Is it possible to keep outdoor rugs clean? How can I keep my outdoor rug nice looking? These are questions that outdoor rugs companies anticipate – and because of this, the best companies know they need to make an outdoor rug that can both be durable enough to stay outside but also easy enough to handle to be kept clean.

Take a look at the following tips for keeping your outdoor rugs clean. File it away and use what applies as necessary!

1. Consider Using Bamboo Rugs

Rugs made primarily from bamboo, such as those outdoor rugs from the Anji Mountain Rug Company, are some of the easiest outdoor rugs to clean. Usually cleaning a rug like this involves first shaking it, and then, if dirt and whatnot are still present, taking a damp cloth and applying it to the finish, rubbing it until the dirt is gone. If dirt is still present, apply a cleaning solution to the cloth, but be sure to use a test area first. It’s possible a strong cleaning solution could effect the tone or clarity of the colors naturally present in an outdoor bamboo rug.

2. Use Outdoor Rugs Seasonally Only

In some climates, this is perhaps an obvious statement, but in other places where the climate is mild or winters are not too severe, consider just packing up the rug and placing it indoors for the season. While weather such as strong snows or constant spring rains should not present a problem for an outdoor rug – they are, after all, designed to be outdoors, this does not mean they are going to NOT get dirty or perhaps permanently altered from such conditions. The same is even true of great weather – direct sunlight on an outdoor rug can dull the colors of the rug, over time.

Since few people are going to be enjoying the outdoors all season long, the patio or whatever rugged area they intend to enjoy outside does not need to have the rug present all year long.

3. Add It To Your Cleaning Chores

Just because it’s outside doesn’t mean it should get left out of the cleaning chores! Integrate cleaning the rug into your other cleaning to increase the lifespan of the rug. This can mean different things to different people. For some, this means simply shaking and wiping down the rug once a week. (This is the easiest way to increase the lifespan and the aesthetic value of the rug. Simply shake the rug clean of external debri and then gently wipe it down with a damp cloth.) For others, it may mean having it professionally washed once a month or every season. For some, a good rule of thumb – if the rug size-wise and material wise permits such a thing – is to simply throw it in the washer once or twice a month and give it a good cleaning.

4. Get Twice As Much For Your Dollar By Using a Reversible Outdoor Rug

This isn’t so much a cleaning tip as a nifty little trick! But when it comes to outdoor rugs, one way to increase the lifespan of the rug is to buy an reversible rug. This means that you can flip it over and have a new rug! This means the rug will have twice the lifespan as a normal rug (unless you chop it in half on purpose or something horrendous happens to it). One way this can relate to keeping the rug clean is to flip the side of the exposed rug over every time you clean it! This trick is one of my favorites.

The great part about keeping an outdoor rug clean is that it’s not as relevant as keeping in door rugs clean. In other words, rare is the person who looks at an outdoor rug and notices any dirt or problems with its cleanliness! It is, afterall, an outdoor rug, right?

Let’s take a look at some of the more common materials used in outdoor rugs that makes them suitable to be outside in various weather conditions.

Bamboo. Bamboo is a fantastic material used in rugs, both indoor rugs and outdoorrugs, as well being used in a nearly endless list of other furniture items, as it makes for a great raw building material. Bamboo is cultivated, harvested, and cured a specific way that tightens the fibers inside at every step of the way to make a highly durable, strong rug. For more about bamboo, see Anji Bamboo Outdoor Rugs.

DuraCord Fabric. DuraCord Fabric is a trademarked fabric that makes up many types of outdoor furniture. DuraCord is a synthetic fiber that is as soft of softer than polyester. It doesn’t collect mildew and it allows for vibrant colors via a specific method of acrylic solution dying. A perk of DuraCord rugs is that they are easy to clean (see Cleaning Outdoor Rugs) and the colors do not fade from bleach cleaning solution. Additionally, they will not absorb water. Can you imagine how helpful that is when designing a rug to stay outside?

Plastic. Plastic is a versatile material and at first it might sound odd to think of a rug being based on plastic, but tiny plastic bits can be used to make a very strong rug that is able to withstand the outdoors. Many plastic outdoor rugs are the type that you’re able to roll up and easily store. Think of the chain type of rug where each piece spans the length of the rug and is connected via small ropes.

Another interesting aspect of using plastic for rugs is that this means you can make entire rugs out of recycled materials. Plastic is one of the most easily recycled materials on the planet, and rug companies have capitalized on this fact to offer products that can be considered both “green”, strong, and durable, as well as easy to clean with just water and some cleaning solution.

Rubber. The term “rubber outdoor rugs” doesn’t carry with it much elegance or suave decor does it? Nevertheless, rubber mats and outdoor rugs are one of the most common – and cheap! – out door rugs out there on the market. Rubber is especially popular for door mats as they clean easily and can stand the wear and tear of having lets of feet wiped on them.

Does this mean all outdoor rugs are made of plastic, rubber, bamboo, or DuraCord rope and fabrics? Absolutely not. These are just some strong materials that are in some rugs and because of their qualities – such as being water resistant – make them suitable as the basis of an outdoor rug. Out of all the types listed here, I’d have to say my favorites are the bamboo rugs and the DuraCord rugs – picking one of these types, you can’t go wrong!