Now that you’ve purchased your first – or 10th – Persian or Oriental rug, you need to make sure you care for it properly. Doing so will mean you can pass the rug to your children and grandchildren, and they can pass it down to their descendants, as well.
These gorgeous works of art are surprisingly durable; it will be tough for you to harm them.
Still, the better you care for your rug, the better chance it has at lasting so that your great-great-great-grandchildren can enjoy it, also.
Take proper care of your rug and there’s a good chance your rug could last for centuries, just as this Turkish Oushak carpet has.
This post will discuss day-to-day care of your Persian or Oriental rug. It will not discuss washing, stain removal, or storage.
- These works of art are made to be used. So place your rug on the floor and enjoy it! It’s best to keep it out of direct sunlight but, if that’s not possible, make sure you rotate the rug at least once a month so that each end or side eventually is exposed to the light, as well.
- Sunlight can fade your rug’s colors and also make the rug’s fibers weaker, so if you can’t keep it out of direct sunlight, consider closing the room’s blinds during the sunniest part of the day and also consider investing in blinds or curtains that fully block the sun’s UV rays.
- If you place furniture on the rug, rotate the rug every six months or so to prevent the weight of the furniture from creating permanent indentations in the rug.
- You also should move furniture around your rug regularly as the placement of furniture can create traffic pathways. Moving the furniture will change the pathway, helping to keep wear to a minimum.
- If your rug has fringe and the ends become twisted and tangled, rather than comb them free – which can cause them to fray – pick one end of the rug up and walk to the rug’s opposite end. This will flip the rug over and straighten out the fringe. You also may shake the rug gently.
- We recommend removing dirt and fine, sharp micro-dust from your rug using the suck function only of your vacuum. This not only gets dirt and grit out of the rug, but it also helps keep its wool fibers from packing down. Consider turning off the beater bar of the vacuum or use a brushless vacuum.
- Pick up any food droppings or liquid spills as soon as possible. Absorb any spills with a clean cloth or paper towels (daub gently) and daub from the rim of the spill, moving to the center. You’ll also want to place a towel (paper towels are fine) under the rug to prevent damage to the rug’s underside. Dampen the towels with water only; do not use any cleaners or chemicals.
- Have the rug cleaned professionally every four to five years if it gets a lot of use/traffic and make sure to rotate it regularly.
If you live in the Dallas region and need a Persian or Oriental rug cleaned, call upon the experts at Persian Rug Cleaner of Dallas. We’re also experts at cleaning antique rugs. Give us a call at 972-447-9600.
Image by J & D Oriental Rugs (Wikimedia submission) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
