How To Remove Salt Stains From An Oriental Rug

How To Remove Salt Stains From An Oriental Rug

Winter is in full swing here in Massachusetts and we’ve already seen our fare share of snow, ice, and the dreaded road salt. Salt isn’t just bad for your car, your suede or leather boots, and your hardwood floors — it can also have a negative effect on your carpet.

For those who have oriental rugs in their home, you need to be especially careful with your rug during the winter season as salt (although you may not be able to see it) will often find it’s way onto your carpet. It’s best to prevent road salt from damaging your oriental rug by making sure any visitors remove their shoes immediately after entering your home. You can also roll up and properly store your rug for the season to avoid issues altogether.

Removing Salt Stains from Your Rug

If your rug unfortunately does have salt stains, there are ways to clean your oriental rug. To avoid further damage of your rug, you should always opt for a natural salt stain removal solution. The natural salt stain removal method is to use white wine vinegar and warm water.

  1. In a spray bottle or bucket, mix equal parts vinegar and equal parts warm water and stir until fully combined.
  2. Then spray or pour the solution onto the stain and rub the solution gently into the carpet fibers. The goal here is to make sure that the salt doesn’t embed itself further into the carpet; you simply want to fibers to be wet and to soak up the solution as best as possible.
  3. After the area is dampened with the solution, blot the stain with a clean, dry towel — DO NOT scrub.
  4. Oftentimes your first attempt to remove the salt stain will not work, but be persistent and repeat the steps as necessary. You may need to let the oriental rug dry completely before determining whether you need to repeat the cleaning process.  Salt is stubborn, but it is a naturally occurring substance and is soluble — meaning it dissolves and breaks down in a liquid or water solution.
  5. Finally, let the rug air dry completely after the salt stain is removed. Air drying the rug will also eliminate any odors from the vinegar.

If you don’t feel comfortable removing the salt stains yourself, please contact our oriental rug cleaning professionals so we can remove the stain for you in an efficient and effective manner.