Shag rugs (or shaggy rugs) are upgraded items for house decoration because of their diverse patterns, colors, shapes, and sizes. What people even love more about shag rugs is their soft touch to the skin. However, shag rugs are not the most low-maintenance products you would have in your living space. Once you intend to purchase a shaggy rug, prepare yourself for the cleaning and maintenance expenses, as well as time.
1. What Is A Shaggy Rug?
A shaggy rug, or as people have it as "shag rug", appears textural and fluffy with distinguished patterns. Its materials are also diverse, and they feel thicker to touch than other kinds of rugs. Their appearance and the soft touch are the two foremost factors attracting shoppers. Once you have stepped on the shag rug, all you want to do will be rolling in it.
Most people claim these rugs first appeared in the 60s and gradually became a popular decoration for wealthy households. Nonetheless, others claim their origin was much earlier. They believe the shag rugs come from Greece, and this nation is the first to produce and release shag rugs in much earlier times. The rugs used to serve the royalty. Now they have become more common and approachable.
Shag rugs are pretty expensive to purchase since their price tags often vary somewhere near three thousand dollars or more. Several shag rugs with sophisticated designs can cost you up to seven thousand dollars. There is no doubt that this item will be an elevation to your house decoration. They are eye-catching, textural, and unique. But everything comes at a price, and so does this one.
2. What Are The Pros And Cons Of Using Shaggy Rugs?
The shag rug is one of the best rugs that look attractive to the eye and touch. Nevertheless, this item has its benefits and drawbacks. The upcoming lines will discuss it more properly. Firstly, we would go through the advantages shag rugs offer us.
Advantages
- Unique appearance: The first advantage of having a shag rug is you get one more unique touch to your living space. The shag rugs come in various shapes. Textures, patterns, and color. The feeling of the skin is also different from that of others. The designs of shag rugs are often unique to look at. They are, in many cases, considered sophisticated or elegant.
- Variety and flexibility: Since shag rugs are made of different materials with thousands of patterns, they have an impressive ability to fit in any decoration style and bring a unique highlight to it. Also, each type would serve one purpose.
- Softness and comfort: If you have ever purchased a shag rug, you would know this well. Though there are different types of shag rugs, the common feature among them is their softness. The fluffiest shag rug type is the Flokati, while the opposite is the Synthetic. However, this does not mean the synthetic shag rug is not soft at all, it is just not as soft as the Flokati. The plus point making up for that is its price tag compared to the Flokati or other types.
Disadvantages
- High cost and maintenance budget: There is no doubt that you would have to spend a lot on a shag rug, especially if you go for a Flokati rug. It may be visually pleasing, but it comes with a comparatively high price tag. This applies to all types of shag rugs. Along with the purchase, you will have to spend on maintenance costs as the rug needs usual cleaning to preserve its condition and prevent any damage. Thus, in terms of budget, if yours is limited, it is quite troublesome to purchase a shag rug and pay for its maintenance.
- Difficult cleaning: Apart from expensive cleaning costs, shag rugs are extremely hard to fully clean due to their textural features and their thickness. When cleaning the shag rug, you should prepare a few items. The thickness and texture also prevent the rug from being machine washed.
- Health issues: Another drawback, which we consider a hazard, is the health conditions that can be occurring when you use shag rugs around the house. The health problems would be related to respiratory diseases for kids or pets. Others can be allergies, which strongly develop when people use shag rugs. The most sensitive members in your house who may have symptoms of allergies include babies, pets, and sometimes adults.
3. What Can You Do To Clean Your Shaggy Rug?
Cleaning shag rugs, though time-consuming and effortful, is not impossible. You can do it at home, following the instructions below.
Check the surrounding area
It is essential to check the area surrounding your shag rug. This is one of the reasons leading to your shag rug getting dirty is the surrounding area. You should check and clean it as often as possible. It is best to do it before you place your rug. The steps are simple.
Firstly, as mentioned, you check the surroundings. Then vacuuming is a good idea. The cleaner you vacuum, the easier the later process will be. In case you don't have a vacuum, a mop and a bucket will do fine. You just have to wait till the surface is dry afterward.
Shake and vacuum the rug
Before laying down the rug, you should shake it so that all the dust would come off. Shaking it for 3 or 5 minutes is enough. It will then become much cleaner. Then lay it down to the floor. In this step, vacuum the rug once again for the best result. You should apply this even for new shag rugs because, during the making and packaging process, it is doubtless that your rug is exposed to dust. Therefore, it is best to vacuum it again before placing it on your floor.
Steam or dry bath cleaning
If you have the time, you should try steam or dry bath cleaning. For both methods, you need to vacuum the rug in advance. It is for better cleaning because vacuuming would take the first layer of dust and odor. Once you have vacuumed the rug properly, get water and detergent into the steam cleaner. After that, the steam cleaner would do the work.
For the dry bath cleaning, after the vacuuming step, take one dry bath and a brusher for your shag rug. A dry bath, in general, is an easy way to clean. However, we don't recommend using this product from time to time. We would prefer steam cleaning.
Professional cleaning is always a better option
It is never a bad idea to have a professional team to clean your shag rug. After all, the cleaning methods are time-consuming. It is obvious that busy households or individuals do not have that daily period for cleaning only. So why don't you choose a professional service? They have been used to the work and promise to handle your shag rug carefully.
Conclusion
In our perspective, choosing a shag rug for your living space is a wonderful choice. It is visually upgrading and comfortable to touch. Though it can be time-consuming and expensive to purchase and maintain, we think it is worth the effort. When cleaning shag rugs, vacuum the surroundings and the rug first. Then if you have a steam cleaner or dry shampoo, apply it to the rug for the best result.
