The Care and Mantenance of Your Oriental Rug

The Care and Maintenance of Your Oriental Rug

Care and Maintenance of Your Oriental Rug Oriental rugs will last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance. However, there are four big enemies of the rug: grit, moisture, moths and general wear. The suggestions below will help combat these enemies and give your rug extended life.

ROTATION

The rug should be rotated once per year. The bright sunlight can damage the dyes used in Oriental rugs. Also, the wear patterns will be even by rotation.

VACUUMING

Wool is very porous and holds a lot of dirt. Rugs should be vacuumed regularly to move dirt and grit. It should be vacuumed approximately seven times. Always vacuum with the pile (to determine the direction of the pile, run your hand across the pile from fringe to fringe. The smooth side is the pile direction.). If possible, vacuum the front, the back, then front again. Be very careful when vacuuming near the fringes because they can be damaged.

PADDING

A good quality pad can extend the life of your rug. It can also prevent slipping and slip/fall accidents.

We offer a good selection of padding to meet your needs.

MOTHS

Moths and Carpet Beetles can do extensive damage to you rug. They can eat the pile as well as the foundation. Check your rug regularly on the back for signs of damage.

STORAGE

If you need to store your rug for an extended period of time, use kraft paper to roll it in. Then wrap the rolled rug in Tyvek®. Regular plastic will not let the rug breathe and could do irreversible damage. Don't leave in high moisture situations because mildew will occur or dry rot will destroy the foundation.

CLEANING

Your rug will last a lifetime if cleaned properly. We suggest a professional cleaning every 1-3 years. The frequency depends on the traffic, climate, location and geography.

EMERGENCIES AND ACCIDENTS

Clean up any spills immediately. Use a spoon or spatula to scoop up large debris or liquid. Then follow the hints in our Spot Removal Guide.

FIRE & WATER DAMAGE

Speed is of the essence. Fire damaged rugs should be cleaned immediately. Soot is an acid and can destroy the wool fibers. Water damaged rugs should be dried rapidly to prevent mildew.