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Home » DIY » Cleaning » How to Clean an Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug

How to Clean an Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug

April 13, 2016 by hewella1 9 Comments

Since the weather is so nice outside now, I wanted to get my sun room clean and organized so that I can enjoy it this year. I really needed to learn how to clean my indoor/outdoor area rug. It was so filthy!

I did some research and found the best way to clean an indoor/outdoor area rug and it worked like a charm. I wanted to share what I did in case your rug is as dirty as mine was.

how to clean an indoor/outdoor area rug

I hadn’t cleaned my rug all year and it showed. It sits in my sun room so the dogs run over it all the time when they go in and out of the house.

They tracked mud all over it and the rug was looking pretty gross as you can tell from the pictures. I needed a way to clean it but I didn’t want to mess it up. You may be wondering, “Can you wash an outdoor rug?” My rug looks amazing after I did the following:

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How to Clean an Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug

rug 3

 

  1.  Sweep off any debris that you can and then vacuum the remaining dirt off of the entire indoor/outdoor area rug.

cleaning supplies

2. Get a big bowl or bucket and put about 1 Tbs. of clear dish soap for every gallon of water. I used a clear dish soap like Seventh Generation (affiliate link) because I didn’t want there to be any chance of the soap staining the white on my rug.

dirty rug

3, Lay the rug flat on the driveway or patio. I used my back deck since we live on a hill and can’t use our driveway for this. I didn’t want to put it on the grass because I thought it would just get muddy on the bottom.

4. Spray the rug thoroughly with water.

5. Take a soft scrub brush, dip it in your soap and water mixture, and start scrubbing away at those stains. I scrubbed my entire rug because it was pretty dirty but if you have just a few dirty spots, you can just spot treat.

6. Rinse the rug and make sure all of the soap is removed.

how to clean an indoor/outdoor area rug

7. Hang it up to dry if you can. I used our fence. I then sprayed it again to remove any dirt that was left behind.

I let it hang to dry for about a day and it was completely dry.

clean rug

That’s it! It took me about an hour clean my indoor/outdoor area rug but it sure beats going out to buy a new one. I think it looks brand new and I am so happy with how clean it got!

This can help make your patio rug last a long time and you can really get your money’s worth out of it. Do you have any tips for how to clean an indoor/outdoor area rug?

 

 

Filed Under: Cleaning

Comments

  1. renee says

    November 2, 2017 at 10:26 am

    This remedy worked. I wished I had took before and after pictures. I have the same identical rug in light grey and white. I was thinking of getting rid of it, but it cleaned up brand new and smells good.

    Thanks for the tip

    Reply
    • Sue White says

      July 18, 2020 at 9:47 am

      I live in an apartment, there is indoor outdoor carpet, I have stains all over from spills of many thing’s , like coffee, soda, cool whip, believe it or not. When I spill I automatically clean it up. First with water and the resolve or sometimes shout. Once it dries the drain is still there. Why are the stains still there? My friend is going to clean it in a few days with my Bissell pro heat cleaner. What should she use to clean it with? We

      Reply
  2. Rose says

    October 28, 2018 at 5:11 pm

    Do you think this will work for an indoor rug

    Reply
    • Allen says

      March 16, 2020 at 7:50 pm

      I have rinsed my indoor outdoor carpet with plain water, and it turns white and it’s very hard to get the white, whatever it is, off. Do you know what it is oh, and how to remove it? Allen

      Reply
  3. Theresa Zievert says

    July 18, 2019 at 5:17 pm

    My husband takes ours to the Carwash where he can use the area and high powered spray gun. Works like a charm.

    Reply
    • Andrea Chauncine Chambliss says

      November 12, 2019 at 12:13 am

      After reading this I plan on using my power washer next spring. We got early snow and it’s covered with snow, mud and leaves. I am waiting for a day that is not freezing to remove it from my patio. I may have to use a scrub brush to get out the deeply stained areas.

      Reply
  4. Jenny H. says

    May 17, 2021 at 9:23 am

    Thanks for this. I have an indoor/outdoor rug in my living room and it gets dingy and stinky with two dogs. I used the Seventh Generation Lavender and Mint. I skipped the bucket part. I sprayed down my rug with water and then squirted the dish soap directly on the rug. Scrubbed it, let it sit for 5 minutes and rinsed it. It definitely looks less dingy. Beats buying a new one!!

    Reply
  5. mg says

    May 27, 2021 at 1:19 pm

    I’ve washed several (brand) rugs like this…simple, doesn’t feel like a huge project, it’s not an exact science, so it’s very forgiving and seems to have worked every time. I 1)pick a sunny day, and hang the rug over a lawn chair (it helps with the drying afterwards), 2) spray the rug with the hose, 3)thoroughly soak the rug with dish soap and lots of water. (Sometimes I add borax or baking soda.) 4)let it sit 15ish minutes, then scrub with a brush…you can put more water on if need be, then 5) rinse thoroughly and let dry.

    Reply
  6. Chick says

    June 20, 2021 at 9:55 am

    I thank you for this article. I am going to use Dawn Dish Detergent and lots of water and a soft brush. I know it is going to work like a charm.

    Reply

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frugal ginger pic I am a busy Stay at Home Mom to a beautiful little girl and 2 fur babies. Here you will find money saving tips and tricks to help your family's budget. You can also find frugal recipe ideas, parenting advice, life hacks and some things about my crazy life. Head over here to find out more about me and my blog.

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