Tips of How to Care for Your Area Rug

We all know that Oriental or handmade rugs are a precious investment, and if properly cared for, your exquisite beautiful rug will last a lifetime. We have listed some basic tips of how to ensure that your handmade area rugs will be protected for generations:

Vacuum your rug on regular basis:

By vacuuming your area rug both front and back sides, you will remove soil and sand as much as possible, which causes the rug to deteriorate quickly over time. Soil and dust particles act as tiny razor blades cutting away the fibers of your rug when you walk on it, and act like sandpaper. Avoid vacuuming the fringes – in most cases, the fringes are an extension of the foundation of your rug.

Area rugs should be professionally cleaned:

The proper way to clean your rug is by hand and in water, without the harsh chemicals and machines. Only a professional rug cleaner can do that properly. Our rug cleaning experts will clean your rug gently and with great care at our area rug cleaning plant. It is time consuming, but the results are amazing. By hand washing your rugs, we will save your rug from destruction by accumulation of soil and sand which accelerate the wear of the carpet by cutting the fibers and breeding ground for mildew and mites.

Rotate your area rug:

You should rotate your rug on a yearly basis. By rotating your rug periodically, you will help equalize the effects of wear. Also, be on the lookout for sun fade, which can be mitigated to some degree by rotation. If possible, avoid placing the rug in the sun altogether as it is virtually impossible to even out the color.

Inspect your rug on regular basis:

You should inspect your area rugs periodically for moths. Moths will hide on the rug under furniture or in dark areas. Moths will generally be evident by their casings, which look like grains of rice. You should look at the rug carefully for evidence of insects.

Area rug repair:

You should inspect your area rug for any damaged areas or wear and tear and address the problem as soon as possible to avoid further wear. Handmade rug repair is expensive. It is time-consuming and very labor-intensive. Therefore, any damage to your rug should be addressed immediately. The longer a damaged area goes unrepaired, such as a spill or animal accident, and the longer your rug goes with moths eating it away, the harder it will be to repair the damage. In some cases, the stains will not come out or if they do eventually come it, the repairs will be very costly.

Do not put a potted plant on your rug:

Area rug can sustain a major damage if a potted plant is placed on it. It is virtually impossible to ensure that moisture will not make its way to the rug, and the carpet will rot out from this moisture. This is an extremely expensive repair. If you value your rug, never ever put a potted plant on it.

Pet stains:

When you notice urine on your area rug, call a professional rug cleaner because there is a very short window period in which to address urine on a rug before it turns to a permanent stain. It is highly recommended that when you get a new puppy, or get a new rug when you have a young dog, that you store the rug away from the dog’s reach until it is old enough to be housetrained and out of the chewing stage.

Rug pads:

Rug pads are extremely recommended to prolong the life of your handmade area rug, especially if the rug is thin and soft. Pads under rugs will prevent sliding, and will cushion the impact between shoe sole and hard floor surfaces. Also, rug pads protect the floor, and absorb room noise. A pad should be about one inch smaller than the rug all the way around (excluding the fringes) so that the pad will not show beneath the rug.

How to store an area rug:

Before storing your rug, it should be cleaned and sprayed with insecticide, then wrapped in protective plastic. The rug has to be completely dry. Do not use newspapers, brown paper or moth balls. If you live in a climate where humidity is high during some part of the year, make sure that there is some way to circulate the air to avoid mildew problems. Store the rug in a clean, dry place, and out of the reach of rodents. You should avoid storing rugs directly on the floor; carpet beetles in particular like to take up residence between the floor and the back of your rug. We highly recommend periodic inspection of the rug to make sure there is no evidence of infestation. Vacuum the room thoroughly to eliminate insect-attracting dust. Remove dust from all baseboards and windowsills as well.