Oriental rugs are both highly prized and valuable yet heavily used. Thanks to often being valued heirlooms they do need to be well looked after. Though you should ask a professional to clean the oriental rug at least once a year, here are some tips and tricks to maximise their lifespans and to ultimately enable them to be passed on to the next generation of your family in great condition.
Take care when vacuuming
Though your friends and family will walk all over your prized possession you need to look after it for longevity. When cleaning you should follow the nap of the rug where possible.
To take care not to get the fringes stuck in the sweeper – these can easily be damaged, and are often one of the most important aesthetic features.
Vacuum both sides
Though you will vacuum clean the rug regularly to maintain its appearance, it will help the rug’s long-term life to vacuum it on both sides.
Debris from home-life can penetrate the rug and by taking the vacuum to both sides a couple of times a year you will be able to get the garbage out and keep the oriental rug in good shape as you go.
According to home care website Angieslist, it pays to physically remove the rug outside or into your garage and to do the deep clean on a hard cement surface.
Get the rug cleaned by a professional
Where for an ordinary high traffic rug you can get away with giving it a deep clean yourself every year, with high value oriental rugs, using professionals for oriental rug cleaning will maintain its quality for many years to come. Getting the professionals in should be done at least once a year, perhaps while you and your family are on vacation to minimise disruption.
Professional rug cleaning will involve using special cleaning equipment to put air pressure through the bottom of the rug to blast out dust and the debris from beneath.
The professional will also clean and bathe the rug using special chemicals that won’t damage the rug and maintain its quality for years to come. In doing this yourself instead of getting professionals to do it you run the risk of using chemicals that could make the dyes run or damage the wool or other fabrics that have been so carefully woven and knotted to produce the highly prized piece you have in your home.
Drying is another process that the professionals can manage as well – if not properly done, like that sweater that shrinks in the washing machine, the rug could be damaged irreversibly!
Good care will ensure a good life
The reason you bought or used the oriental rug in the first place is likely for its great designs and wonderful colours that bring a certain style to your home. With proper maintenance and care these aspects of your prized decoration can not only be maintained but enhanced for many years to come. As with everything in life – look after it and it will look after you!
Image Source: BigStock.com (licensed)
Related Categories: Home, Reviews
