How to Care for and Maintain a Beautiful 5x7 Living Room Rug

A 5x7 rug can be the perfect size to define and anchor a living room space. With the right care and maintenance, your 5x7 living room rug can maintain its beauty and last for years.

Caring for your rug properly involves regular vacuuming, periodic deep cleaning, acting quickly on spills and stains, and taking steps to protect your rug from furniture indentations and everyday wear and tear. By establishing a thorough cleaning routine and being attentive to your rug's needs, you can keep it looking fresh, extend its lifespan, and avoid costly premature replacement.

Vacuuming Your 5x7 Living Room Rug Weekly

Frequent vacuuming is essential for keeping a 5x7 living room rug free of dust, dirt, and debris that can quickly accumulate. Aim to vacuum your rug at least once per week, more often if it's in a high-traffic area.

When vacuuming, go over the rug in overlapping paths, first vacuuming across the width of the rug, then along its length. This ensures you hit every part of its surface. Use various head attachments and adjustable heights to vacuum both the surface pile and down into the rug's deeper layers.

Vacuum slowly and with care along the rug's edges and fringe. Avoid creating tangles by using a soft brush attachment and gently lifting the fringe as you vacuum underneath.

It's important to vacuum with and against the grain of the rug. Going against the natural pile direction lifts dirt trapped deep in the fibers. Finish by smoothing the nap in the direction of the pile to leave an even surface.

Always inspect for any spots or spills after vacuuming and immediately treat any you find by blotting with an absorbent cloth. This prevents staining.

Choosing the Right Vacuum

Use a vacuum designed for rugs and carpets. The rotating brush head agitates fibers to dislodge embedded dirt. Adjustable height settings allow you to reach into thicker pile depths.

Upright, canister, and stick vacuums all work well. Look for the Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) Seal of Approval to choose an effective vacuum for your rug type. Avoid vacuums with overly stiff brushes or beater bars that could damage fibers.

When to Spot Clean

Inspect your rug closely when vacuuming and immediately spot clean any soiled areas or spills you discover before they set and stain. Using a small amount of rug cleaner and dabbing gently with a clean cloth should resolve most spots.

Act as soon as possible when liquid spills. Blot gently to absorb the excess without rubbing it deeper into fibers. Avoid homemade cleaning solutions as they may cause discoloration.

Deep Cleaning Your Rug Every 1-2 Years

While regular vacuuming keeps your 5x7 rug's surface fresh, a deep clean every 12-18 months is recommended to remove ground-in grime from the entire rug.

Professional Services

Trust professional rug cleaners to deep clean using powerful equipment. With heavy steam, pressure, agitation, and industrial washing machines, they can clean thoroughly and remove stubborn odors that normal vacuuming can't tackle.

Professional services include:

• Hot water extraction cleaning
• Wet or dry foam cleaning
• Sanitization to kill bacteria and dust mites

Convenient in-home service allows cleaners to handle large rugs. Expect to pay $100-$200 to professionally wash a standard 5x7 synthetic rug.

DIY Cleaning

For more affordable DIY deep cleaning, use a rug shampoo machine with handheld attachments to scrub stains and rinse away dirt. These smaller units are priced from $100-$300 to rent or purchase.

When DIY cleaning, work in manageable sections: pre-treat, shampoo scrub with a brush head, and rinse away residue completely. Set rugs in sunlight to dry.

Knowing When It's Time

Signs like extensive matting, embedded stains, traffic patterns, and unpleasant odors indicate it's time for an intensive cleaning. Pet accidents also warrant deep cleaning. For best results, move furniture off the rug beforehand.

Treating Stains and Spills Promptly

No matter how careful you are, spills and stains are bound to happen on a 5x7 rug in a high-traffic living room. Acting quickly when they occur allows you to resolve spots and prevent permanent damage.

Blot Liquids

Time is critical when liquids spill. Immediately blot the spot with an absorbent cloth until no more liquid transfers. Avoid vigorous scrubbing as this forces the spill deeper into rug fibers.

Mix Detergent Solution

In a spray bottle, mix a solution of 1/4 tsp. clear, mild detergent with 1 cup of lukewarm water. Dish soap or rug shampoo both work. Test colored rugs for colorfastness first.

Spray or dab the solution onto stained areas, allowing it to penetrate for 2-3 minutes. Don't oversaturate.

Blot and Rinse

Gently blot with clean, dry sections of the cloth, working from the edges toward the center. Don't rub vigorously. Rinse the area with sprayed water, blotting between applications to lift detergent residues.

Repeat until no more stain transfers to the cloth. Let dry naturally, avoiding direct heat or sunlight.

Special Case Stains

For food and grease stains, sprinkle corn starch or baking soda after blotting before applying the detergent solution. This helps absorb and lift oils.

For wine stains, blot immediately then sprinkle salt. The salt absorbs wine residues from fibers. After 10 minutes, vacuum up the salt.

Lift pet urine stains by first blotting liquids, then spraying white vinegar followed by the detergent solution to neutralize odors and lift staining.

Rotating Your Rug's Placement Yearly

To promote even wear, rugs should be rotated at least once per year, especially in high traffic areas like living rooms. This distributes wear more evenly across the rug's surface over time.

Seasonal Rotation

Rotate seasonally between high and low traffic rooms. In summer, place it in lightly used formal living areas. Move it to the main family living space for colder months when it sees more use.

Move FurnitureOccasionally

Slide heavy furniture resting on the rug a few inches periodically to distribute the weight. This prevents excessive wear in one spot.

Coordinate With Cleaning

Schedule rotation together with your professional deep cleaning. After cleaning, install your refreshed rug in a lesser used space before moving it back to the main living area when soiled again.

Protecting Rugs From Furniture Indents

Furniture legs pressing into a rug's pile can damage fibers and leave lasting dents or impressions. Use pads and reposition furnishings occasionally to prevent this.

Use Thick Pads

Pads cushion the pressure from heavy furniture. Look for padding at least 1/4" thick with a dense felt or rubberized surface. Make sure pads stay in place.

Rearrange Periodically

Every few months, slide sofas, chairs, tables, and other furniture pieces slightly to re-distribute their weight. Avoid dragging across the rug's surface during moves.

Fluff Indents

For slight impressions under an inch deep, massage the fibers upright with fingertip pressure or use a soft bristled upholstery brush in the direction of the pile. This can reduce the appearance of minor dents.

Gentle Fringe Cleaning

The fringe along your rug's edges deserves special care during vacuuming. Taking steps to protect the fringe will maintain its decorative appearance.

Use a brush attachment and carefully insert it between fringe strands as you vacuum. Avoid pulling on the delicate fibers.

Inspect periodically for accumulated dirt near the rug's edges. Use shears to clip away obvious knots or tangles, taking care not to cut fringe strands.

If fringe becomes damaged, take your rug to a professional rug repair service rather than attempting fixes yourself. Their expert techniques can weave new wool strands into damaged sections.

Knowing When It's Time For Replacement

With proper routine care and cleaning, a quality 5x7 rug can grace your living room floor for well over a decade. But there will come a point when your beloved rug has outlived its usable lifespan.

Signs that your 5x7 living room rug may be beyond repair and ready for replacement include:

• Bald patches where the backing shows through
• Missing or unraveled sections of fringe
• Permanent stains that can't be removed
• Holes, tears, or burns from accidents
• Severe matting, crushing, and indentations
• Buckling, delaminating, or curling edges
• Unpleasant odors that persist after cleaning

Be realistic when your rug reaches this level of visible damage. Repairs may cost more yet yield disappointing results compared to installing fresh 5x7 rug.

Caring for your 5x7 living room rug takes some dedication, but implementing a thorough maintenance routine will maintain its health, beauty, and lifespan.

Make vacuuming weekly non-negotiable, act swiftly when spills occur, and invest in professional deep cleaning every year or two. Take steps to protect from furniture dents and rotate placement periodically.

Your ongoing attention will keep your 5x7 rug looking fabulous and eliminate the need for premature replacement. With the right care, your rug can serve as a stylish, durable anchor in your living room for over a decade.

For endless options on durable and easy-care 5x7 rugs, browse the selection at Rug Gallery or visit a store to see their quality in person. With custom sizes and budget-friendly pricing, you're sure to find the perfect 5x7 rug to care for and cherish in your well-loved living room.