Like your carpets, area rugs should ideally be cleaned at least once a year to remove dust and dirt and help them last longer. In general, carpet cleaning professionals also clean area rugs. Some rug cleaners bring their cleaning equipment to your home, while others remove your area rugs and clean them at their facilities. Either way, the rug should be cleaned with the solution most appropriate to its specific fabric and construction. It should also be completely dry before you return it to the floor.

Area rugs are typically found in high-traffic areas of the home, like hallways and entryways, so they collect more dirt and stains than simple vacuuming can handle. Similar to carpet cleaning, professionals can come to your home to deep-clean your area rugs. The national average cost for rug cleaning ranges from $80 to $120, but may be higher or lower depending on the rug’s size and fiber type. Rug cleaners generally charge by the square foot; for example, a standard 8-foot by 10-foot rug costs an average of $100 to clean. Natural fiber rugs, such as wool or silk, are usually more expensive to have cleaned than synthetic rugs. A carpeting cleaning company may charge on average $1.50 per square foot to clean a synthetic rug, $2 per square foot for a wool rug, and $3 per square foot for a silk rug. Some delicate rugs need to be washed by hand, which increases the price. Carpet cleaning companies often offer additional services, such as removing odors or applying moth deterrent, which can add 20 cents to 25 cents per square foot.

It is worth the money to get rugs professionally cleaned if they’re fragile, have tough-to-remove stains or you don’t know how to clean them. When in doubt, contact a pro to clean your rugs.

This depends on your rug’s condition — and the conditions in your home. If your rug is located in a high-traffic area like a mudroom, entryway or hallway, you may need to clean it more often. Families with small children or pets should clean their rugs more often as well. Those with allergies should also clean their rugs more often, as should those who wear their shoes inside.

Cleaning a Persian rug often requires utilizing a vacuum, rug shampoo, water, a brush or sponge and bucket. However, be careful of these common DIY mishaps: 

• Using the wrong shampoo or cleaning solution
• Not using enough water (or using too much)
• Cleaning your rug too often

To ensure you don’t accidentally ruin your rug, you might want to consider hiring a professional cleaner with plenty of experience and expertise.