Interior Decorating Ideas

If you are thinking about buying a leather area rug you may be wondering about any special cleaning requirements these rugs have. In many ways it depends on the type of rug you have purchased how you will care for it. Some are tougher than others but, for the most part, these rugs are relatively problem free as long as you look after them well. Here are some tips on how you might go about cleaning a couple of different types of leather rugs.

Cleaning Patchwork Leather Rugs

Rugs made up of pieces of leather are generally the toughest kind and will be very durable. They can even be buffed back to a shine with shoe polish and treated much like a leather handbag. You should only ever give them a gentle vacuuming however to remove surface dust and use the upholstery tool which is more gentle on your rug than the usual tool you use to clean carpets.

Cleaning Shag Rugs Made of Leather

Leather shag rugs are a slightly different kettle of fish. They are made of strips of leather which are firmly knotted to a backing material. The main problem with these is that dirt and dust gets lodged between the strips of leather and can cause your rug to wear and to look grubby if not properly cleaned. The easiest way to clean this type of rug is to pick it up and give it a good shake although this can be a bit difficult with a very large rug and you might need assistance. Failing this, use your vacuum cleaner as above but it will probably not be as effective at removing grit and grime.

Dealing with Spills and Stains

If you spill anything on your rug, mop it up immediately and dab at the stain with a soft cloth wrung out in warm water with perhaps a little mild detergent added if necessary. If you are not able to remove the stain like this then consult a specialist carpet cleaning company who should be able to resolve the problem.

High traffic areas such as halls and stairs require a floor covering that will stand up to the rigors of constant wear and tear. The job in a hallway is usually given to a runner rug. These are placed over the top of another floor surface such as carpet or wooden floorboards in a bid to protect them from the persistent foot traffic. For this reason you want to get a material that not only looks good but will also perform strongly day in and day out.

A much under-rated type of rug is the bamboo rug, a type of rug that provides tremendous durability with a unique and stylish type of look. The fact that a bamboo rug is a hard wearing type it is suited to the job as a runner rug.

Take a look at some of the available bamboo rugs that are displayed below.

	Bamboo Mat Sale Price: $19.98

	Laser Printed Split Bamboo 3' x 5' Veranda Rug Sale Price: $38.00

	Anji Mountain Bamboo Chairmat and Rug Co AMB0308-0268 2 feet 6 inches x 8 feet Zatar Ribbed Loop Pile Natural Wool/Jute blend List Price: $218.00 Sale Price: $137.00

	Sparta Beige Bamboo Basketweave Rug Size: Runner 2' 6" x 10' Sale Price: $372.00

	Cabana Joe Bamboo Palm Wool Rug Size: Runner 2' 6" x 8' Sale Price: $295.00

	Sparta Green Bamboo Floral Rug Size: Runner 2' 6" x 10' Sale Price: $372.00

	Anji Mountain Bamboo Chairmat and Rug Co AMB0305-0268 2 feet 6 inches x 8 feet Kilimanjaro Deluxe Hand Braided Jute Area Rug - Borderless List Price: $218.00 Sale Price: $147.95

	Anji Mountain Bamboo Chairmat and Rug Co AMB0309-0268 2 feet 6 inches x 8 feet Elysian Hand Spun Jute Boucle/Natural Wool blend Herringbone List Price: $218.00 Sale Price: $135.00

A bamboo runner rug can be placed in the hall or any other main thoroughfare and you can be comfortable in knowing that it is a rug that will provide non-slip qualities to the floor. Due to the nature of the bamboo the rug will stand up to heavy traffic and won’t wear noticeably over a reasonably long period of time.

Bamboo runner rugs come in a surprising array of colors from dark through to light brown, some of them tending towards golden while the darker browns looking like dark chocolate. With such a healthy range of hues there should be a bamboo runner rug that will suit most traditional styles of rooms plus quite a few contemporary themes.

For a room that hints at touches of wood, the wood-like appearance of a bamboo runner rug will complete the picture. There is a definite chance of a welcoming statement that can be made with a long bamboo runner rug and in the right location they can look downright attractive.

With every chance of providing interesting decoration in the room, a bamboo runner rug is unusual enough to be eye catching without diverting attention away from other, more decorative pieces.

Depending on the size and length of the runner rug that you are considering buying a bamboo runner rug can be found for anything between $50 and $200. The color of the bamboo itself can be accented or contrasted with any kind of edging material to give the rug added character and interesting appeal.

One of the positive aspects of using bamboo as a decorating medium is that bamboo is a fast growing grass that is in plentiful supply. This means that it is a product that renews itself relatively quickly. You don’t have to remove the entire plant in order to harvest enough bamboo to provide you with plenty of materials to work with. In effect, a bamboo runner rug is an environmentally friendly product.

Once all of the major details have been seen to when going through a home renovation or a major redesign, it’s the little details that will give the room its edge. One of the important so-called minor details includes items such as accent rugs.

We use rugs in our home for a variety of reasons. They may cover a floor that is less than perfect, they may add a splash of color to the room or they may help to define the boundaries of a room. All of these reasons are valid for all kinds of rugs from accent rugs to runner rugs and they make tremendous accessories for defining the tone and style that you have given your home.

Modern rugs help to create the contemporary style of a room, utilizing up to date patterns and colors that range from plain to eclectic. In general modern rugs are being created with an artistic flair that aims to allow you to personalize your home while matching your existing color scheme.

Whereas traditional rugs are handmade over a long time, a modern rug is factory made and is made in large numbers. The techniques used to make each kind of rug are similar but only to the point where the end result is a woven rug. For this reason, a modern rug will cost far less than a traditional handmade rug.

The rug you put on your floor is going to be an item that is used to accessorize the furniture that already exists in the room. Modern rugs feature bold colors and they are made to endure a lot of traffic. They are also an economical way to furnish the home.

There are many places where you can pick up a quality modern rug. Naturally, a flooring store is going to have a selection, as are the larger department stores and specialty carpet stores. For the best choice your first call should be to a specialist carpet store because they are going to have many great examples that could yield the rug you’re looking for. Know the exact colors that you feel are important and must be represented in the rug you want to buy.

Whether the modern rug you buy is made from natural fibers such as wool or a synthetic material your main objective is to emphasize the other furniture in the room by highlighting their tones through the colors and patterns in the rug.

Rugs are used for a number of purposes in the home either as a decorative piece or as a way to soften a hard or cold floor. One of the more common types of rugs are runner rugs, most commonly found in the hallway of the family home. That being said, there are quite a lot of other places around the house where a runner rug will serve very nicely.

These types of rugs are particularly useful for protecting high traffic areas such as halls, doorways and other areas where you want to save the wear and tear on the floor. It doesn't matter whether the floor is hardwood, tile or marble the constant foot traffic is eventually going to mark the floor unless something like a runner rug is laid over the top of it.

Styles available are contemporary or traditional with the most sought after having been made in countries such as China, India, Nepal, Turkey and Pakistan. Although rugs from these countries that have strong rug-making backgrounds may be more expensive than locally made rugs, you can be confident that the product you buy is of the highest quality.

Runner rugs are available for specific functions other than for welcoming guests into the home via the hall. You can buy stair runner rugs, kitchen runner rugs and even bathroom runner rugs. The names given to each of these types of rugs explain where you might want to use them.

Look at this selection of stair and hall runner rugs.

	Premium Carpet Stair Treads - Baroque Spice Sale Price: $199.99

	MSM Duo Lock Set (13 pieces) of 24 Inch Wide Stair Tread Rug Pads - Includes RPFL (TM) Rug and Pad Care Guide Sale Price: $29.99

	Premium Carpet Stair Treads - Red Scrollworks + Matching 5' Runner and 5'3" Round Rug Sale Price: $275.00

	12 Attachable Carpet Stair Treads - Blue - 8 In. X 27 In. Sale Price: $99.00

	Patch Magic 30-Inch by 72-Inch Indian Dancers Runner Rug List Price: $138.00 Sale Price: $88.00

	Patch Magic 30-Inch by 72-Inch Acres of Acorns Runner Rug List Price: $138.00 Sale Price: $88.00

	Patch Magic 30-Inch by 72-Inch Ladybug Runner Rug List Price: $138.00 Sale Price: $88.00

	Patch Magic 30-Inch by 72-Inch Fire Truck Runner Rug List Price: $138.00 Sale Price: $88.00

Ideal for a smaller covering job and an option for those with a smaller budget are runner area rugs. These rugs are usually the same width as a standard hall runner rug but are cut down to around 4 feet in length. You may want to complement the design found in the runner rug in the hall with your area rugs throughout various points in the home, allowing the theme to flow from room to room.

You can either buy a standard sized runner rug or, if you have special size requirements, can have them custom made to your specifications. This will be a necessity if you are trying to find a suitable rug for the stairs or for a particularly long hallway.

Some people care more about the look of their rug and forget about the quality of the product that they are buying. Remember there is a big difference in quality of the manufacture of rugs and buying one that is durable is an important factor to keep in mind. Just because the rug is cheap does not necessarily mean you are getting a bargain.

When decorating the family home a runner rug is going to be one of those small but important items that help to create the overall lasting impression. It may be the first thing people see when they walk in the door so you will want that impression to be a good one.