Hiring a professional carpet cleaner is perhaps one of the best ways to maintain a beautiful carpet. But, if you’re on a budget or just want to save money on expensive carpet cleaning services, it’s possible to clean your carpet as long as you have the right cleaning tools and ample space in your home.

In this article, you’ll learn how to clean an oriental rug and get rid of tough stains, lingering odors, and built-up grime. It takes a bit of time, but you only need to do it once a year during spring cleaning.

Tools and materials you will need to prepare:

  • Carpet beater or wooden spoon (or anything that can help you get the dust off it when you take it outside and beat it up);
  • mild dish soap;
  • a bucket of cold water;
  • A scrub brush with soft bristles;
  • and a squeegee

Step #1 Loosen the dirt

The first thing to do is take out your rug and hang it on a tree branch, or hang it on a clothesline. If you are stressed, this is a fun activity for you. Hit the carpet with a wooden spoon and get all the dust out of it. To avoid inhaling all the allergens that come off the carpet, you may want to wear a face mask.

Some people prefer a vacuum to suck up dirt and grit, but if you don’t have a vacuum, a wooden spoon, carpet beater, or even an old broom will work.

Step #2 Mix your water with a mild liquid soap

Make a solution in your bucket with dish soap and water. Make it nice and bubbly. Other people prefer homemade cleaning solutions like white vinegar and baking soda, but if you’re in a hurry, a mild soap is just as good.

Step #3 Brush, brush, brush!

Take your brush and use it to scrub the entire carpet. Start at the top and work your way down. Rub it very well and get very soapy. Get into the fibers and don’t jump into an area even if it looks clean and requires less work.

Step #4 Rinse well

Use your garden hose to rinse off the soap. Repeat until the water runs clear to make sure there is no soap left.

Step #5 Use a squeegee to dry

To help the rug dry faster, use a squeegee to remove water from the rug while it is hanging. You can use a hair blower to help it dry faster, but make sure the setting isn’t too high because it can ruin the fibers and you’ll end up with an old-looking rug.

Before you bring the rug back inside, make sure it is completely dry to prevent mildew from forming under your oriental rug.