An oriental heirloom rug can be a prized possession. Like any item of value, your rug will need to be properly cared for and maintained. Not only will regular repairs and professional cleaning help to preserve the resale value of your rug, but these simple actions will enable you to enjoy the rug for many years. A well-kept oriental rug is a thing of beauty. Follow these five steps to keep your heirloom rug in perfect condition.
1. Take Care of Stains Right Away
If you really want to keep your rug in perfect condition, consider outlawing food and drink in the room with the rug. If you don’t want to take this drastic step, accidents can happen. For best results, anytime something spills on your rug, you need to act fast. Your rug does not need a deep cleaning after every accident. Spot cleaning with vinegar, water and dish soap is your friend.
If food, drinks or other items make their way on to your rug, begin by blotting the fluid away with a folded damp towel. Then apply a solution made from water, vinegar and a tiny bit of dish detergent.
This solution will also work for pet accidents. Unfortunately, even the most well-behaved pets can have accidents from time to time. To clean pet messes, mix 8 parts warm water with 1 part white vinegar, plus a few squirts of dish detergent. Be wary of using commercial pet odor removal products, because these can chemicals can potentially damage your rug.
2. Have Your Rug Professionally Cleaned
Heirloom rugs cannot be dry cleaned. Instead, they must be submerged in water and washed gently on both sides. This is best done by a professional rug cleaning service. Even if you take excellent care of your rug at home, it is crucial to have it professionally cleaned about once per year, or more often if you have pets or small children at home.
An annual professional cleaning can significantly extend the life of your oriental rug. This can also ensure that your rug looks and smells great. Contact a rug cleaning professional for all your Oriental Rug Cleaning Durham NC needs.
3. Have Your Rug Repaired
As your Oriental rug ages, it may require some minor repairs. Things like patching, fringe repair, and minor reweaving will not cost too much or take a great deal of time, as long as you tackle these problems early on. A small snag can turn into a big one if it is not dealt with. If you notice tears, holes or places where the weave has become loose, take your rug into a rug care professional and see what they can do. By managing your small rug repairs immediately, you can avoid much costlier repairs.
It is also important to note that you should never pull on loose strings sticking out from your rug! If you should encounter loose threads (sometimes called “sprouts”) either trim them carefully with scissors, or take your rug into a professional.
4. Do Not Be Tempted to Do-It-Yourself
If you are handy around the house and you appreciate saving money, you might be thinking, “I can shampoo my rug and repair torn patches myself. Why would I pay someone else to do it?” Here’s the thing: cleaning and repairing an oriental rug is not quite as easy as it looks. You run the risk of damaging your heirloom rug if you try to tackle rug maintenance on your own. In the big scheme of things, having your rug professional cared for is not all that expensive.
Invest in the longevity of your heirloom rug, and do not try this at home.
5. Use a High-Quality Vacuum
All rugs need to be vacuumed from time to time, but the vacuum you use can have a major impact on the long-term vitality of your oriental rug. When it comes to vacuuming oriental rugs, it is crucial to find a vacuum that does not use a “beater bar,” or the spinning bristly bar that is common on many vacuum cleaners. A beater bar can damage the weave of your rug and wear out the threads. Look for a vacuum that either does not use a beater bar at all, or one that gives you the option to disable it. Some vacuums have a “wood floor” setting that turns the beater bar off. For best results, it is also recommended that you use a more powerful vacuum, with 245 AW (air watts) or more.