So, you took the time and money to invest in a beautiful oriental rug, or maybe you inherited a timeless treasure from a family member, either way now that this wonderful rug is down…how do you take care of it? Don’t worry, a well-made hand-woven rug is incredibly durable and fairly easy to keep clean and strong for years. But there are a few things to keep in mind about cleaning and caring for your rug. I hope you find these tips and guidelines useful.
It is perfectly safe to vacuum your oriental rug on a regular basis, but there are two key areas to avoid with the vacuum. These two areas are the fringes on the ends, and the outer binding on the sides. Running over the fringes of your rug with the vacuum can cause the long threads to get wrapped up into the beater bar and pulled out, or loosen the knots holding the fringes together. Running over the edges can cause the outer warp wrap to pull out as well. The way to avoid these problems is pick your vacuum up and set it on the rug to vacuum, and then pick it back up and take it off. Be sure to vacuum your rug on a regular basis (at least weekly) to keep debris from settling into the foundation.
Bryan Siewert - store manager at Shaia Oriental Rugs
Inevitably overtime your rug will need to be professionally washed. Generally, it is a good idea to wash your rugs every 3 to 5 years. Even if a rug looks clean, small dirt particles settle into the foundation of the rug and can weaken the warp and weft threads through friction. Rugs in heavy traffic areas such as entryways or family rooms need to be cleaned more often, while rugs in guest bedrooms or spaces that are not used often can go a little longer. Homes with pets should also have their rugs cleaned more frequently. The oil from a pet’s fur can seep into the wool of the rug and cause pet odors. If this is left in a rug for a prolonged period of time the oil, and smell can become permanent.
