Rug Care

One of the great benefits of owning genuine hand-knotted rugs (aside from their beauty, durability, long life, and value retention that is!) is that they are generally easily and economically maintained.  Wool naturally repels dirt and stays clean longer than rugs made of other materials.  By taking some simple preventative measures and properly caring for your rug, it can remain beautiful and last for generations.

Rug Rotation

Depending on how much traffic or sun your rug gets, you may want to rotate your rug every so often (1-2 years).  Over time, foot traffic can cause uneven wear and direct sunlight can eventually cause the dyes to fade.  Rotation can help to ensure even wear - maintaining your rug’s original appearance and retaining its value.

Padding

Make sure the floor underneath your genuine hand-knotted rug is even and doesn’t have any rough patches.  A quality under rug pad will ensure that your rug is not constantly crushed between the hard floor and even harder shoe heels.  A quality pad will also stabilize the rug, making it safer to walk on, and will hold any dirt that falls through the rug, rather than trapping the dirt inside the rug.

Rug Cleaning

In high traffic areas, your rug should be vacuumed regularly to ensure any free dirt is removed, however you should do this gently (many modern vacuums are quite powerful and should be used on a low setting) and always in the direction of the pile.  You should also use caution with the vacuum around the fringe area.  Stains on a wool rug should be treated with a mild detergent such as Woolite.  Use a small brush or sponge and blot from the outside of the stain toward the center of the stain to avoid further spreading.  Once you have removed the stain blot up any extra moisture using paper towels and allow it to dry.  Have your rug cleaned only when it really needs it.  In high traffic areas this may mean annual cleaning, while rugs in lower traffic areas may go a great many years without needing to be cleaned.

• First, vacuum your rug on both sides, then hang your rug outside and beat out any excess dirt and dust.
• Next, move your oriental rug to a clean, flat space for washing.  A garage floor, clean driveway or patio works well.  Wet down your rug with a hose or bucket of cool water.
• Prepare a solution of mild detergent such as Woolite and water, first testing a small area to ensure the colors don’t run.  Gently shampoo your entire rug, front and back, using a sponge or soft brush – use a gentle wiping motion in the direction of the pile.  Do not scrub aggressively to avoid damaging the fibers.
• To clean the rug’s fringes, use a soft brush and the same detergent, gently brushing the fringe away from the rug.
• Rinse your rug with a hose or bucket of cool water, ensuring you rinse off all the shampoo from the front, back, and fringe.
• Finally, using a rubber window squeegee or other similar flat surface, run the squeegee along the rug’s nap several times to remove standing water.  Lay the rug flat to dry, turning the rug over once the top is dry to ensure the back dries completely.
• If your rug pile feels a bit stiff after it is clean and dry, you can brush it gently to soften it back up.

And that’s it!  With just a little care, your genuine hand-knotted rug will last a lifetime.  Remember, you don’t have to treat your rug with kid gloves – these rugs have been made for centuries to be USED and ENJOYED!