Buying an oriental or Persian rug isn’t just a nice piece of artsy décor for your home. It’s also a valuable asset if you maintain it in the right way and keep it looking its best for longer.
These rugs do require a little care and attention to maintain their bright colors and intricate weave and are often damaged, especially if they’re laid in high-traffic areas, around pets and children, or under heavy furniture.
Therefore, it’s important to know how to properly maintain the rug to keep its value and beauty.
Things to Avoid to Keep Your Rug Clean
There are a few things that you’ll need to look out for to keep your rug clean and damage-free:
Insects
Carpet beetles and moths can damage your rug, especially if your Persian rug is an antique and made of natural dyes and fibers. They may lay eggs in the carpet and the larvae will eat the fibers as they grow. This may lead to holes in your carpet that are difficult to repair.
Although a professional rug restore can use the same fibers to repair it and make it look as new as possible, it may still lose its value.
Moisture
Even though it’s a natural instinct to clean up stains with water, this can actually worsen the stain and can damage the fibers in a rug much more than the stain itself.
That’s why you should always allow the rug to air out properly after a spillage and never leave it in a bathroom. Instead, you should gently dab at any stains with a damp cloth so that the fibers don’t shrink or break the pattern.
Sunlight
Sunlight is a massive danger to the dyes in a Persian rug. As some older rugs are still created using natural dyes, they are prone to fade over time.
You should keep your rug away from a window that sees direct sunlight and rotate it every few months to ensure that any discoloration is even.
Restoration
If you find a hole or tear in your rug, don’t panic! Although you shouldn’t try to fix this yourself, there are professional rug restoration services available that have had rug weaving techniques passed down through generations.
A skilled craftsman will be able to source the material that best matches your rug and fill the gap with a needle and thread.
This may involve replacing some of the weft and warp fibers to strengthen the weave. If the hole is a small one, it should be filled without any noticeable difference. However, the larger the hole gets, the more difficult it is for a rug restorer to follow the exact pattern. So always ensure you act quickly.
Professional Cleaning
Your rug is bound to get some minor stains on it every so often. If you notice a stain, you should address it as soon as possible to avoid further damage.
To do this:
- Blot out as much liquid as possible with a cloth.
- Use a mild detergent, such as washing up liquid, to treat the area.
- Blot as much as possible and use a microfiber or similar cloth. Never scrub.
- Never use carpet cleaning liquid, as this may also remove the coloring.
If these things don’t work or if your stain isn’t water-soluble, then it’s a good idea to call in a professional cleaning service to take care of it to avoid making the stain worse.
Why Use a Professional Cleaning Service?
Many Persian rugs contain natural dyes from root vegetables and other plants, especially if they’re authentic. They are also incredibly difficult and delicate to weave, meaning any damage caused is difficult to recover from.
Rather than trying to clean your rug yourself, you should enlist the assistance of a professional rug cleaner, like J & J Oriental Rugs. A professional rug cleaner will:
- Conduct a thorough inspection of any stains before moving ahead.
- We will do a dye test 24 hours prior to the cleaning to understand which types of cleaning products won’t be harmful.
- Understand the design and structure of your rug and create a single handwashing regime designed for your specific requirements.
Overall, professional rug cleaners understand how precious the fibers are in your Persian rug and will take every precaution to maintain its integrity.
Deep Cleaning
You should ensure that your Persian rug gets a deep clean every few years. This gets rid of any crumbs, insect eggs, or other dirt that can build up without you realizing it. Furthermore, it prevents your rug from becoming more damaged and discolored over time.
Most people don’t realize how much an item of furniture or carpet changes if they see it each day. Making this mistake and thinking your Persian rug is fine may cost you in the long run.
Asking for help from a professional rug cleaner will help you to remove any impurities from your rug in the proper manner that will restore it to its original beauty.
A deep clean will brighten your rug without any stretching, twisting, or heat. Your rug will also be cleaned by itself with no batch cleaning, so you know that your rug is getting the best treatment that’s bespoke. This stops shrinkage and pattern changes and maintains the color of your rug.
While cleaning the rug with cold products may take longer, a professional cleaning service has the equipment, time, and patience to do a perfect job, saving you lots of time.
Summary
Persian and oriental rugs are great for any home, but they do require a little maintenance every so often. You may be able to cure minor stains yourself, but you should never attempt a deep clean or any restorative work unless you know what you’re doing.
An unprofessional touch could ruin your rug and depreciate its value. Instead, find a professional rug restorer and cleaning service, like J &J Oriental Rugs, to ensure that the job is done right.