Storing rugs? 6 tips to consider

Sometimes it is necessary to store a rug. For example, because you are moving house or when you have bought another rug but want to keep the old one for later. It then seems a good idea to put your rug in the attic or basement. Good riddance, and there it is nice and dry. Right?

Unfortunately, no.

Indeed; the attic and basement are just about the worst places imaginable for storing a rug. So where should you store your rug, and what else should you consider if you want to keep your rug somewhere for a while?

1. A big cleaning

Before storing a rug, it is smart to clean it thoroughly first. Preferably with a professional cleaner. If that is not possible, you can thoroughly clean your rug yourself using a carpet cleaner.

2. Where should you store your rug?

Find a place in your home where there is room to store a rug. Preferably a place that is not in direct contact with the ground. On a shelf on the wall or on top of the wardrobe, for example.

So why not in the attic or basement? Because those are the places in the house that are often the most humid, and moisture is a rolled-up and stored rug’s worst enemy. If you roll it out again after a year, you will be surprised by a hefty layer of smelly mould. Blegh, just on the cupboard then.

3. Cleaning the storage area

Other than the rug itself, it is also smart to clean the place where you will store the rug well. Quite a bit of dust can collect on top of the wardrobe which, if you don’t remove it, can get dead inside your rug. The cleaner the storage area, the better your rug will be preserved. So let’s start cleaning!

4. Pack it up

To protect your rug from dust and dirt swirling around, it is best to wrap the rug for a while. Paper works very well for this. Roll up the rug firmly, with the pile inwards, and wrap the paper tightly around the rug. Now the rug can be laid down on the storage area.

5. A small clean-up

Even though you have properly cleaned both the rug and the storage area, you cannot stop new dust and dirt. It is therefore smart to freshen up and clean the storage area every now and then. That way, you prevent dirt that swirls around from ending up in your rug.

6. No weights on it.

When the cleaned, wrapped rug is in its nice clean storage location, do not put heavy things on top of it, this can cause the rug to deform irreparably.

So just rolling up the rug and putting it down in the attic for a while is not such a good idea. Think in advance where you have room in your house to store the rug for a while and make sure the rug and the room are nice and clean. Then, when you roll it out again after a few months, you can enjoy peak-quality rugs again without any crazy smell or damage.