Here at Sharafi & Co, we are proud to say that we don’t merely stock oriental and Persian rugs for purchase, but also offer an acclaimed antique oriental rug cleaning service that caters to the very specific professional rug cleaning requirements.
But what else is it useful to know about how you can keep such a handmade rug of yours clean?
Prevention is better than cure…
Taking the appropriate steps to avoid your rug becoming dirty in the first place is certainly invaluable. In most rug-weaving countries, for example, it is customary to remove one’s shoes before entering the house, which is something that you may wish to incorporate into your own routine if it suits your lifestyle.
Not only will this help to avoid dragging dirt into your home, but bare-foot or sock-foot traffic is also much, gentler and you can feel the wonderful texture of your rug.
Effective methods for cleaning rugs yourself
Some hand knotted rugs can be cleaned by yourself with a small risk of damage. However, experience is needed to know which ones. A professional rug cleaner would know the method of cleaning a rug by looking at it. Some rugs do not have very fast colours and colours can run quite easily, which will then create a much bigger and more expensive problem.
There are various methods for determining whether your oriental rug needs to be cleaned, including picking up a corner and sharply kicking the back while holding it. If a cloud of dirt flies out – rather than merely some dust and wool fibres, which are to be expected – the rug can be deemed to be dirty and in need of cleaning.
Should you then decide to undertake a surface clean yourself then it is not too difficult to clean small rugs.
You should first vacuum the rug as deeply as you can both on the back and front.
Pour some mild non-chemical detergent or shampoo in clean water. Warm water should not be used unless you know your rug will not be adversely affected by using it. Stir the shampoo until there is a lot of foam. Dip a sponge or a hard-bristled brush into the foam and brush the rug with it.
Using less water reduces the probability of damage, as there is a possibility that it can lose its shape or the colours to run.
If you have a Vaccum with water extraction facility, then use it to extract as much of the liquid as you can.
The pile in rugs lays in one direction. Make sure by running a brush along the lay of the pile.
Hang the rug over a bar to aerate and dry as quickly as possible to lessen the chance of a colour run.
However, you will need to take care to avoid the use of strong detergents, ammonia water or sudsy ammonia water, in addition to testing for colour run in a small area of the rug first.
You should note that this will not get rid of the grit and dirt that is embedded in the foundation. It is very important to get rid of this, which we do with special beating machines, as the dirt and grit can damage the foundation of your rug.
Carpet and rug cleaning of oriental rugs is best left to professional as there can be many pitfalls.
Contact us about antique oriental carpet cleaning
We could discuss the process of cleaning antique rugs and carpets in much greater detail. However, with such items being so wide-ranging and therefore in need of all manner of measures to ensure they are appropriately cleaned, we would always advise you to contact us before attempting to clean yours.
Indeed, thanks to our complete antique oriental carpet cleaning service, you don’t need to do the ‘dirty work’ of cleaning your own rug or carpet at all.
