How to Protect Your Rug from Your Pet

Pets bring happiness into a home with the affection they show and the unintentionally funny behaviors they do. But along with their amusing antics can come a small whirlwind of destruction. With their teeth and claws they may tear up soft surfaces. Because they play outside, they can bring in all the grime that you want to keep out. They might even do their business in the wrong places—especially when they’re young. For a rug, all this can quickly spell disaster. If you want to keep a rug and your pet together under the same roof, it can help to take some defensive measures. Here’s how to protect your rug from your pet.

Trim Your Pet’s Nails

Long, sharp nails are a large culprit in taking apart rugs. Even if your pet is not purposefully scratching at it, their nails can still catch strands of the pile fabric. When this happens, they may pull out areas of the rug and leave it with uneven patches where fibers are lifted or completely missing. By regularly trimming your pet’s nails, you can significantly reduce this instance’s likelihood. After you clip their nails, you should also file them so that there are no sharp edges.

Scotch Guard the Rug

You can directly protect your rug by applying scotch guard to its surface. Scotch guard comes in the form of a spray, which will help maintain the threads’ shape and make the rug resistant to stains. Have a professional scotch guard it so that you can be certain that it has been sprayed on fully. Attempting it yourself might leave your rug with an Achille’s heel where you missed a spot. If your pet does happen to have an accident there or cause some other kind of stain, it’ll be harder to get out. That’s because it could spread beneath the scotch-guarded piles, where you won’t be able to clean it well.

Have an Entryway Defense

Returning from the outside, pets can easily track in dirt, mud, or other debris all over your prized rugs. You can put a floor mat down right at the entryway to catch some of this unwanted filth as your pet comes in. Another measure you can take is to have a towel by the door at the ready to wipe down your pet whenever the need arises. This small effort can have a big effect on how clean your rug will be after your pet’s outdoor excursions.

Even after all this, your rug could still get damaged by your pet if you are not constantly on top of cleaning them and having the rug sprayed periodically. It may be smart to find more low-maintenance rugs rather than delicate ones so that you don’t get overly stressed. If you want to get quality rugs for less, Boutique Rugs has just what you need. You can browse through our selection online.