How to Clean A Ruggable Rug Pad With Video

Do you have a Ruggable rug? These rugs are advertised as washable, but Ruggables are not like regular rugs. A Ruggable washable rug comes in two parts. The top part is the area rug. The bottom part is the rug pad. The top layer is the ONLY part that can be washed in the washing machine.

It works almost like stripping a bed. You pull the sheets off and then put them back on the bed. Think of the rug pad like the mattress. It CAN NOT be washed in the washing machine. The Ruggable pads have a rug gripper on top.

Many times it is difficult or impossible to remove your rug pad, and even sometimes the Ruggable rug cover, if you have it located underneath a table in your dining room or a sofa in the living room. It is possible to spot clean both the rug and the rug pad using the techniques I describe below.

There are many ruggable reviews out there. I compared them to other machine-washable rugs. My complaint is that they don’t feel like a traditional rug because they are very thin with a low pile, but they have made some improvements since my review.

The instructions that come with your Ruggable say that the pad should be spot cleaned with gentle household cleaner, no bleach. This is a pretty wide number of possibilities. I’m going to break them down into different types of spills or stains.

Pee – This isn’t at the top by coincidence. I have a puppy. To clean pee out of your Ruggable rug pad first blot up all the liquid you can with a dry cloth. Then use a clean cloth to apply cold water and mild detergent to the area. Use a clean cloth (preferably white) to blot up all the liquid. If the liquid is clear, you know that your spot cleaning is complete. Otherwise, continue with the soapy water. If you notice your pet peeing in the same spot, I like to use Nature’s Miracle to get out the bacteria and make sure the smell is gone.

Blood/Coffee/Wine – For any liquid that stains including blood, coffee and red wine the first step to clean your rug pad is to blot the spot as well as possible. Next, use a hand steamer. These aren’t expensive and if you have young kids or pets they are worth the investment. The main reason I use a stain remover is to make sure the rug pad is as clean as possible so that I don’t have to worry about the stain soaking from the rug pad back to my clean rug. I use the Bissell Little Green. Be sure to let the Ruggable pad dry completely before you put your rug back down.

Dust and hair – The top of the rug pad feels almost like the flat side of velcro because it grips onto the Ruggable cover. For this reason, it can attract hair and dirt particles. Standard vacuum cleaners can be too strong to use on the pad, depending on the suction of your machine. For best results, I prefer to use a handheld vacuum to pick up pet hair and dust (this Shark Rocket is a great choice).
Dirt – In high-traffic areas sometimes your rug pad gets dirt on it because you are in the middle of washing your rug and your dog brings in mud or dirt. The best way to get debris off your rug pad is to vacuum it up using a handheld vacuum. Some vacuums have too much suction and they tend to pull the rug pad up or don’t stay flat while you are vacuuming. I like to use a corded handheld vacuum because it has more suction.

Grease – You might have grease that seeps through the rug and onto your rug pad from salad dressing or any other greasy food that lands on your rug. The first step is to blot up all the liquid that you can with a clean cloth. To get out grease you will need to use a grease-cutting detergent like Dawn and HOT water. This helps to break up the grease so that you can blot it up. Keep padding the area with the detergent and a dry cloth until your drying cloth comes up clean.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

The method for cleaning the pad depends a little bit on the size of your rug. For smaller rugs, you can take the rug pad outside to clean it. For larger rugs, it’s easier to clean the pad in place. Be sure to let your rug pad air dry before putting your rug topper back in place.

There are two different rug pads offered. They offer a classic rug pad (all black like the one I have) and a cushioned rug pad (grey top with black underneath). The classic rug pad feels and sounds almost like a giant sheet of the back side of velcro. It has ridges.

The cushioned rug pads are pretty expensive, so be sure this is really what you want before you order one.

The cushioned rug pad is 2/5 of an inch. Ruggable created this option because that was one of the early criticisms of the Ruggable rugs is that they feel thin. That was my original problem. The reviews are in and most people agree that these cushion rug pads are a game changer.

The rug pads are not meant to be used outdoors. At the end of the day, the Ruggable system is a great option for places where you have regular spills and you aren’t as concerned with a thick cushiony rug.

Before you go, if you liked this you might be interested in learning about Ruggables NEW cushioned rug pad.