How To Clean A Viscose Area Rug

By Georgia Grace Living Room Rug

As many of you long-time readers will know, I have been oogling rugs for pretty much ever since we moved into this apartment two years ago! I've hemmed and hawed and changed my mind about a zillion times, but in the past year, the object of my desire with respect to rugs crystallized around the idea of a subtly shining silk or viscose (artificial silk, also known as art silk or bamboo silk – not real silk though) rug in a solid colour to anchor the living room and provide softly refined colour and texture.

I would say that the primary aesthetic I am after is one of subtle refinement and elegance which is also cozy and comfortable while still maintaining an element of austerity, spaciousness and rusticity. I seek the perfect blend of austerity and warmth. I love traditional-minimal Belgian design as well as elements of English regency and rustic 18th-century Italian design. I tend to assign myself a "mother" and a "father" for any discipline that I rely heavily on certain individuals for the development of my sensibility and understanding of, and thus, with respect to my design aesthetic Rose Uniacke and Axel Vervoordt are my mother and father, although I tend to favor Rose more heavily these days.

By Georgia Grace Living Room Rug

Ok, now that my impromptu manifesto is over, on to the rug! I have been on the verge of pulling the trigger on an 8'x10′ size of West Elm's Shine Rug in Slate. I was also considering the Silver colour, but I ultimately felt that the darker colour of Slate would both be more practical and would serve to inject a dose of rich yet subtle colour into the room. However, at the last minute, I begrudgingly decided to check Craigslist to see if anyone was selling a West Elm Shine rug (which no one was – perhaps because they all love it so much when they receive it!). I expanded my search to viscose and rayon rugs, which is the primary fiber from which rugs with subtle shine are woven from, and lo an behold, up popped a listing for a 9'x12′ brand spanking new viscose rug…from THE Stark Carpets nonetheless.

Flower plates in L and S size with copper glaze from Analogue Life // Hanae Mori vintage lacquered butterfly tray c/o my amazing aunt!

It was being sold by an interior designer who had discovered that the rug yellows upon coming into contact with water when she tried to wipe up a spill. Thus, she was selling the $2800 rug for $150. I almost hate to tell this story because I feel a little guilty that I was able to procure this gorgeous, subtly shimmering rug in a perfect hue of putty grey for such a pittance, but hopefully you won't hate me too much. The West Elm options really are stunning and very reasonably priced!

By Georgia Grace Living Room Rug

Anyway, back to those yellow stains. I think I ought to disclose to you that Viscose rugs DO actually yellow when you clean them with water – this is not, however, a permanent condition. The reason they yellow (especially noticeable with lighter colours) is due to the fact that viscose is a plant-derived fiber from cellulose, a common substance in plant material. Cellulose chemically reacts when combined with water and produces the yellowish colour. While the Rug Chick, a rug-cleaning professional, seems to absolutely hate viscose rugs with a passion, due to the fact that they are cheap imitations of silk, you will notice if you look around that even high end manufacturers like Stark Carpets and Restoration Hardware rely on viscose as a fiber in their rugs that have a shiny effect. You will be hard pressed to find real silk fibers used in rugs today other than highly intricate and highly costly Oriental applications.

If you'll notice the chair to the left, you may recognize it as formerly having a garish red upholstery and an orange wood tone – I re-did this chair along with two others in the kitchen. More on that soon!

So, is the solution to never buy a viscose carpet or rug? For me, the answer is no. If you are interested most in styles of rugs that can be woven from wool, then you should stick with wool, as it is the most durable fiber from which rugs can be manufactured. However, if you're like me, and you cannot get over how much you love the subtly shining effect of viscose rugs, then I give you my blessing to buy a viscose rug. You will simply need to be armed with awareness and information in order to successfully own a viscose rug.

By Georgia Grace Living Room Rug

Remember when I said that the rug yellowed after she cleaned it with water? Rookie mistake numero uno. For any of you considering buying a viscose rug, here's my aggregated, step-by-step guide to spot cleaning a viscose rug and reversing yellowing caused by improper spot cleaning with water:

1. Never clean a viscose rug with water – instead, use a citric or acetic acid solution! I bought this one – it comes in powder form, and you mix it with coolwater to create the solution. The acidity not only prevents the viscose rug fibers from turning yellow, but if you use it 2-3 times to clean a spot that has turned yellow from coming into contact with water, it will often reverse the yellowing!
2. Use a very very very smallllll amount of solution when spot cleaning a viscose rug – viscose is a very absorbent fiber, and you want to make sure it gets the least wet as possible
3. Never use electric rug cleaners or scrub vigorously when cleaning a viscose rug – viscose fibers are weak and can be easily damaged. Instead, blot the stain at first to soak up as much of it as possible. Then, when using your cleaning solution, gently rub the stained area in the same direction as the pile of the rug (not a back and forth scrubbing motion).
4. Spray fabric softener on the cleaned area to prevent it from getting stiff and nappy looking after it dries. I use Febreze or Downy.
5. The quicker you dry the rug the better BUT NOT WITH HEAT – if you cannot dry the rug upside down like a rug professional would, use a hair dryer to quickly dry the area. BUT MAKE SURE IT HAS A COOL AIR SETTING. Using hot air will likely cause the rug to yellow. Make sure you only use cool air to dry the rug.
6. After the rug has dried, use a soft bristled brush to fluff the fibers back up to look like the rest of the rug. I used this nylon napping brush from Jon Don and it worked really well. You can also use this to give the rug a polished, unwalked-on look by brushing all the fibers in one direction with it.

By Georgia Grace Living Room Rug

For other general care tips:
– Try not to vacuum the rug. If you need to vacuum it, use the gentlest setting possible, as vigorous beating will wear the rug out more quickly.
– Every 2-3 years, have your rug cleaned. Pricing should be around $4.50/foot, although it can vary depending on your area of the country. Shop around and make sure you pick a seasoned professional, who has dealt with viscose rugs and knows how to clean them – you don't want them making a mistake on your beautiful rug! A good way to test them is to make sure they know the basics of the above information regarding how to clean a viscose rug.

So what do you guys think? Is all this hassle enough to talk you out of buying a viscose rug? If you're like me, then even after reading all this mess, you'll still go out and get yourself one of your own. OR, if you can afford it, you'll go out and buy one of the only shine rugs made with real silk that I've found on the market, at least with my limited scope of knowledge: the RH Textured Cord Rug – my holy grail of rugs. If you can swing it, go for it baby! And if not, I'm here to tell you that owning a viscose rug ain't nearly as much hassle as it seems, and the beauty is well worth the occasional pain in the butt.

xoxo Georgia Grace

Sources:

Curtains: Ikea Ritva Panels in White
Curtain Hardware: Ikea
Table Lamp: RH Directoire Glass Column Accent Lamp in Brass
Side Table: Kit Kemp for Anthropologie (discontinued)
Brass Candle Holder: vintage from Israel
Painting: Gouache on paper by unknown Russian artist, frame gilded by me
Sofa: Ikea Karlstad in Bleking White
Cushions: Home Goods
Coffee Table: via Craigslist, painted in custom mixture of Annie Sloan Paris Gray, French Linen and Old White, sealed with Minwax Polycrylic
Credenza: vintage MCM, painted with Glidden Trim & Door Deepest Black extra high gloss paint (here); stained with Minwax Classic Grey & Jacobean; knobs finished with Rub 'n Buff in Antique Gold
Mirrors: early-19th century English or Italian from a private estate sale via Craigslist
Chairs: Craigslist
Rug: Stark Carpet via Craigslist
Walls: Benjamin Moore Classic Grey in Flat