Wow, it's been forever since I paid retail for any rugs!  They've went up...more than a tad!

I've had beautiful scatter rugs, runners, even room size rugs either given to me or bought them cheap at yard sales - but I need some new ones ASAP to cover some bad spots in my wood floor before an open house/party.  No time or inclination to work on the floor right now, gotta cover several spots...

There seems to be a big price difference, even at WalMart, I noticed, depending on quality. 

 What do you look for?  Where have you found good deals?  Are those 3-rug sets any good?  Liz.

Okay, an update!  I was able to find a nice runner at Goodwill for only $3.00!  The colors match, too!

Since it's yard sale time, don't balk at used rugs, they're easy to clean, even the large oriental-looking (not real ones, tho!) type.  Take them outside and hose them down good.  Squirt some dish liquid on them (not bunches, but enough), wet them again and sorta walk/rub all over them - continue using the hose on them to agitate, too.  When the kids were little, my rugs were spotless when I brought them in, they loved this part of the job!   Keep hosing them off 'til you don't see any (or much) suds.  Hang them up and sorta squeegie out as much water as possible.  Hang them over the porch railing, across the patio table or anywhere big enough to dry - might take a day or two, so keep moving them into the sun. 

If your rug is very deep colored, keep in mind the color might bleed into any fringe or trimming a bit, but your rug will look and smell almost new - I've used this technique on the nastiest...well, really dirty rugs and it has always worked...Liz

TizzyLizzy:

Okay, an update!  I was able to find a nice runner at Goodwill for only $3.00!  The colors match, too!

Congrats on your great find! The runner should be easier to clean than a large area rug, so that's another plus!

TizzyLizzy:

Take them outside and hose them down good.  Squirt some dish liquid on them (not bunches, but enough), wet them again and sorta walk/rub all over them - continue using the hose on them to agitate, too.  When the kids were little, my rugs were spotless when I brought them in, they loved this part of the job!   Keep hosing them off 'til you don't see any (or much) suds.  Hang them up and sorta squeegie out as much water as possible.  Hang them over the porch railing, across the patio table or anywhere big enough to dry - might take a day or two, so keep moving them into the sun. 

I wash all my throw rugs outside on the driveway - it's concrete & slightly sloped.  Dish soap plus hose, then hang to dry, just like tizzylizzy, but I find that my little throw rugs dry the fastest when I put them over my small, 2 step step-ladder - usually 8 hours.