How to clean an oriental rug

What is an oriental rug?

Oriental rugs are hand-woven and are called oriental rugs because of their origin. These carpets are made in India, China, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan, Tibet, Iran. They are expensive and need proper care; otherwise, they will damage quickly.

Rugs are excessively used all around the house, such as below the furniture and in public places. Due to this excessive use, the carpets get dirty quickly.  

Carpets are used regularly. Thus, they witness a large footfall over them all the time. As a result, the accumulation of dust is quite in them. Cleaning of carpet at a fixed interval is essential. Here is a list of ways by which you can keep your carpet neat for a long time.

1) Avoid keeping them in sunlight

Sunlight damages the oriental rugs as it causes fading of the carpet and dries all the essential oils present in them. It impacts the quality of the fibre of the carpet and makes it rough. If your rug has received sunlight, then you should look if it has got any damage. Make sure the sunlight does not go beyond the edges. You can call an oriental rug cleaning service if there is some damage, and they will be there to assist you.

2) Ensure regular rotation

In the usual case, you should rotate your rug once in two years, but if your carpet is heavily used daily and experience huge footfall, then you should do it more frequently. Rotation ensures that rather than the wearing out of a specific part, the rug gets used uniformly. This way, the lifespan of the rug increases. 

3) Turn the rug over

Oriental rugs have fringes that get tied with each other frequently. Usually, people prefer to unlock these fringes by combing the fibre hair, which damages the carpet rather than solving the problem. Rather than doing this, you should flip the rug and let the fringes untie themselves. 

4) Vacuuming

Although all rugs require cleaning, it is vital to regularly vacuum your Oriental carpet to keep the natural fibres from getting packed down by excessive traffic. To avoid runs or tears in the delicate threads of an Oriental rug, switch off the beater bar before vacuuming.

5) Wipe up any spills

Stains can readily form if you do not promptly spot clean a spill when it occurs. To begin, blot the stain with a dry towel to absorb any surplus liquid. You should never use chemical cleaning agents like detergent, soaps, and bleach for cleaning oriental rugs.

You should only use water for cleaning purposes. In case if the stain remains, you should hire professional oriental rug cleaning services to restore its condition. 

6) Padding      

Padding is the extra cloth attached below the rug to provide it with strength and durability. Oriental rugs have padding, which helps in reducing wrinkles and help in keeping the carpet in good shape.

7) Modify the route

To avoid unnecessarily wearing out one area of the carpeting, change your furniture every six months or so to generate different pathways. It will allow for equal wear, extending the rug’s lifespan.

8) Allow it to air out

Moisture build-up on your rug may be disastrous, causing mould and mildew growth. To avoid this condition, you should put your carpet under air every six months so that all the moisture that builds inside it can be dried out.   

9) Hire professional service providers  

Using a regular vacuum does not clean the carpet efficiently. You should hire a professional oriental rug cleaning company once in a while to keep your rugs lively and healthy. Such services extend their lifespan and help in the preservation of its colour and cloth quality. 

On the other hand, professional companies have specialized tools that will help in deep cleaning. Though such services may incur expenses, they are a must for increasing the lifespan of the carpets.


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