4) You can’t get odor out easily. The cotton foundations of many of these shag rugs absorbs urine easily from pet accidents, and you need A LOT of water to get those contaminants out. Surface cleaning is NOT going to solve this problem, in these cases the shag rugs must be fully and professionally washed. Even then, if the backing has latex adhesive in it, you may not ever get all of the odor out of the rug. That is why these are not the ideal rugs for homes with pets that are not trained.
5) There is no quicker, cheaper clean. Even synthetic shag rugs, which should be steam cleaned, can’t because of the construction. That means the only option is washing them, which is a labor intensive service. So if the cleaning price is more than the price of the rug, you might just plan to buy a new one every 2 or so years. (Rugs under regular use should be cleaned every 18-24 months. If you dust/vacuum them regularly, you can extend it to 30 months, and any longer than that the rug is truly not sanitary after all of the feet, shoes, and paws walking all over it. Just buy another new, clean rug.)
There used to be shag wall-to-wall carpet several decades ago until everyone realized what a nightmare it was to live with and keep clean. Sometimes kids even got lost in those fibers! =)
The same fate will happen with today’s shag rugs… they will go out of style when it becomes apparent how tough, and how expensive, it is to keep these rugs looking good.
Happy Rug Cleaning!
– Lisa
P.S. If you are looking for rugs and do not know what to buy, here’s a past post on what to look for when buying rugs, and another on the pros/cons of synthetic rugs versus natural fiber rugs.
For more information Shaggy Pillow, please get in touch with us!