After the struggle of moving all of your heavy and awkwardly shaped furniture, it might seem like packing and moving a rug offers you a much needed break. After all, a rug’s square or rectangular shape allows it to easily be rolled and carried. But now is not the time to cut corners. In order to prevent damage to your valuable area rug, especially if you’re shipping it over a long distance, you’ll need to follow these steps on how to ship a rug.
How to Clean a Rug
Before rolling, packing, or shipping an area rug, it’s best to thoroughly clean the rug. If your rug is fragile or especially valuable, it might require professional care. Check the instructions on the tag, or do your research if no instructions are available. For most rugs, you can follow these simple directions.
Vacuum: Use a standard vacuum to remove any dust, hair, or small items from the rug’s surface. It doesn’t hurt to vacuum both sides of the rug.
Brush: Use a stiff brush to remove any remaining dust, hair, or small items from the rug. Be sure to brush in the direction of the fibers. If you have someone to help, shake the rug firmly after brushing.
Wash: Using an appropriate solution for your rug, soak and scrub the rug gently with a sponge. Let the rug soak in the cleaning solution as long as directed. After the rug has soaked, rinse the remaining suds from the rug with a hose.
Dry: Wring out the rug as much as possible to release any remaining water or cleaning solution. Once you’ve removed as much moisture as possible, hang up the rug until dry. Remember that this could take a day or two depending on the size of the rug.
How to Roll Up a Rug
Rolling up a rug isn’t as simple as starting at one end and rolling until you are finished. You want a tight roll (but not too tight) that will allow for easy packing and shipping and prevent damage to the rug.
Direction: You’re eventually going to roll the rug in the direction of the fibers. You may need to lightly touch the rug to feel which way they’re running. Not all of the fibers will run this direction, and that’s OK.
Flip: One of the most common mistakes when rolling a rug is rolling it with the top side on the inside of the roll. This puts undue stress on the fibers and can cause permanent damage. Instead, flip the rug over, so the bottom side of the rug will be on the inside.
Roll: Now you can finally roll the rug. Roll it tightly, but don’t go overboard. If you hear cracking or feel uncomfortable resistance, loosen the roll and proceed with caution.
How to Pack a Rug
At this point, you might be tempted to throw some packing tape on the rolled rug, and consider it secure. But if you’ve rolled it correctly, you’d be taping the top of the rug, where the most damage can occur. Instead, tie the rug using twine at the center of the roll.
There are a few options for packing the now securely rolled rug depending on whom you ask. We recommend wrapping the rug in a few layers of kraft paper. This type of paper will properly protect your rug without trapping damaging moisture.
How to Ship a Rug
Assuming you’ve already measured the length and girth of the secured rug, you should now find an appropriate box or shipping container. You’ll want a container that’s long enough to leave a few inches on each end.
Place the rug into the box, and then fill any remaining gaps in the box, including the ends, with packing foam or tightly packed newspaper. This protects the ends of the rug in case it’s dropped or impacted during shipping. Finally, tape the box or container with mover’s tape, and your rug is set to ship.
If you need help packing, moving, or shipping a rug, it’s always wise to use a professional shipping company. With more than 30 years of experience shipping rugs and other awkward items, Pak Mail has all of the resources you need to quickly and securely ship your rug. Visit the Pak Mail in your area for more information.