How to Clean and Maintain Your Oriental Rug from Oxford Homeware's blog

Area rugs, as of this writing (January 2007), have taken a sizable chunk out of the market during the previous decade. As more people in the United States choose hard flooring options like hardwood, ceramic tile, laminate, and stone, the number of rugs owned per household has increased dramatically. Flooring and rug vendor and cleaner Ken Snow of The Original Hagopian in Michigan say: "Carpet, hardwood, laminate, and area rugs are just a few of the flooring options that we provide, and we also provide maintenance for them. Over the last decade, we have seen a steady fall in sales of wall-to-wall carpets and a corresponding rise in the popularity of rugs." It's still snowing: "Although many like the durability and sturdiness of hard flooring, others prefer a softer, warmer feel and more visually interesting color or texture contrast. Due to these prerequisites, area rugs are the ideal complement to tile, hardwood, or concrete floors."

Considerations

Rug cleaning and upkeep have gained increasing attention as the number of rugs in households and commercial spaces have increased. Understanding the rug's foundational composition is a prerequisite for addressing its specific maintenance needs. Rugs may be split into the synthetic kind and the natural variety. Rugs made from a combination of synthetic and natural fibers are known as "Blends." In this Consumer's Guide to the Care and Maintenance of Oriental Rugs, we will focus on rugs made from natural materials, since cleaning and caring for synthetic rugs is fairly similar to cleaning and caring for installed carpets.

It is vital to note that both synthetic and natural rugs may have either synthetic or natural face fibers (the "up" side of the rug) or foundation/backing. The term "Wool Rug" often refers to the face fibers, while "Synthetic Rug" or "Natural Rug" refer to the backing. The Oriental rug cleaner will pay equal attention to the backing and the face fibers. When cleaning a rug, it's best to start with the technique and detergent that were developed specifically for the rug's most delicate areas. Synthetic materials, in general, are less reactive than their natural counterparts. Therefore, in the "Wool Rug" example, it is preferable to regard the whole rug as a wool rug even if it has a synthetic backing. Below, we'll go further into the best cleaning products and techniques.

Woven Rugs

When it comes to the face fibers of rugs in the Oriental style, wool is by far the most common naturally formed material used. Cotton, silk, grass (sisal, jute), animal skins, and even obscure materials like leather and paper are all examples of natural rug face fibers. I strongly recommend having your rug professionally cleaned by an experienced Oriental Rug Cleaning business whether it is made of animal skin, silk, grass, leather, or paper. If these rugs are cleaned incorrectly, they will be ruined for good.

Extraction of Dry Soil

Investing in a high-quality Oriental rug is a long-term investment, and regular cleaning is one of the greatest ways to ensure the rug's longevity. How often should be based on needs? Weekly cleaning is usually sufficient, but if dogs walk on the rug or if the rug gets a lot of foot activity, a daily or even twice-daily vacuuming may be necessary. Microsoiling and sand accumulation in the rug's basis are often concealed by dense Oriental carpets. This fine, dry dirt will eventually wear down the rug before its time.

Vacuuming may cause significant face fiber loss from lower-quality carpets, notably those hand-tufted affordable rugs 120x170(often produced in China, Pakistan, or India). Such a pattern is typical for rugs of this sort. Unfortunately, unless you never put these cheap Oriental carpets underfoot, they won't endure forever.