Pressure washing rugs?

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Gracie21

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Anyone done this? Success?

Just realised I have 8 winter rugs to clean and being a student now (EXCITINNGGG!!) I can't afford to take them to be professionally washed.

Was planning to lay them out on concrete, scrub with rug wash & brush then pressure wash out (on low-ish setting) sideways so that hopefully I'll see the dirt moving out?

Only issue is I don't think I have enough fence to lay 8 rugs along in the back garden.... :D
 
I have tried pressure washing rugs but the pressure washer will tend to drive the dirt into the rug. The best cheap way of doing then yourself is using a cement mixer. Fasten all the buckles so they do not ge too wrapped round the padddles. Put in with a couple of buckets of cold water to get them wet. Then 1 bucket of hot water with detergent, let it tumble then follow up with copious amounts of cold water. Reove drey a little then rinse again and again until the water runs clear. Works for me.
 
I have a large washing machine for washing my horse stuff but years ago used to wash rugs using a bucket of warm water and a stiff brush and then hosed them off. It is best to use something like Nikwax rug wash but you can use detergent but don't use a biological product or you will lose the water proofing
 
pec said:
The best cheap way of doing then yourself is using a cement mixer. Fasten all the buckles so they do not ge too wrapped round the padddles. Put in with a couple of buckets of cold water to get them wet. Then 1 bucket of hot water with detergent, let it tumble then follow up with copious amounts of cold water. Reove drey a little then rinse again and again until the water runs clear. Works for me.
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Genius!
 
All I do is lay them on the floor, using a yard brush go over all the muddiest bits using cold water and then hose the whole rug down. Have done this for years and never had a leaky rug unlike friends who find their beautifully professionally laundered rug leaks. I can't understand why they bother when the horse will roll on the very first day.
 
I don't tend to have muddy rugs as I leave them on the horses to dry then brush it off if needed!

I do the insides with a pressure washer, have used washing up liquid or a non bio wash gel (less annoying white granules to get stuck!), scrub and repeat and leave to dry in the sun. It is only really mild sweatyness I have to deal with, apart from fly rugs which go in the wash, so I just like to freshen them.

Professional rug washing is a racket if you ask me, I am also a student and its up there with hot horse showers and nice menage surfaces in my list of unattainable luxuries ;-)
 
I put mine in the normal washing machine, can get up too a 300g with neck in it so I just don't buy heavier rug I just layer them up instead
 
Yes, I used to wash and repair up to 250 rugs a year like this.
I wore waders and eye protection as you can get dirt and stones fly up, lay them out on the concrete as you have said and do them, go along all the straps to give them a good clean, it won't drive the dirt in to the rug as someone has suggested IF you point the nozzle at a 45 degree angle the water bounces off rather than going in to the fibres.
I had a 50 gallon plastic water tank that I filled with clean cold water and anti bac, used that to rinse them, then hang over the fence to dry, sorted!
The waders came in handy as not only do they protect your legs from water, hair and dirt splash back but I'd get in the rinsing tub with the rugs to be the agitator.
Got some strange looks from neighbours when stripped to waist with just waders and rubber gloves on jumping up and down doing what appeared to be a strange dance in a tub full of water but that's life!
Oz
 
I've been watching this thread with interest because I was thinking of dealing with the livingroom carpet in the same way! (I'm a bachelor and we are allowed to do things like this).

Of course, a wet carpet will be heavy so I was planning to lift it with the tractor front loader. I can then drive it inside if it rains.

As an aside, the manager of the local abattoir used to wash their overalls in the tripe dresser. That's a thing a bit like a concrete mixer that's used to wash beef tripe for human consumption. But don't worry, that was back in the bad old days when hygiene was a word they had to look up in the dictionary!
 
Dry Rot said:
I've been watching this thread with interest because I was thinking of dealing with the livingroom carpet in the same way! (I'm a bachelor and we are allowed to do things like this).

Of course, a wet carpet will be heavy so I was planning to lift it with the tractor front loader. I can then drive it inside if it rains.

As an aside, the manager of the local abattoir used to wash their overalls in the tripe dresser. That's a thing a bit like a concrete mixer that's used to wash beef tripe for human consumption. But don't worry, that was back in the bad old days when hygiene was a word they had to look up in the dictionary!
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lol!
Beats my waders and rubber gloves!
 
Dry Rot said:
I've been watching this thread with interest because I was thinking of dealing with the livingroom carpet in the same way! (I'm a bachelor and we are allowed to do things like this).

Of course, a wet carpet will be heavy so I was planning to lift it with the tractor front loader. I can then drive it inside if it rains.

As an aside, the manager of the local abattoir used to wash their overalls in the tripe dresser. That's a thing a bit like a concrete mixer that's used to wash beef tripe for human consumption. But don't worry, that was back in the bad old days when hygiene was a word they had to look up in the dictionary!
Click to expand...

OMG! why don't you just hire a vax for £50.00.
 
We take ours to a local laundrette where the big big washing machine costs £4. As long as you use non bio washing stuff then you shouldnt need to reprooff your rug every time. We reproof ours every third wash just to be on the safe side and have never had any problems with leaks. A LOT cheaper than the £20 per rug at the professional cleaners and just as effective as you can put one rug in a HUGE washing machine so they do come out spotless. You do get some strange looks off people but hey ho, I dont care what they think!
 
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