Shags rugs have come back into popularity, and for good reasons. These soft rugs add a cozy touch to any room – whether it’s a kids play area or a high class modern living room. The only downside is that shag carpets can be prone to shedding, adding yet another task to your “to do” list as a homeowner.

Thankfully though, it’s a lot easier to deal with a shaggy rug that has begun to start shedding today than it’s ever been in the past. The majority of these kinds of rugs are constructed to fight back against shedding as much as possible, and the overwhelming majority of quality shag rugs are going to be much easier to clean up and maintain even when they do shed.

To help you better deal with this headache and hassle, however, we have together a couple of quick tips and tricks you will be able to utilize to make sure that shaggy rug shedding doesn’t drive you absolutely crazy going forward.

Quality Matters

As with anything else, you get what you pay for. If you like the look of a shag rug, it’s worth paying the extra money for one made of high quality materials. Cheaper rugs typically have a weaker foundation and use a mechanical process to tuft the fibres. These rugs may look good for a year or two, but they begin to show their wear. Invest in a quality hand-knotted shag rug and you’ll appreciate the difference over time.

Vacuum on a Regular Basis

If you are committed to your shaggy rug you have to commit to cleaning and maintaining it a lot more frequently than you probably would with a more traditional floor covering. Dirt and debris left in a shaggy rug will absolutely wreak havoc on the overall condition of that floor covering, and before you know it your entire rug is going to be falling apart at the seams.

Vacuum your shaggy rug at least every other day (just briefly, and enough to remove loose dirt and debris before it has a chance to really attach itself) and you won’t have to deal with your rug shedding anywhere near as much as it may have in the past. It may sound like a lot of work, but honestly takes only a minute. In combination with professional rug cleaning on a yearly basis, your shag rugs will maintain their pristine condition for years to come.

Take Advantage of a Rug Pad Backer

Another solution that you want to leverage is the addition of a rug pad that goes on the underside of your shaggy rugs, providing you with an extra layer of safety, and extra layer of stability. A backer acts like a minor adhesive that make sure that stray strands of your shaggy rug never get to wandering.

These are inexpensive and “invisible” solutions that will dramatically cut down on the amount of time and effort you need to expand actually cleaning up and maintaining your shag rugs.

Ja-Doc Inglis is Ottawa’s preferred rug cleaning service. Visit our area rug cleaning page to see our services and discover how we can help keep your shag rug looking its best.