What is the Best Way to Clean Polypropylene Carpet?

Polypropylene rugs and carpets are inexpensive and very durable and really wide spread so it is important question how to clean them

Polypropylene – another strange word, isn’t it? Probably it is quite a strange word, at least if you didn’t study chemistry. But for a regular person, it is really a common material, used in many applications including packaging, diapers and drinking straws, industrial plastics including the automotive industry and textiles including carpets and rugs.

clean polypropylene rugs
clean polypropylene rugs

Is polypropylene a good and safe fabric?

Polypropylene fabric is one of the lightest synthetic fibers in existence, and it is incredibly resistant to most acids and alkalis. In addition, it’s use in carpets and rugs is nontoxic, and as such having them in homes and offices is safe.

Why is a polypropylene used in carpets and rugs?

Polypropylene, which is also known as olefin is a synthetic material, meaning it’s machine-made. It’s popular due to its combination of stain resistance, softness and value for money. The terms olypropylene and olefin are typically used interchangeably and Olefin is actually generic name for polypropylene, a synthetic fiber used to make many different products, including carpets and rugs in the carpet industry, Olefin/polypropylene carpets and rugs are designed for modern home and are suitable for parents and pet owners alike.  They are also bleach-cleanable, making it easier to remove spillages and stains.

Compared with other types of synthetic carpets, the polypropylene versions win clearly.They are generally cheaper than nylon-made ones, but also have a better appearance, low density and weight. If your floor was made of water, you could still use a polypropylene carpet to cover it.

In addition polypropylene rugs are soft and they are designed to add comfort, beauty, and functionality to any space where they are used. They even have the same look and feel of natural fibers, and provide great functionality.

We also do need to add that polypropylene rugs are durable. They are made to handle extreme weather, messes, and scratches, they are extremely resilient and can easily bounce back from wear and tear. In fact, this resilience makes them great rugs for both indoor and outdoor spaces.

So how to handle the cleaning of polypropylene carpets and rugs?

100% Polypropylene carpets can be cleaned with all carpet cleaning methods, and can be cleaned with many cleaning chemistry products, including common household bleach. But you need to be sure, that you have a 100% polypropylene carpet!  You can attempt to remove a stain with a mixture of 50% bleach and 50% tap water.  Following cleaning and disinfection with bleach, rinse cleaned area with fresh water then dry with a clean lint-free cloth.  It’s really inexpensive and effective way of cleaning them and it can be done at home.

Is polypropylene carpet easy to clean?

Given the broad use of polypropylene carpets at home and in the office, it is really important to find out even before busing, how easy it is to clean them.

And what’s  good: Polypropylene fibers that are found in your favorite area rugs are naturally stain-resistant and easy to clean … but you need to know-how. When spills, stains, and everyday dirt makes its way onto your area rug, you should try some easy tricks and you’ll be able to keep your carpets, runners and area rugs looking like new.

Polypropylene can even be washed,as it can easily resist moisture. It takes less than 10 minutes to wash it, and the stains on Polypropylene carpet can quickly go away if you wash it with proper ingredients and in the correct procedure.

You can use also vacuum cleaning to get rid of stain as it helps to remove the dirt that sits in its base.

But this is valid only for dry stains as the ones that come with mud, food spills or paints, need to be washed away with a lot more effort. It is also important to start cleaning ASAP after the stain occurs for best possible result. On the other hand, a hurried washing of the rug leaves the remnants of washing chemicals on the rug, which is then just half finished job with possible troubles when you clean it again with the wish of total cleaniness.

And not less important – cleaning the carpets and rugs regularly and in the right fashion will ensure the long life of your rug.

How To Prepare For Cleaning?

First you need to make sure, that the place where you plan to clean your rug is also clean, and surface must be firm.

Also, as mentioned before, it’s the best to clean you rugs and carpets regularly. The cleaner they are the better when you need to perform thorugh cleaning due to new stain. You can perform weekly cleaning with a broom. Some examples of such a broom are at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=broom+for+carpet+cleaning&ref=nb_sb_noss

If you rugs or carpet has specific spots with stain, you might use a sponge soaked in liquid soap or a scrubbing paper. You can find a proper sponges at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=sponge+for+carpet+cleaning&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

It is important to add, that you need to be careful with brooms and brushes that you do not apply too much force to damage the fibers of your rug.

Ingredients and procedures for rug cleaning in less than 10 minutes 

Sometimes we are in a hurry and wish to ensure a complete wash away of all the dirt and stains on your rug, then we need following ingredients.

– Vacuum cleaner for vacuum cleaning the dirt particles

If dirt is dry then the first part of the job is to place the rug on solid surface. Then you start cleaning with vacuuming the dirt that clings to the fiber. As we wrote before, this should be done also on a regular basis, like once a week. This is not a long procedure, it can be done within a minute or so, depending on how big the rug is and how much dirt it has.

– Pressure sprayer to pressure spray it with water

This second step often cause a disbelief and question: Can polypropylene rugs get wet?

The answer is a definitive »yes«  as polypropylene is one of the most moisture-repellent fibers available in the market. Just have in mind not to over-wet it.

So spray it enough with water so that every fiber gets wet. Cold or warm water doesn’t matter. Using pressure sprayer machines may be even more helpful, as the sheer pressure of water physically displaces the dirt particles with ease.

– Long-handle nylon brush explicitly made for rug cleaning with detergent

Put just two spoonfuls of liquid dish detergent with one cup of cold water, mix it thoroughly and then put it in a bucket with one gallon or 4 liters of water.

Then take carpet cleaning brush, soak it in the soapy water contained in the bucket and keep it for 10 seconds. Then brush up the carpet starting from one corner of it until it is applied everywhere on your carpet.

– Wash away the detergent with pressure spray

Pressure spray will do the job quicker, but also a regular household hose will do your work as well. It might just take 3 to 4 minutes more.In this step it is important that you wash out all soap/detergent used before. It is possible that some stains stay in a rug even after cleaning. Those are probably the ones staying in a carpet for a longer time and when you forgot to clean it for a longer period of time.

– Carpet-dryer if you wish to dry it quicker 

Leave the cleaned up rug under the sun for a day for drying. But for the quicker procedure use a carpet drying machine.