Rug Care

For over 2500 years, oriental rugs have been used in the East for warmth and beauty. An oriental rug is a purchase of a lifetime and, when properly maintained, for generations.  

Here are some basic advices for the protection and care of your investment:

Vacuuming:

Vacuuming is your area rug's best friend when done correctly. Oriental rugs, like most carpeting, should be vacuumed on a regular basis to remove dirt and restore life to the fibers. Be sure not to vacuum the fringes. To remove the maximum amount of dirt from your rug turn it upside down and vacuum the back of the rug with a vacuum cleaner equipped with a rotating brush or beater bar, this vibrates the loose dirt and debris to the top of the fibers. It is best to use suction only to vacuum the topside of your oriental rug. A rotating brush/beater bar vacuum can remove the finer fibers and make your rug fibers wear away faster. Vacuuming your oriental rug once a week and doing a front and back vacuuming at least once a month extends the life of your rug.

Rotation:

To insure even wear, your rug should be rotated every six months to two years, depending on the traffic.

Padding:

A quality pad should be used under your rug to help protect it from dirt, wear and slippage. We will be happy to help you find the correct padding.

Cleaning:

The best way to keep a rug clean is to keep it from getting dirty in the first place. Removing outdoor shoes when entering the house (as people do in most rug-weaving countries) is a good idea if this accords with your lifestyle. Bare-foot or sock-foot traffic is much gentler to a rug than a hard outdoor-shoe sole (or spike heel), and leaving your outdoor shoes at the entrance to the house tracks in much less dirt.

Have your rug cleaned only when it really needs it. For rugs in some areas this will mean a yearly cleaning. Rugs in other areas can go several years and more without needing professional cleaning.

To judge how dirty a rug is, try one of these methods:

Pick up a corner of the rug and while holding it, kick the back of the rug sharply. If a cloud of dirt flies out of the pile, the rug is dirty and needs cleaning. NOTE: some dust and wool fibers are normal!

Kneel down on the rug and rub the pile vigorously with your hand in a short arc for 5 to 10 seconds. Look at your fingers and palm: if your hand is dirty, the rug needs cleaning.

With the pile facing UP fold part of the rug back upon itself so that the pile opens along a line of knots. Look down into the base of the pile at the foundation of the rug. If the warp and weft look dirty, there is dirt deep in the pile where a home vacuum cleaner cannot reach it. The rug needs cleaning.