Shag Carpet Care

Shag rugs, commonly called Frieze carpet in today’s market, offer an interior experience that can’t be beat, but they are just about the most difficult type of rug to keep clean. Some companies, in fact, charge more for shag rug or Frieze carpet cleaning than any of the other kinds for this very reason. Here are a few tips:

  • If you have just bought one, here is a word to the wise: keep it clean by not waiting for it to look dirty. If you do this, the rug’s plushness will last much longer. We’ve all seen shag rugs that have been “beaten” down, and it ruins the experience.  Unfortunately, once this happens you will not very easily be able to get it back.
  • If you have pets, make sure that you do not buy the kind with thick woolen twists, the kind that makes it look like worms. This type of weave holds onto everything to the extent that you will not be able to get it out. Whether it’s dirt or animal hair or something tracked in from outside.
  • Make sure that you do not use a vacuum with too heavy a suction. It can damage the fibers. Unfortunately this goes against one of the principals of carpet cleaning, and that is to vacuum strongly before a cleaning.
  • Nylon is the easiest to work with from a professional cleaner’s point of view.
  • Shag rugs are difficult to spot clean. They absorb liquids more than any other variety, and the nature of their construction makes it difficult to get to a spill.
  • Pet odors can sometimes be impossible to fully eradicate….forget about shag if you have a cat.

Written by, Derek Beyer.