A cute and cuddly puppy or kitten or a fabulous feathered friend can help make a house feel more like home. But what if you share your home with one of these delightful creatures, and you still want an Oriental rug?
Is it possible to have a pet-friendly home and still keep an Oriental rug looking good? Of course, it is! Just keep in mind that a little extra maintenance may be involved, for both your rug and your pet, and everyone will be happy and the rug will stay clean.
Keep Your Rug Off-Limits
Keep the room where your favorite Oriental rug is located off-limits to pets. That way you won’t have to worry about them damaging or destroying your rug. If you are able to block off the room in its entirety via a closed door, this may be best for you and your Oriental rug.
Keep Fringes Out of Reach
Does your rug have fringes? As you likely know, cats love fringes and anything that dangles. If you have an Oriental rug that you use as a decorative wall hanging, make sure your cat cannot reach the fringe.
Distract Your Pet with Other Alternatives
One of the best things you can do for your Oriental rug is to make sure your pets have enough toys. How does this affect the rug? A dog that has plenty of chew toys is less likely to be interested in your rug’s decorative fringe. If your cat has a scratching post and toys to play with, they won’t have any interest in scratching up the fibers on the rug. As a last resort, there are foul-tasting sprays that you can buy and spray on the rug to keep your pets from chewing on them.
Dealing with Accidents
If your pet is just a puppy or kitten, or if you have an elderly pet, accidents may sometimes happen. Don’t lose your cool. Cleaning up the mess as quickly as possible will prevent any permanent damage to the rug. Most solid waste can be picked up with gloves and paper towels, while pet urine should be blotted, sprayed with a specialty cleaner, and then blotted again.
Inculcate good “potty-training” habits in your pets right at the beginning. This is the best thing you can do to keep your rug clean. Make sure your pet has space where they may eliminate either outside the home or in a room that does not have a rug or other valuable items lying around.
Customize Your Strategies to Your Pet
Ultimately, the exact strategy will depend on what types of pets you have.
If you have a dog, take them outside regularly to avoid any accidents on your rug.
If your cat is an indoor cat, make sure to clean their litter box regularly, and do not keep the litter box in the same area as the Oriental rug.
If you have a bird, do not allow the bird to fly around the same room where the rug is located.
Pets and Oriental rugs can happily coexist. Good training habits and quick clean-ups work wonders, keep the entire family much happier, and keep your rugs looking and smelling nice!
Are You Looking to Purchase a Hand-Knotted Persian or Oriental Rug?
If you are decorating a room in your home and looking to purchase a high quality, hand-knotted Oriental or Persian rug(s) in the Metro DC area, look no further than J & J Oriental Rug Gallery. If you would like your rug professionally cleaned, we can do that too! If you are looking for an Oriental rug to complete the look of a room(s) in your home, please come visit our showroom. Remember, the right way to dress your floor is just a call away: 703-991-5486.
Need Your Rug Cleaned?
At J & J Oriental Rug Gallery, we are experts at cleaning, repair, and restoration of rugs to maintain their beauty and value. We hand wash any type of rug, from a rare antique Oriental to a modern product. Whether it’s a rug of silk, wool, or other fibers, care is taken to ensure the colors do not run but remain bright and clean. J & J’s Rug Cleaning’s technicians will deliver the professional results you can trust. Click here for more details.