Keeping Area Rugs from Fading

You’ve shopped through our extensive rug collections and found eye-catching varieties to uplift your favorite rooms with style and added floor protection. Now, it’s time to protect those investments! From entranceways, hallways, and living rooms, to kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms, we add area rugs throughout the household for instant color, texture, and depth. As they defend our floors underneath, how do we protect our stylish rugs from dulling over time? Here’s our quick guide to keeping your area rugs from fading.

Rotate Your Rugs

In rooms that receive ample natural light, it’s always wise to periodically rotate your furniture to ensure that your floors and fabrics wear evenly. This same logic applies to your area rugs that can be equally affected by prolonged exposure to sunlight. Rotating the position of your rugs with furniture, or even removing rugs each season and replacing them with appropriately themed choices, will help reduce fading and maintain consistent color across your entire rug surface.

Pro Tip: You can also try to limit the direct light coming in your windows with sunshades or tinted film.

Add Padding Underneath

If your area rug is unevenly wearing from foot traffic, it will certainly fade faster. You can add area rug padding underneath just like you would for wall-to-wall carpeting to promote even wear and help the rug perform better! Padding will help eliminate friction between the rug and floor underneath and prevent the fibers from breaking down quicker. The longer the fibers are preserved, the longer your rug is kept from dulling.

Treat Spills Effectively

We all know how our favorite clothes will fade when spills occur and stains are created. Similarly, our area rugs will fade if spills are not treated properly! Of course, you should follow your rug manufacturer’s care guidelines for appropriate care guidelines based on the material of your rug and the type of spill. Always use paper towels and a white terry cloth to absorb as much of the liquid as possible without rubbing the liquid down. Many common stains can be prevented with water, vinegar, dishwashing soap, and even club soda. Again, follow your manufacturer’s direction closely!

Pro Tip: Have family and guests remove footwear at the door to prevent moisture from being tracked indoors.

Regular Vacuuming

As simple as it sounds, regular vacuuming every week will keep your area rugs looking fresh and vibrant! Even in low foot traffic areas, time will eventually pack down the fibers of your area rug. Vacuuming in the smoothest direction of the rug fibers will keep the surface even and help prevent fading from normal wear. If possible, avoid using the beater bar setting of your vacuum to prevent tangles and possible runs or tears.

Whether you love casual and contemporary styles or prefer traditional and transitional options, well-maintained area rugs balance your room layout effortlessly.  Get in touch online or speak with one of our flooring specialists at any of our retail locations to find the rugs that will elevate your entire home!