Oriental Carpets - Oriental Rugs - Persian Rugs-Textiles-Persian Carpets

In general handmade oriental carpets are exceptionally hard-wearing and long lasting and if looked after properly will retain their attractiveness and re-sale value with age, depending on market conditions at the time. However, as the rug is a very practical household item it will inevitably be subject to the wear and tear of normal day to day living such as household cleaning products, the possibility of insect damage and the risk of accidental damage from pets or more than likely the odd glass of spilt red wine. By following a few basic precautions you can help to maximise the life of your rug.

Cleaning 

We recommend you clean your rug on a regular basis, depending on the amount of traffic your rug receives and environmental conditions in your home we recommend you give your rug a gentle shake followed by a gentle vacuuming to release any accumulated dust about every two weeks. Be careful if your vacuum has beater bars as these could undermine the knotting of the pile and possiblbly damage your rug. Furthermore don’t follow the commonly misconceived idea of beating the rug, although the rug may stand up to good thrashing, beating your rug is not the correct nor the most effective way of cleaning.

Removing Stains

Shampooing your rug with a good quality wool or silk compatible detergent is a recommended way of removing any entrenched grime or soaked in stains, it can also help replace the wools natural oils which give the wool its soft texture whilst adding sheen to the pile.

Before shampooing you should first follow the cleaning process. Working slowly and carefully you should continue by placing the rug on a flat and even surface in a well lit area. Using the detergent mixture and adding a 1:10 ratio of white vinegar for very tough to remove stains, you should start by dabbing from the outer perimeter of any stain working inwards, always dab and never rub as this may cause the colours to run, disregard any stained cleaning cloth or tissue used.

Once the shampooing process has be undertaken you should ideally place the rug in direct sunlight to dry. If this is not possible leave the rug in a warm but well ventilated room to dry, don’t place the rug in close proximity to any direct heat source and leave for several hours whilst occasionally checking for any persisting damp spots. Use a hairdryer to gently dry any persisting damp spots before gently working the pile with a clean and soft bristled brush.

If the stain persists or if the rug is very old or particularly frail we recommend your rug to be cleaned professionally. Be careful not to send your rug to general carpets cleaners as they use different cleaning chemicals which could irreversibly damage your rug.

Repairs

More serious damage to your rug such as large tears or holes should be repaired by a professionally trained person. If you send details and perhaps some photos of the damage we can give you an estimate of the cost and time involved to repair your rug.

Most other small scale damage such as small tears and damage to the fringes can usually be undertaken yourself by finding the best matching and most compatible materials available.

The Use of Underlay

Underlay is most usually used on non carpeted floors and serves a dual purpose for your rug, it can help prevent the rug from slipping when walked upon whilst also serving to protect the rug from continued foot traffic where the wool fibres in the pile are continually pressed down into the hard floor beneath.