How to Clean a Shag Rug

Co-authored by Ashley Matuska

Last Updated: November 25, 2022 References

Shag rugs are a great addition to many room decors, but they require different cleaning than short-fibered rugs. Shag rugs require a little extra care, such as shaking them out and vacuuming them weekly. Rather than vacuuming them as you would other rugs, you can flip them upside down and vacuum the underside. This keeps the vacuum from pulling at the fibers of the rug. Spills should be cleaned up immediately by dabbing at them with a dry rag. For tougher stains, dampen a cloth with water and vinegar to release the stains from the carpet.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Shaking and Beating the Rug

1
Fold the rug in half and carry it outside. For rugs that are small enough to be carried by one or two people, fold them in half or roll them up and carry them outside. You don’t want to let all of the trapped dirt loose in your home. Take the rug into the yard or at least onto the porch.
- As you gather the rug up and carry it outside, be careful not to drop debris from it onto the floor.
2
Shake the rug out. For light rugs, give them a good shake up and down to release as much of the dirt as you can. Dirt gets trapped until the shag, but it’s not always held tight in the rug. Shaking the rug will allow a lot of the dirt to fly out of the rug.^{[1]
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- Be sure to shake it with the wind blowing away from you and not to shake the dust out around other people.
- For larger rugs, have someone help you by holding onto one of the corners. Then you can shake the rug together to release the dirt.
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3
Hang the rug with the non-shag side facing out. After giving the rug a good shake, hang it over a porch railing, a fence, or on a clothesline. Be sure to hang it so that the shag is folded against itself and the smooth underside is outward.^{[2]
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- If you have nothing to hang the rug on, you can have someone hold it as long as you are extra careful.
4
Beat the rug with a broom handle or rug beater. Take the handle of a broom or mop, a long stick, or a sturdy rug beater and hit both sides of the rug. Hit the rug hard enough to shake debris loose. Once you stop noticing dust fly from the rug, it is clean enough. Give it a brief final shake and place it back in your house.^{[3]
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- It is a good idea to wear a mask over your mouth and nose, especially if you have allergies, to avoid breathing too much of the dust flying out of the rug.
- Beat rugs once or twice a week depending on whether or not they are in high traffic areas. Rugs that don’t get walked on often can be cleaned every two weeks.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Vacuuming a Shag Rug

1
Flip the rug upside down so the shag is against the floor. On a hard floor, flip the run facedown so that the backing is exposed. Never run a vacuum on the shag part of the rug with a standard powerhead, as it can damage the fibers of the rug.^{[4]
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2
Run the vacuum over the underside. Move your vacuum slowly back and forth in straight lines going across the width of the rug. The sucking mechanism will remove a lot of dirt while the beater bar of the vacuum will knock more dirt loose onto the floor. Vacuum a second time lengthwise, crossing your first set of passes.
- Vacuuming the underside of the rug works because dirt settles down past the fibers into the base layer or backing of the rug.
- Vacuum your rug once a week to keep it in good condition. Rugs kept in rooms where people rarely walk can be vacuumed every two weeks.
3
Vacuum the floor beneath the rug. Roll the rug up and set it aside. Then run your vacuum over the floor area where the rug was lying. This will pick up any dirt and debris that was shaken out of the rug onto the floor.^{[5]
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- If you don’t want to run your vacuum on your hard floor, use a broom and dust pan to pick up any dirt remaining on the floor.
4
Use a brush or upholstery attachment to vacuum the rug. Lay the rug out again, this time with the shag side up. Using the vacuum’s hose with a brush or upholstery attachment, brush straight lines up and down the rug. This will remove any dirt or debris that was loosened during the first vacuuming stage. Brush the carpet gently and do not brush in circles.^{[6]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Cleaning Spills

1
Dab spills with a dry microfiber cloth. The most important thing is to clean spills up immediately to stop them from soaking deep into the rug. Use a white cloth so no color is transferred onto the rug. Dab at the spill to soak up as much as you can, but don’t rub it because this spreads it around.^{[7]
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- A microfiber cloth works well to avoid transferring lint or fibers onto the rug.
2
Wipe the spill with a damp paper towel or alcohol-free wipes. After you soak up the majority of the spilled liquid, dab at the spill with a wet cloth. Baby wipes work well, or you can use a wet paper towel or wet clean cloth. Use lukewarm water as hot water can shrink some fibers.^{[8]
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- Rinse the cloth and continue dabbing at the spill to pull up as much of it as possible.
3
Clean tough stains with vinegar. If dabbing the spill with a dry and wet cloth does not sufficiently clean the spill, mix equal parts warm (not hot) water and vinegar (½ cup or 120 ml each is a good amount). Wet a cloth with the solution and massage it into the rug pulling up the stain.^{[9]
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- Wipe the vinegar mixture gently on a corner of the rug first to make sure it will not fade the colors of the rug. Don’t use this if you can tell that it visibly affects the fibers of the rug.
- Rinse the cloth and re-wet it as many times as necessary, but don’t over-wet the rug, and give it plenty of time to dry in a well-ventilated room.
- This type of treatment usually works well on water-based stains like soda, some juices, and some pet stains.
4
Consult a professional for heavier stains. If cleaning stains gently with water and vinegar is not enough to get them up, have your rug professionally cleaned. Traditional carpet cleaners are often too harsh for natural-fiber shag rugs. If you spill something like ink or wine that causes a bad stain, call a professional who is skilled at treating heavy stains.
- Professional cleaning is typically reserved for Oriental, Persian, or other hand-woven rugs that are significantly valuable. Weigh the cost of professional cleaning against the value of the rug itself.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you maintain a shag rug?

Ashley Matuska
Professional Cleaner
Ashley Matuska is a Professional Cleaner at the Founder and Owner of Dashing Maids in Denver, Colorado. Ashley has over seven years of experience in the cleaning industry. She and her team specialize in offering sustainable deep cleaning and maintenance cleaning services.

Ashley Matuska

Professional Cleaner

Expert Answer

Typically it's not a good idea to put a shag rug in the washing machine. Usually, we just shake it out as much as we can, vacuum it, then do a spot clean with carpet cleaner as needed.