As the holidays approach, you undoubtedly are thinking of hosting a party or two. Perhaps you’re hosting a neighborhood party at your home, or your teens are planning on having a New Year’s Eve blowout.
Regardless, if you have a handmade rug in your home, you’re going to want to make sure it’s protected. In fact, this post’s headline may be a tad misleading because it’s not so much the rug you will need to prepare for the party, as it will be putting plans in place and taking some steps to protect the rug from party guests.
We’ve put together a few “protective steps” you can take in preparation for your gathering.
- Where is your rug located in regard to where most of your guests will be walking, mingling, drinking, and/or eating?
If for example, your rug is located in a spot where a lot of people will be walking on it – especially if they will be carrying drinks as they walk – you may want to move the rug to a location that will see less action, or even place it in a room where no one will walk upon it.
Hand-made rugs are incredibly durable, but wine or eggnog, or even just spilled au jus from the roast beef spilled upon it can be problematic. If you’re worried about spills, as much as you want your guests to enjoy this textile work of art, it may be best to move the rug to a less-active area of your home.
- Make sure you vacuum the rug and rotate it before guests arrive.
You want to showcase the rug’s beauty you can do so best by making sure the rug is clean. If you have time (a few days), take the rug to Persian Rug Cleaner of Dallas for a thorough and professional cleaning. At the very least, vacuum the rug – but use the machine’s suction tool; never use its beater brush.
You also should rotate the rug a few days before the party so that any indentions in the rug made by furniture legs have some time to flatten out.
- Remove any live potted plants from atop the rug.
In fact, it’s best if you never place any live potted plant on your hand-knotted rug. As careful as you will be, dirt and grime will make its way to the rug from the plant pot. In addition, we can practically guarantee that water will seep from the pot onto the rug, causing water damage. Have you ever seen worn rugs or rugs that appear to have a section “torn” from them? They more than likely were damaged by water.
- Many holiday parties are held at night, so you needn’t move the rug if the sun normally shines directly upon it.
However, as a rule of thumb, it’s best to make sure the rug never rests in direct sunlight – the sun can damage and fade the rug’s fibers. We know you want to showcase your beautiful rug, but it’s best if you keep the rug out of direct sunlight at all times. If that’s not possible, at the very least, rotate the rug regularly so that its fading is at least “even.” You also might consider investing in sunblock blinds, curtains, or drapes.
We hope your holiday parties create wonderful memories that you and your friends and family enjoy for years to come. Let’s make sure they also can enjoy your handmade rug for decades to come: call Persian Rug Cleaner of Dallas at 972-447-9600 for more information on our professional rug cleaning services.
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