June 26, 2024 in Helpful Articles, Resource Section by Carpet

Care and Cleaning Your Oriental Rugs

Proper care and cleaning of your oriental rugs is important since they typically cost hundreds to even thousands when you purchase them. Oriental rugs are beautiful and expensive so it’s very important to care for them so they last. Adding padding underneath helps to extend the life and beauty and also cushions the rug.

They are typically made of silk, rayon, wool, cotton, or a combination of non-synthetic fibers and use a broad range of dyes. Some are woven on a loom and the more expensive rugs are hand woven. The fabric and the dyes that are used are what make the rugs so delicate.

The fibers collect dust and dirt, so vacuuming them regularly is a good idea but vacuums can stretch and wear out the fibers over time. Vacuum the rug lightly every few weeks and avoid any vigorous cleaning.

If you have a stain, use vinegar to prevent fading and bleeding. Regardless of how well you care for the rugs, cleaning them becomes necessary at some point. Cleaning oriental rugs is not like cleaning other carpet they are more delicate.

Steam cleaning is the most recommended cleaning method used for rugs, furniture and carpets. When it comes to cleaning oriental rugs it is important that the rugs be cleaned properly so that they are not damaged in the process.

The steam cleaning method is accomplished by spraying a heated solution with warm water into the rug fibers at a high pressure and then raking the solution into the rug. The solution and water are then quickly extracted along with the suspended soil.

It is important not to over saturate the rugs with too much water and that the water be extracted quickly. Also the water should not be too hot. For dyes that bleed, it is important to use the right chemical and temperature. One hundred twenty five degrees is the correct temperature to avoid possible color bleeding.

For carpets that have braids, they are often difficult to clean. They should be raked and passed over with the wand a couple times but not excessively.

Professional equipment should be used to ensure a good deep cleaning and a high extraction vacuum so that as much of the water is removed as possible to ensure quick drying. The three most important elements for cleaning oriental rugs are that a mild cleaning solution is used that does not cause the colors to bleed, proper water temperature and a high extraction vacuum.

Any solutions and chemicals used on oriental rugs should first be tested on a small section of the rug before using it. While drying they should be dried flat so that the weight of the rug keeps the rug flat.
When selecting a professional to clean your rugs be sure you use ones who are trained specifically in oriental rug cleaning.