When you see a beautiful-looking rug, you may get super-excited and ultimately may buy it. But the main problem arises when a few months have passed using the rug on the floor, and it gets dirty and messy. If it is a small rug, you can even try to throw it in the washing machine at once. But if it is a huge one or an expensive one, you may not be sure how to clean it.
You may prefer to send the rug to the dry cleaners or the expert rug cleaners most of the time. But you should also know the process so that you can do it yourself when it is an emergency situation someday. If it is a polypropylene rug, it is not much difficult. You can also clean it conveniently at home.
How do you clean a polypropylene rug?
If you have a woolen rug, cleaning it can be a massive task as the entire rug will get heavy when it is wet. Also, sometimes the chemical products of your detergent may damage the natural fabric wool and cotton. But this is not the case when you have a polypropylene rug.
- Plan to clean up your polypropylene rug when the weather is nice and sunny.
- Simply wet the entire rug with the help of a garden hose pipe by laying the rug on the floor of your garden or backyard.
- Now take some amount of detergent and apply it all over the rug.
- Take a cleaning brush and scrub the rug thoroughly.
- Now again, use the hose pipe to clean up the rug. Make sure to remove every bit of detergent from the rug.
- Now comes the tricky part. Hang the rug somewhere high in such a way that the water from the rug can drip out completely.
- When all the water from the rug has dripped down, now hang the carpet on a wire under the sun and let it dry. It may take more than 1-2 days for the rug to dry out completely, depending upon the rug’s thickness. Ensure that you bring back the rug only when it has completely dried, as a dampened rug can cause health hazards.
Can you steam clean a polypropylene rug?
If you have a huge rug, washing it can be difficult, especially when you do it all alone. In such a case, steam cleaning can be another great idea for a polypropylene rug.
The melting point of polypropylene is t 160-degree celsius. So, if you are steam cleaning the rug at 100-degree celsius, it will not damage the rug’s fabric.
There are several benefits of steam cleaning today in place of the traditional rug washing method.
- It is much convenient and takes much lesser time.
- The chances of the rug remaining damp is not there.
- Steam cleaning is also very helpful in extracting all the possible dirt from the rug.
What are the steam clean?
Though there are so many manufacturers coming up with attractive rugs made up of polypropylene, you should surely know its disadvantages before getting a polypropylene rug.
- Polypropylene has a melting point at 160-celsius. Thus, it cannot resist applications of very high temperatures.
- It is also not resistant to aromatic and chlorinated solvents.
- It is known to have much higher flammability. Hence, the chances of attracting fire are much higher.
- It has much lesser bonding properties making it challenging to paint items made up of polypropylene.
- It fumes out several volatile compounds that are toxic for the environment as well as for the humans and animals around
Does polypropylene rugs cause cancer?
Polypropylene and other synthetic elements have a latex mixture that has cancer provoking substance styrene. When the polypropylene rug is kept indoors without the presence of any window or open space, it fumes out chemicals with this cancer-causing substance. Thus, yes, polypropylene rugs can cause cancer, especially when installed in a completed packed room.
How dangerous is polypropylene?
Polypropylene is one of the synthetic fabrics that is used today to manufacture rugs. Though these rugs are much cheaper at cost than those made up of natural fabrics, synthetic materials such as polypropylene are considered dangerous in different ways.
- It is highly flammable. Hence, the chances of getting fire are higher.
- When exposed to a particular temperature, it releases volatile compounds and as many as 40 harmful chemicals that are not just dangerous for the environment but also for the humans and pets staying in the house.
- It does not decay much quickly. Hence, it is a threat to nature too in the form of pollution.
Can you use a rug cleaner on polypropylene?
If you have an authentic polypropylene rug, you can use different rugs and carpet cleaners to clean it. If you do not have such as rug cleaner, you can also use bleach to clean the polypropylene rug. Use a proportion of half bleach and half water to clean the rug.
Can polypropylene rugs get wet?
Polypropylene rugs are best suited for outdoor areas such as the garden, balconies, or backyards as they can soak in water. Yes, they will get a bit wet when they have soaked the right amount of water. But the best thing about these rugs is that even when they have soaked in a proper amount of water and have got wet, they will stay free from the growth of molds in them.
Can polypropylene be washed?
Yes, polypropylene rugs can be regularly washed, if possible. To get a better result, warm water along with detergent can also be used for washing purposes. But make sure not to use boiling water as it will damage the fabric.
Do polypropylene rugs smell?
When you have installed the polypropylene rugs, you will get a strange smell from it. Some rugs may stop smelling after some time, while others may give out the smell from time to time. This is because of the volatile compounds that the polypropylene gives in the form of gas. If you inhale this gas regularly, it can cause several issues such as headache, nausea, allergies, and many others.
Can you clean plastic with vinegar or bleach?
As mentioned earlier, bleach can always be used to clean polypropylene or plastic if you do not have a dedicated rug cleaner. Similarly, you can also use vinegar or even lemon to clean plastic. Make sure to take a half vinegar ratio or bleach along with half water for the cleaning purpose.
Suppose you are looking for a lightweight and easy to manage rug option at an affordable cost. In that case, the polypropylene rugs can be one of the options. Though polypropylene has some hazardous properties, cleaning and taking care of the rugs made out of this fabric is convenient.
