Basic Rug Care & Cleaning

Take caution while cleaning a rug by starting with an inconspicuous area. If you are uncertain about your ability to effectively clean the rug on your own, we recommends you first consult a rug cleaning professional. We accepts no liability for damages that a rug may incur during the cleaning process listed below. Everyday accidents happen, but that doesn’t mean your rug’s appearance has to suffer. Here are six steps to ensure your rug won’t pay the price of mishaps.

FAST FIXES
Food and Beverage: Vacuum dry spills thoroughly on machine-made rugs. For wet spills, use 1/4 teaspoon of mild liquid detergent with a cup of water. Red Wine: Pouring salt over spills on all dark liquids will absorb the liquid like a sponge. Pet Messes: Use a vinegar solution, 1 cup white vinegar to 2 cups of water. Rinse with cold water and blot dry. Paint, Oil and Grease: Use nail polish remover. Rinse with cold water and blot dry.

The chart below will help guide you through various types of spills and how to treat them.

VACUUMING
The number one way to ensure rug integrity is by vacuuming regularly. Vacuuming regularly helps prevent dirt on the surface of the rug from filtering down into the pile where it can accumulate and cause increased wear. Vacuum once a week for light traffic, one to three times a week for moderate traffic, and daily for heavy or pet traffic. Occasionally, vacuum the back of the rug to remove the fine grit that may damage the foundation of the rug and remember to vacuum both sides of reversible rugs to prevent dirt from settling into the fibers. CAUTION! Many of today’s vacuums are high powered and standard vacuuming can pull threads through the rug backing. Vacuums equipped with a power brush create a raking effect on the rug and can weaken the knots. Ideally, use a canister vacuum (or the handheld attachment on an upright vacuum) to clean your rug. Remember, brooms and manual sweepers are just as effective and often a safer maintenance option.

Beater Bars
When using an upright vacuum, disengage the beater bar as this can pull fibers from the rug and cause premature deterioration. If you are unable to manually turn off the beater bar, set the vacuum to its highest setting and gently set the vacuum on the rug.

Fringe
Avoid vacuuming the fringe on your rug. The fibers can be caught and destroyed by the rotating mechanism of the vacuum’s brush. Continuous friction on a fringed or serged edge can deteriorate the fibers over time. Fringed edges are sensitive and a handheld attachment is ideal for routine cleaning. Should the fringe of your rug become damaged, seek immediate assistance from a reputable rug repair workshop.

Shag Rugs
Avoid vacuuming shag rugs entirely as traditional vacuuming can severely damage the rug fibers. Instead, shag rugs should be carried outside and beaten to loosen dirt and release foreign particles.

MAINTAINING YOUR INVESTMENT

Color Variation
Each rug is unique. The color in handmade rugs can vary from piece to piece as dyes change over time.

Shedding
While shedding will gradually diminish (depending on traffic volume), in some cases, it cannot be avoided. Wool rugs will always shed, but after 25-30 vacuums, you should see a decrease. However, some rugs will shed over the course of their lifetime.

Sprouting
Occasionally, a loop in your rug may pull up from the pile. Use a pair of scissors to cut the loop even with the surrounding pile. Do not pull the loop as this can make the problem worse.

Creasing
If your rug is rolled or folded during shipping, it may have creases. Creasing should disappear in a few weeks while the rug is laid out. Reverse rolling the rug overnight can accelerate this process.

Odor
Shipping rugs in a sealed wrap can saturate odors from dyes and yarns into the pile. Once the rug is exposed to fresh air, most odors will dissipate within a few days to a week.

Fading
Even color in fade resistant rugs can fade over time if exposed to direct sunlight.

Wear 
Over time, rug wear is unavoidable. All rugs should be rotated two to four times a year to balance and evenly distribute color and traffic wear.

Soil
Walking over your rug with shoes on can impart dirt and other particles. Over time, these particles can work down through the pile and deteriorate the foundation of your rug.