Stripping a rug.

Not cutting a rug. Don’t get it twisted.

Adulthood is full of doing a lot of funny tasks I didn’t realize I didn’t know how to do until I came to them. One of the adult things I learned recently is how to strip laundry.

After I learned, I couldn’t stop. I’ve since begun to gradually strip all the area rugs in our house one-by-one. And let me tell you: nothing has been more simultaneously disgusting and satisfying.

What is laundry stripping? Laundry stripping is basically deep cleaning material in the bathtub with a special concoction of cleaning solutions.

After one too many wine spills and little accidents from the dog, I realized we desperately needed to wash our big, 5’ x 8’ living room rug. Unsure if that required taking it to the cleaners, investing in a carpet shampooer, or taking it outside and hosing it down, I turned to Google—where all answers lie. There, I discovered the method of cleaning big area rugs in the bathtub. Thankfully, I have one of those.

After 5 minutes in the water and soap, the dirt and discoloration that oozed from this rug was reprehensible. I was horrified we’d been walking, sitting, and LAYING on this disgusting piece of material. How well it hid its true condition.

I repeated the stripping process several times to eventually bring it outside, give it a good rinse, and let it dry over the course of a couple days.

I’m now unashamed to say that I’m a little addicted to this. I’m working on my third rug cleaning now and every time, it disgusts and amazes me.