a vacuum, a carpet cleaner, some white vinegar, some cold water and a spray bottle.
Step 1: Prepare the Outdoor Rug
Just as with the regular outdoor rugs, you must always do a preliminary cleaning of the rug before proceeding with cleaning. With installed outdoor rugs, you may find it harder to brush away the remnants with a scrub brush, so it's best to just vacuum it thoroughly to remove any loosened debris.
Step 2: Spot Cleaning
The next thing you want to do is to spot clean stains with a carpet cleaner or an enzyme-based stain remover to make the cleaning process much easier. Simply follow the instructions indicated at the back of the bottle.
Step 3: Make Your Cleaning Solution
To do this, just combine one part white vinegar and three parts of cold water into a spray bottle. Spray this solution onto your carpet, but it's best to divide the carpet to a grid and work in 3 feet by 3 feet squares.
After spraying, let the solution stay on the carpet for around five minutes and let it loosen everything up.
Step 4: Blot
After the five minutes are up, grab your microfiber cloth and begin blotting away the solution. You should see the loosened dirt beginning to lift.
Make sure that you have a bucket of water handy to make rinsing out your microfiber cloth much easier. When all the dirt has been removed, let your outdoor rug air dry.
Additional Tips
Regular Maintenance
Regular maintenance is the key to keeping a clean indoor outdoor rug. Make sure to either vacuum or brush it out regularly.
Clean Stains Immediately
It's a good habit to attack stains as they come, especially as some stains may require special cleaning methods. This includes oil, tar and other sticky stains.
Always Dry
Make sure that outdoor rugs are always dry to prevent mildew or mold from growing underneath the rug.
As important as it is to clean an outdoor rug, it's not something that you always remember to do. In a household with so many moving parts, it's hard to keep track of everything that needs to be cleaned, but you don't have to because Luce is here to handle everything for you!
Our carpet cleaning services in Singapore are ready to give your carpet a deep clean from your kitchen and bedroom to even your outdoor living space and basements.
Send us a message and book a cleaning service appointment today!
