How to clean an Outdoor Rug
Today I’ve got a fun household tip for you, how to clean an outdoor rug. I’ve been pretty clear in the past that organizing and housekeeping are not two of my strengths. not. at. all. So when I find something that actually works for me, aside from that being borderline miraculous, I figure that it’s worth sharing. Cause if it works for me it just might work for anyone.
This is the rug that is in the outdoor “room” that we created under our deck. To read more about the room click here. Since the rug does not get any direct sunshine it has a tendency to get really green and dirty during the course of the year.
I remember hearing on TV a while ago that you could clean outdoor furniture with Baking Soda, so I decided to give it a try on our rug, and you know what.. IT TOTALLY worked.. and it was super easy. This is the 3rd year in a row that I’ve tried this trick and it seems to work every time.
To do this you’re going to need a few things. Lots of Baking Soda (buy a big bulk bag at the warehouse store) a deck brush (be careful what kind, some brushes have such stiff bristles that they will snag your rug, I recommend a softer nylon brush) and some water. That’s it.
First get your rug wet. Then sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the top. Use your brush and work the baking soda into the rug.
Let it sit for a bit… then using your hose and a pressure nozzle squirt all of the baking soda off. There may still be a little residual dirt. Leave the rug out in the sun for a day, then squirt it off again.
When you’re done… clean rug!! Mine still had a bit of a stain, but with a bit more time in the sun it was gone.
The best part is you don’t have to worry about squirting chemicals into your yard or your pool when you’re cleaning the rug. The baking soda is pretty benign.
Now it’s back in place and ready for a summer of wear and tear!
Thank you. I have an indoor rug sitting in my driveway waiting for me to clean. This rug sits under my boyfriend’s chair. It catches his cola, coffee and cigarette ashes (yuck). I was just going to hose it off and scrub. However, using baking soda (which I already buy in bulk) is an excellent tip that I will be using. Again, Thank you.
I was just taking a break from cleaning up the pontoon boat after a week long camping trip. I’m cleaning the RUG next!! How fortunate to wander onto your blog ( from Pintrest ). I’m excited to go try this out! Thanks so much!!
So glad you like it! We have a pontoon boat too! It’s in desperate need of cleaning 🙂