Luckily you can always machine wash your Ruggable Rug to deal with life’s big messes or for a full rug-refreshing clean, but if you have a small spill, you may be able to skip the wash by following these spot cleaning tips below!
This article includes general spot cleaning tips and instructions for every day spills, and detailed spot cleaning instructions for the following particularly tough messes:
General spot cleaning tips:
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Treat any stains as quickly as possible.
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Always use a color-safe cloth or sponge and blot the soiled area instead of scrubbing to prevent spreading the stain and ruining the rug fibers.
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Avoid using hot water when spot cleaning your Ruggable Rug as this often sets stains.
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When using any cleaning products on your rug, always perform a patch test first to make sure the product won’t damage the color.
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If you need to spot clean your Rug Pad, you use a cloth dampened with a mixture of cool water and a few drops of laundry detergent or dish soap.
General spot cleaning instructions:
We have found that one of the most effective spot cleaning methods for our rugs is a simple mixture of cool water and liquid dish soap. To treat spills or stains, try the following:
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Remove any physical debris, careful not to use too much pressure. Using a spoon or dull knife can be helpful for this step.
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Blot the area with a paper towel or color-safe cloth to soak up any excess liquid.
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Combine a few teaspoons of liquid dish soap with 1-2 cups of cool water in a bowl or spray bottle and dampen another color-safe cloth or sponge with the mixture.
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Start from the outer edge of the stain to prevent spreading and dab the stained area with the water and detergent mixture to lift the stain. If you are using a spray bottle, you may spray the mixture directly onto more stubborn stains before dabbing. Rinse the area with clean, cool water by either dabbing the area, or pouring/spraying a small amount of water directly onto the area and absorbing it with a dry cloth/sponge.
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Repeat the last step until the stain is no longer visible. Ensure you have rinsed out all soap residue and you no longer see soap bubbles when you press down with your cloth/sponge.
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To speed up the drying process, lay a dry towel over the damp area and apply strong pressure by standing on the towel until you are no longer able to absorb excess moisture. If the area is still very damp, place another dry towel over the area and put a heavy object on top for 30-60 minutes.
Tips for effective rinsing and drying after spot cleaning:
Make sure you rinse out all soap/cleaning product residue. You can do this by dabbing the area with a cloth dipped in clean, cool water, or pouring a small amount of water on the area and soaking it up with a dry cloth. Repeat this until you no longer see bubbles when you press down or feel a soapy film on the surface of your Rug Cover.
After spot cleaning and rinsing, lay a dry towel over the damp area and apply strong pressure by pressing down or standing on the towel until you are no longer able to absorb excess moisture. If it’s still very damp, place another dry towel over the area and put a heavy object on top for 30-60 minutes.
Store-bought spot treatment products:
Many store-bought rug/carpet stain remover products work well for spot cleaning our rugs, including a number of enzyme-based, oxygen-based, and surfactant cleaners. Before using any products on your Ruggable Rugs, always perform a patch test on a small area of your rug to be sure the product does not impact the rug colour. Once you have confirmed the product is safe to use on your rug, spot clean the soiled area following the cleaning product’s instructions.
If any stains are still visible after following the spot cleaning steps above, be sure to wash your Ruggable rug following our care instructions!
Wine and hot coffee
If your relaxing glass of red wine or cup of coffee ends with a stressful splash on your freshly clean rug, don’t panic! You can rescue your rug and get back to relaxing in no time by grabbing some liquid dish soap and cold water and following the spot cleaning instructions below:
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Using a paper towel or color-safe cloth, blot up excess wine or coffee from the area.
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Wet a clean, color-safe cloth with cold water and dab the stain starting from the outer edge and working inward. Be careful not to oversaturate the rug with water so the stain does not spread further.
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Repeat step 2 with fresh water and a clean area of the cloth until you no longer see wine or coffee transferring to the cloth.
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Mix a few teaspoons of dish soap into 1-2 cups of cool water in a bowl or empty spray bottle and dampen another clean cloth with the mixture.
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Dab the area to lift the remaining stain. For a particularly difficult stain, spray the cleaning mixture directly onto the area and continue dabbing. Then, rinse the area with cool, clean water.
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Repeat the previous step until the stain is no longer visible, and then thoroughly rinse so that you no longer see soap bubbles when you press down. Use a dry cloth to soak up as much excess liquid as possible to promote faster drying.
Hot sauce is one of the more troublesome spills to remove from rugs, but with some thorough spot cleaning, you can get out most permanent stains. The trick with hot sauce is to use warm water and laundry detergent and to act as fast as possible once you notice a spill. To clean up hot sauce, follow these steps:
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Scoop up any excess sauce using a spoon, careful not to spread the stain or push the hot sauce further into the Rug Cover.
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Lightly blot up any excess hot sauce with a clean paper towel.
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Mix 1-2 teaspoons of liquid laundry detergent with a cup of warm water and dampen a color-safe cloth with the mixture.
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Blot the stained area with the cloth to lift the hot sauce from the Rug Cover, then rinse with cool, clean water.
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Repeat the previous step using clean parts of the cloth until all of the hot sauce is removed, and then thoroughly rinse the area so that you no longer see soap bubbles when you press down. Use a dry cloth to soak up as much excess liquid as possible to promote faster drying.
Oxygen-based or surfactant store-bought carpet spot cleaners can be very useful for removing hot sauce stains from your Rug Cover. Follow steps 1 and 2 above, then clean the soiled area following the instructions on the cleaning product label. Make sure to rinse any cleaning product residue from the Rug Cover with clean water until you no longer see bubbles when you press down or feel a film of cleaner on the surface.
For tomato based stains like ketchup and tomato sauce, your best bet for a sparkling clean rug is to spot clean the area with a mixture of cool water and liquid dish soap. To do so, follow these instructions:
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Scoop up any excess ketchup or tomato sauce from the Rug Cover surface using a spoon or dull knife.
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Blot the area lightly with a paper towel to lift any remaining moisture from the spill, careful not to rub it further into the Rug Cover.
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Mix a few teaspoons of dish soap into 1-2 cups of cool water in a bowl or empty spray bottle and apply the cleaning mixture to the stained area by spraying it directly or dipping a clean cloth in the soap mixture.
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Dab the area with a cloth to lift the stain and rinse the area with cool, clean water.
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Repeat the previous step until the ketchup or tomato sauce stain has fully disappeared, and then thoroughly rinse the area so that you no longer see soap bubbles when you press down. Use a dry cloth to soak up as much excess liquid as possible to promote faster drying.
Enzyme-based store-bought carpet spot cleaners also work great for removing tomato-based stains from your Rug Cover. Follow steps 1 and 2 above, then clean the soiled area following the instructions on the cleaning product label. Make sure to rinse any cleaning product residue from the Rug Cover with clean water until you no longer see bubbles when you press down or feel a film of cleaner on the surface.
Ice cream sundaes should leave you with sweet summer memories, not a chocolate-stained rug. However, if your rug ends up with a topping of chocolate sauce, try spot cleaning the area.
Enzyme-based or surfactant store-bought carpet spot cleaners are the most effective at removing chocolate stains. To clean the area, remove any excess chocolate from the rug surface using a spoon or dull knife. If you’ve found a dried chocolate stain, lightly scrape off as much of the solid debris as possible and vacuum the area before continuing. Next, clean the soiled area following the instructions on the cleaning product label. Make sure to rinse any cleaning product residue from the Rug Cover with clean water until you no longer see bubbles when you press down or feel a film of cleaner on the surface.
If you don’t have a store-bought cleaner on hand, you can use liquid laundry detergent and warm water to spot clean chocolate stains following the instructions below:
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Remove any excess chocolate from the rug surface using a spoon or dull knife. If you’ve found a dried chocolate stain, lightly scrape off as much of the solid debris as possible and vacuum the area before continuing.
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Mix 1-2 teaspoons of liquid laundry detergent with a cup of warm water and dampen a color-safe cloth with the cleaning mixture.
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Dab the stain to begin lifting the chocolate, then rinse with cool, clean water.
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Repeat the previous step using clean parts of the cloth until all of the visible chocolate is removed, and then thoroughly rinse the area so that you no longer see soap bubbles when you press down. Use a dry cloth to soak up as much excess liquid as possible to promote faster drying.
Oily spills can be frustrating to clean up, but next time you find a drizzle of olive oil or salad dressing on your Rug Cover, try spot cleaning the area following the instructions below:
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Use a paper towel to absorb as much oil as possible.
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To help with absorption, sprinkle a thick layer of baking soda over the spill. Allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes, and then vacuum up the baking soda.
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Mix a few teaspoons of dish soap into 1-2 cups of cool water in a bowl or empty spray bottle and apply the mixture to the stain with a color-safe cloth or by spraying the mixture directly onto the stained area.
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Dab with a cloth to lift the oil from the Rug Cover.
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Repeat the previous step until the oil has fully disappeared, then thoroughly rinse the area so that you no longer see soap bubbles when you press down. Use a dry cloth to soak up as much excess liquid as possible to promote faster drying.
Accidents happen, but there’s no need for every scraped knee or papercut to leave a blood stain. If cold water alone is not enough to remove blood stains from your Rug Cover, a few drops of liquid dish soap should do the trick. Follow these instructions to spot clean your rug:
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Dampen a cloth with cold water and starting from outside of the stain, dab the stain to begin lifting the blood from the rug. Be careful not to oversaturate the rug with water so the stain does not spread further.
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Repeat step 1, making sure to use a clean area of the cloth and cold water each time, until you no longer see blood transfer to the cloth.
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If the stain remains, mix a few teaspoons of dish soap into 1-2 cups of cold water and dampen a cloth with the cleaning mixture.
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Blot the stain to lift the remaining blood, again starting from the outside and working inward until there is no stain left.
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Thoroughly rinse all of the dish soap from the area with clean water so that you no longer see soap bubbles when you press down. Soak up as much excess liquid as possible to promote faster drying.
Enzyme- or oxygen-based store-bought carpet spot cleaner should do the trick to remove blood stains as well, just make sure you follow steps 1 and 2 above to make cleanup easier. Then, follow the instructions on the cleaning product label. Make sure to rinse any cleaning product residue from the Rug Cover with clean water until you no longer see bubbles when you press down or feel a film of cleaner on the surface.
When your furry friend has an accident, store-bought carpet spot cleaners intended for pet stains work very well on our Rug Covers. Make sure to soak up as much excess liquid as possible, and then follow the instructions on the cleaning product label. For an extra thorough clean, throw your Rug Cover in the wash!
If you don’t have any pet cleaners on hand, you can use a mixture of cool water, dish soap, and vinegar to clean your rug by following the instructions below:
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Blot up excess liquid with a paper towel.
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Mix a few teaspoons of liquid dish soap with 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of cool water. Vinegar will help neutralize any odors.
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Apply the cleaning mixture to the stained area by spraying it directly or dipping a clean cloth in the soap mixture. Dab the area with a cloth to lift the stain and rinse the area with cool, clean water.
Next time you find a muddy paw print but aren’t ready to wash your whole rug, try spot cleaning the area with some warm water and liquid laundry detergent. The following steps should get the job done:
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Allow any moisture in the mud/dirt to dry and then vacuum the area before continuing to spot clean.
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Mix a teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent into 1-2 cups of warm water and dampen a cloth with the cleaning mixture.
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Dab the soiled area to remove the dirt.
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Rinse with cool, clean water to remove any dirt that has become loose.
If a homework huddle on your favorite rug ends with an ink stain incident, we’ve got you covered! To help remove ballpoint pen ink from your rug, try the following cleaning techniques:
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Mix a few teaspoons of dish soap into 1-2 cups of cool water in a bowl or empty spray bottle and apply the mixture to the stain with a color-safe cloth or by spraying the mixture directly onto the stained area.
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Dab with the cloth to lift the ink from the Rug Cover.
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Repeat the previous step until the ink has fully disappeared, then thoroughly rinse the area so that you no longer see soap bubbles when you press down. Use a dry cloth to soak up as much excess liquid as possible to promote faster drying.
You can also use store-bought carpet spot cleaners to remove ballpoint pen ink stains. We found that a water-based surfactant cleaner works best, but enzyme- or oxygen-based cleaners should lighten the stain as well. To use one of these products, follow the instructions provided on the product. Make sure to rinse any cleaning product residue from the Rug Cover with clean water until you no longer see bubbles when you press down or feel a film of cleaner on the surface.