What you'll need
- Vacuum with a smooth nozzle (no rotating brush)
- Carpet beater or a place to shake the rug outdoors
- Clean light-coloured cloths or paper towels
- Mild detergent and lukewarm water
- Baking soda for odours
- Fan or hairdryer on the cool setting
Vacuum both sides
A jute rug's loose weave lets sand and dust through, so dirt collects underneath. Vacuum the top, flip the rug and vacuum the back – and the floor under it. Use a smooth nozzle: a rotating brush pulls at the fibres.
Shake or beat it outdoors
Shake a small rug; hang a larger one and beat it lightly. Done dry, this is the safest way to loosen dirt that sits deep. Snow cleaning isn't recommended: the snow melts into the fibres and wets the rug.
Treat a stain at once – dry first
Blot spills immediately with a clean cloth, pressing rather than rubbing. Scrape dried splashes and crumbs off gently with a blunt knife and vacuum them up.
If you need water: a damp cloth only
Mix a few drops of mild detergent into lukewarm water, dampen a cloth and wring it almost dry. Dab the stain from the edge towards the centre. Don't pour water on the rug or wet the back. Test on a hidden spot first.
Dry it straight away, and fast
Blot the damp spot with a dry cloth, lift the rug off the floor and dry it with a fan or a hairdryer on cool. The faster the spot dries, the lower the risk of a brown ring. Don't use hot air up close.
Baking soda for odours
Sprinkle baking soda on the dry rug, leave it for a few hours or overnight, then vacuum it up. Baking soda doesn't wet the rug, so it suits jute well.
Watch out
- A brown ring around a stain usually appears when water dries too slowly in the jute fibre. Always dry a damp spot straight away.
- Don't use a steam cleaner, wet vac or bleach on a jute rug. They soak the fibre or lighten it in patches.
- Turn the rug every few months. Jute fades in the sun and wears unevenly along walkways.
- In winter, wet shoes and slush soak a jute rug in the hallway. Keep a separate doormat right by the door.