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I found this useful article on cleaning and maintaining rugs, especially antique rugs at [url]http://shopantiquerugs.com/how-to-clean-and-maintain-an-antique-rug/[/url]. I hope this helps.
We pick a week in spring when it's supposed to be sunny and dry. We take them outside onto the deck and hose them down with a pretty powerful jet (not power washer powerful - just a strong stream). I hate to admit this because it will probably make some people nearly faint, but about once every two or three years I actually dot some dishwashing detergent (mild - like something organic and gentle) around on the rug first and really spray it to distribute the soap and then to rinse it out.
Then we hang the rugs over the deck rail or a fence and let them dry in the sun. It usually takes about 3 days. This is a pretty humid area so it can take up to 4 days.
I don't know if this is right or wrong but it's worked fine for us for over twenty years.
I also vacuum my rugs. No issues whatsoever. However, I don't vacuum them often - usually I sweep them and only vacuum them about twice a month.
We have two big dogs and though they are well house trained, they do a bit of shedding and they also lay around on the rugs, so I don't want them to smell doggy. I also use baking soda based carpet freshener when I vacuum.
We pick a week in spring when it's supposed to be sunny and dry. We take them outside onto the deck and hose them down with a pretty powerful jet (not power washer powerful - just a strong stream). I hate to admit this because it will probably make some people nearly faint, but about once every two or three years I actually dot some dishwashing detergent (mild - like something organic and gentle) around on the rug first and really spray it to distribute the soap and then to rinse it out.
Then we hang the rugs over the deck rail or a fence and let them dry in the sun. It usually takes about 3 days. This is a pretty humid area so it can take up to 4 days.
I don't know if this is right or wrong but it's worked fine for us for over tw,enty years.
I also vacuum my rugs. No issues whatsoever. However, I don't vacuum them often - usually I sweep them and only vacuum them about twice a month.
We have two big dogs and though they are well house trained, they do a bit of shedding and they also lay around on the rugs, so I don't want them to smell doggy. I also use baking soda based carpet freshener when I vacuum.
I am not one to argue with success, but, I would like to know if we are defining oriental rugs the same way.
I have several large antique Persian/Iranian rugs and runners that are wool and vegetable dyed.
Is that the same kind of rug you are describing?
They are vacuumed with beater brush at least every 2 weeks sometimes once a week and look no worse for wear. Additionally, I have always heard/read that wool rugs have a lanolin coating that repels dirt.
So basically my rugs look pretty good, same as when I got them. Still 4 years later I am thinking they may need cleaning.
Spraying them with water and what you do does make me cringe, but not saying you are wrong.
On the one hand, I know the rugs I have could have been drug through deserts for years before I got them and are therefore pretty hardy. On the other hand, I know that if I put a wool sweater in the washing machine it will shrink up and be worthless.
So, I guess my question for you is are your rugs wool and vegetable dyed and come out ok with spraying them outside?
That would be great if so, because otherwise sending them out for cleaning will be 500 to a thousand to get cleaned.
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It is my understanding that in the Middle East, where the rugs are made, they do not baby them in the slightest. They lay them out in the street and people walk over them. To me, the faded worn rugs are the prettiest.
Anyway, the few real ones I have are small. I vacuum with the floor setting, and I also flip them over and vacuum the underside. If I had a valuable old one, I would not dare clean it myself, but would send it out every few years to a place with real old school knowledge. The old dyes can really disappear if someone doesn't know what they're doing. I might like the looks of that better, but probably no good for the value.
I agree with gentlearts, you really don't have to baby a true, 100% wool, hand-knotted Oriental rug. I had one on the floor of my antiques shop for over three years and tons of people walked on it. When I had it professionally cleaned, it looked as good as new. In my house, I use an Oreck upright vacuum on my rugs, except for the fringe, which I comb out to look straight (not that it stays that way - cats LOVE rug fringe!). The only rug I "baby" is a 100% silk rug that is hand-knotted, but the knots go through to twisted threads on the back side. That one I just shake outside. I really need to figure out how to hang it on the wall.
My great-grandfather bought this rug at an estate sale-not too sure when. ('40s? '50s?) I believe it was an antique at the time.
My grandmother used it until she died. My sister had it for a while but really didn't have a place for it. There are some condition issues (as you can see from the pic.) My sister looked into having it restored but said that it probably wasn't worth it. She was calling for anyone who wanted it-she was going to sell it if no one claimed it. None of us liked the idea but no one had a place for it. UNTIL I bought my house. I now have a place for it so it is now in my care.
It sits in a room that very few people go in. If they do go in, I ask that people don't walk on it with shoes on. It does get lightly vacuumed I think maybe once a year or so-but that is it. When my sister & her daughter came to look at the house, they walked on it with shoes and I told them that they are the few who are allowed to do that (any of my grandmother's descendants). I asked her if she thought Grandma would be pleased where it was. She said yes.
BTW, the small rug was also my grandmothers. Don't think it is as old as the big rug.
We have always vacuumed our authentic Oriental rugs (mostly Persian). But since we live near an excellent place for cleaning, we took all of them in and had them washed and repaired. Amazing. We had one refringed and another had a chewed area and they rewove it so you can't even see where it was chewed.
I am not one to argue with success, but, I would like to know if we are defining oriental rugs the same way.
I have several large antique Persian/Iranian rugs and runners that are wool and vegetable dyed.
Is that the same kind of rug you are describing?
They are vacuumed with beater brush at least every 2 weeks sometimes once a week and look no worse for wear. Additionally, I have always heard/read that wool rugs have a lanolin coating that repels dirt.
So basically my rugs look pretty good, same as when I got them. Still 4 years later I am thinking they may need cleaning.
Spraying them with water and what you do does make me cringe, but not saying you are wrong.
On the one hand, I know the rugs I have could have been drug through deserts for years before I got them and are therefore pretty hardy. On the other hand, I know that if I put a wool sweater in the washing machine it will shrink up and be worthless.
So, I guess my question for you is are your rugs wool and vegetable dyed and come out ok with spraying them outside?
That would be great if so, because otherwise sending them out for cleaning will be 500 to a thousand to get cleaned.
I have done this with wool rugs (not sure of the type of dye though) as well as synthetic rugs. I actually prefer high quality synthetic rugs (not cheap ones) because this method absolutely will not hurt most of them, and I like being able to clean rugs by myself. Personally, I'd hate to spend the money necessary to have an antique or "real" Oriental rug cleaned, but that's just me.
As for wool rugs with vegetable dyes, no guarantees!
In fact, here's a word of caution: I actually do have a 100 percent wool rug with vegetable dyes in my dining room. Both my dogs are housebroken but for some weird reason when we first got the rug, one of them decided they needed to pee on it. Dogs are weird. Anyway, it wasn't a lot of pee, so rather than move the entire thing outside, I spot cleaned it. That area was on the edge in a corner. The corner sort of curled up but the color remained undamaged. I used dish soap and water on it. I had to sit a chair on the corner of it for a couple of days to get that corner to lay flat again. So...I'd be careful. This is the only Oriental rug I've had that reacted to water that way but it got my attention.
I had a smaller wool, hand knotted little area rug that I actually used in a pretty high traffic area for years and I washed that one down with the hose just like I described and it was fine. Eventually after many years I gave it to one of my kids and as far as I know they're still using it and washing it down occasionally. No "curling" issues there and the dyes are as vibrant as ever.
It's risky. That's one reason I've never bought a big, expensive Oriental rug - I prefer to be able to clean rugs myself with no worries. I'm not criticizing those who have them and love them - just citing a personal preference.
We have a high quality, synthetic rug in our living room. We bought it over twenty years ago and even then it was about $1500, which wasn't cheap for a synthetic rug then OR now, come to think of it. It's thick and colorful - but synthetic. We've washed it down with literally a high pressure hose and detergent several times and it looks and feels great. This experience taught me a few things about what I need in my own home.
Last edited by KathrynAragon; 12-17-2015 at 08:59 AM..
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