How do I clean my deep shag pile rug?

[sisterelephant]

We've had this rug for about a year, and unfortunately with a toddler, throwing food etc and general wear and tear its now a bit grubby.

I Hoover about 3 times a week but I can never really get everything out, and I don't always have the time give it a thorough clean with a toddler running around and the rest of the flat to clean.

It's at the point where I now cringe when I look at, its so grubby. If I had the money i'd throw it out and buy a new one :(

We live in a flat so no outside area to wash outside, it's also pretty large 120/160cm. how on earth do I do it?

Any tips very welcome, thank you.

Anyone?

hire a carpet cleaner? you will need help though to both trap the toddler and to stand on the edges of the rug so the suction doesnt lift it.

I might be inclined to use good old fashioned 1001 or vanish carpet cleaner and give it a good scrub, keeping it as dry as possible. if you do it at toddler bed time it has the longest time to dry - or you could put some stuff on it while it is still damp to keep the dc off.

I watched a woman in Marakech clean one on the roof, with soapy water and a scrubbing brush then hanging it out to dry, it took 2 days in all! My balcony overlooked her roof by the way...

What Vacuum do you have? You'll need an upright on a carpet like that so that the brushroll can lift the pile and clean deep between the catoet fibres.

Most vacuums these days just skim the top of the carpet, especially Dyson because they don't have a proper height adjustment.

Hiring a commercial upright vacuum and a carpet washer would be a good idea

Thanks both.

I wish I had a big enough outside space to give it a good scrub.

Can't afford to hire a cleaner but I can try 1001 or vanish and give it a good scrub before bed so it has overnight to dry?

We have a vax filter hoover, not upright, so maybe that's why it doesn't work?

I would absolutely say that you need an upright on a shag pile rug. Do you have any friends, relatives or neighbours with an upright that you could borrow? Maybe try going over it with the upright, using the 1001 on it, leave it to dry and then go over of again with the upright to pull out the dry 1001