Restoring Your Oriental Area Rug Treasure

Area Rug Care Tips

There are a number of important steps you should take to care for your Oriental or other fine area rugs:

Vacuuming Area Rug Cleaning Tips

Regularly removing abrasive, dry soils is extremely important to the care of all rugs and is best accomplished by vacuuming. Care must be taken not to damage older or more fragile rugs with overly aggressive vacuuming. High quality vacuum cleaner manufacturers will often offer equipment with softer brushes designed specifically for fine wool or silk rugs. If possible, vacuum fine wool and silk rugs lightly every day and at the very least, vacuum thoroughly once a week. This will go a long way to removing the highly abrasive soils that, when walked on, act as sandpaper abrading the fibers and diminishing appearance and rug life.

When light cleaning, make three passes with your vacuum cleaner. When giving your rugs a thorough cleaning, use as many as seven strokes. Take your time (especially if using suction only) and consider vacuuming across the rug. This generally makes vacuuming easier and reduces the chance of tangling the fringe in the vacuum cleaner brush. If you have a housekeeper that vacuums your rugs, be sure to give them proper instructions as to the care of your rugs!

Spots and Spills Care for Oriental Area Rugs

Spills must be attended to immediately. However, avoid the temptation to use retail stain removers on Oriental and fine area rugs! You can easily cause permanent damage! The very best treatment is to blot spills with a clean white towel. Fold the towel several times and push down on the spill hard (you can even step on it) to absorb the spill.

Stain Protection Tips for Area Rugs

Most wool or silk rugs are sold without protection of any kind. We offer special protectors for all rugs, including fine wool and silk rugs that will protect against water-based and oily spills as well as dry soils. If your rug is in direct sunlight, ask about our protector with built in UV protection.

Reposition Your Rug: It’s a great idea to turn your rug 180° every six months. This will balance the effect of traffic, allowing it to wear evenly and maintain the best possible appearance and longest life. It’s also a great time to clean the floor under the rug as well as perform a more detailed inspection of your rug.

Rug Pad Tips for Oriental Area Rugs

Most people don’t realize the importance of using the proper pad for fine area rugs. The proper pad increases rug life, reduces slipping and makes the rug feel even more luxurious. Ask us about the right pad for your rug and floor. Inspect for Insect Infestation: Some rugs can suffer from moth or beetle infestation, which can literally destroy the rug “from the inside out”. Be sure to look for these pests when vacuuming and, if discovered, call us immediately.

Oriental Rug Cleaning Tips

We agree with Oriental Rug experts that hand-made rugs should be cleaned every two to four years. If your rug receives heavy traffic, especially those in hallways leading from a home’s main entry door, then annual cleaning is recommended.

At Heirloom, we believe that total immersion cleaning is the very best way to care for Oriental & other fine area rugs. That’s why we utilize a unique process and highly specialized equipment that delivers the best cleaning results without abrasive scrubbing, harsh chemicals or power spraying that can damage rugs. This allows for the kind of complete cleaning that simply can’t be achieved with any other method and will allow your rug to last for many years. When you choose Heirloom Oriental Rug Cleaning it’s like sending your rug to a spa!

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