How Often Should You Wash a Machine Washable Rug?

Less often than you would think, and more often in some rooms than others. Vacuuming is what keeps a rug alive; washing is what keeps it looking clean.

A workable schedule

• Entryway and hallway — every 2 to 3 months.
• Kitchen — every 3 months, or immediately after anything oily.
• Dining room — every 3 to 4 months.
• Living room — twice a year.
• Bedroom — once or twice a year.
• Bathroom — monthly, because of damp rather than dirt.
• Nursery — as often as it needs it, which is the whole point of buying a washable one.

Why not more

Every wash cycle is mechanical work on the fibre. It will not destroy the rug — these are built for it — but a rug washed fortnightly for no reason will look tired sooner than one washed quarterly. Wash it when it looks like it needs it or something has happened to it, not on a calendar.

What actually wears a rug out

Grit. Sand and soil work down to the base of the pile and cut the fibre every time someone walks on it. Weekly vacuuming removes it before it can do that, and it does more for the life of a rug than any amount of washing.