Simple tips and tricks to keep your rugs in top condition

_credit

Correctly maintaining your rugs is essential to keep them in top condition for several years to come. But suppose you’ve inherited a vintage rug, or they’ve become stained and faded. In that case, hiring a rug repair service is the best choice as regular maintenance and care might not compare to professional repair and cleaning results. While routine professional care is an excellent investment, these simple tips and tricks will also keep your rugs in top condition.

Regular rotation of furniture

Keeping heavy furniture on your rug can cause damage due to the added weight, especially if it’s a thick-piled or woolly rug. This is easy to avoid by simply doing a regular rotation of your furniture or the area rug. Use furniture coasters that evenly distribute furniture’s weight to prevent tearing the area rug when moving furniture. You can also brush areas of the rug that are pressed down with a toothbrush or comb.

Sunlight can be bad

If possible, ensure that where you place your rug is away from sunlight which can fade your rug. Suppose you can’t avoid sunlight, strategically place your furniture to block sunlight from damaging your rugs. You can also use curtains that can block out sunlight but not take away airflow. There’s also the option of installing ultraviolet windows or tinting, which block out the fading effect of the sun.

Regular cleaning and vacuuming

Doing regular vacuuming, especially if you have pets, can prolong the life of your rugs and carpet. Make sure to clean any spilled food or liquids immediately with a carpet stain remover. Make sure to invest in a vacuum cleaner that has a suitable suction power to suit your needs. And, if you have pets, invest in pet fur cleaning equipment. These products are relatively cheap to get and, although you might need to get on your hands and knees, this effort will keep pet fur off your carpets.

Use carpet care chemicals

These chemicals can be bought in almost any store and are easy to use. They come in a range of different strengths such as stain removing, waterproofing and instant stain remover. Use the chemicals carefully as they can damage the fibres of your carpet and leave stains if not used as directed. Also available is dry carpet cleaner which is used to keep your carpet smelling fresh.

Timely planning of deep cleaning

Depending on your needs, you should do a regular deep clean of your carpets with an extraction machine at least twice a year or hire a professional to handle the task for you. There are carpet cleaning companies everywhere, and most are relatively affordable. Keeping your rugs clean will prevent you from having to replace them.

Taking measures to keep your rugs in top condition is not just great for maintaining the lifespan of your floor coverings, it’s also crucial for keeping your home free of allergens. Dusty rugs can cause sinus and breathing issues, especially in asthmatics or younger children, so be sure to care for your area rugs and keep them clean.

[disclosure*]

Coasting along with Rodney Peppé

We picked up this set of drinks coasters this week. Aren’t they fabulous? They were produced by Crown Merton in the 1960s/70s – and feature six different animal designs by Rodney Peppé, who we’ve blogged about a few times in the past.

One of these designs feature on a metal tray that we have in our own collection – namely the ram eyeing up a giant daisy for his lunch!

We also have another tray with a wonderful peacock design, that pattern isn’t included in this set. We wonder if there are any other creatures that we need to look out for?

Cooking with gas!

Well, this is a first for us in the purchases department – a vintage gas cooker!

It was recently taken out of someone’s home who’d had it from new – and it was still being used. All the more remarkable as this model dates from the late 1930s! It was destined to be weighed in for scrap unless we saved it – and we just couldn’t let that be its fate.

It’s such a fabulous item. We love the design – solid and functional. It has oven, grill and hob. The top collapses down neatly when not in use to provide an additional work surface if required. And there’s a fold out plate warmer too. The entire body is covered in a warm, cream-coloured enamel. It’s very cute!

The condition is amazing considering its age and usage – it even has the original instruction card!

We found some original advertisements for this model New World gas cooker online. This example could easily go into some kind of living museum. However, as we said, it was still being used until recently, so could go straight back into a domestic setting.

_{credit | credit}

It’s been lovingly cared for, for 80 years – there’s no reason why it can’t have a few more!

Flipped out!

We bought this fabulous vintage flip clock this week. It’s a classic design and this particular make and model produced by Grayson is very sought after. The build quality is really excellent.

We noticed it for sale on a live auction website and it was relatively local. However, we’d missed the viewing day, so had to quickly decide whether or not to bid. It’s a dangerous business, bidding online if you haven’t viewed the item in person – or not had the chance to request a condition report.

We decided to risk a bid anyway as it looked pretty good in the photograph. We won the auction and were actually relieved that there was plenty of competition from bidders in the room as they would have had the opportunity to check it. When we collected the clock the following day, initial first impressions were positive – we thought we’d got away with it! But alas no – on turning it over, the power supply area was in a real mess – including some corrosion from leaked batteries.

It could have been worse though. It’s still a very nice item – the overall cosmetic condition isn’t bad at all – and the flip mechanism all still works. However, it will need some attention to get it up & running. A new battery housing is required or, as the instructions state, it could be wired up to the mains.

So – whilst the clock is certainly no lost cause, there’s a cautionary tale involved too – a reminder of a lesson that we learned long ago. And… if you fancy a little DIY project, just let us know and we’ll sell it as it is.

H is for Home Harbinger

Category: homewares