Oriental Rugs and Persian Carpets Can Always Look Great — with Attention and Care
Oriental and Persian rugs made of wool and silk rank among the most beautiful and durable home furnishings in the world. Here are some tips for maintaining the beauty of your rug for decades.
Vacuum Your Hand-woven Rugs With Care
Like other floor coverings, Oriental and Persian rugs should be vacuumed regularly to remove dirt, lift fibers and restore freshness. Use your brush attachment and move it gently in a back-and-forth motion across the rug. Do not use a vacuum cleaner with a rotating brush on rug fringe. A soft broom will whisk away debris and straighten the fringe, without risk of snarling, twisting or breaking the fibers.
Hand-knotted Rugs Can Use a Pad for Protection
If you are placing your rug on hardwood, tile, concrete or natural stone, a quality pad will help protect if from slipping and from wear and tear. When you buy an Oriental rug or Persian rug, Mansour will guide you in the selection of the right pad, including the correct weight and material.
Fine Rugs Should Get Rotated
To ensure even wear on the fibers in your Oriental rug, rotate it at least once a year. Twice a year may be best in high-traffic areas, such as hallways, kitchens or entryways. If you’re buying a Persian rug for low-use areas, such as guest rooms, dining rooms and other formal rooms, every two years is sufficient.
We Remove Stains from Antique Rugs and Fine Carpets
Whether you spill a glass of wine on the rug or a dish of chocolate ice cream falls to the floor, take action as soon as you can. There are a number of ways to avoid permanent damage, and you may be able to make a stain vanish on your own, especially if you move quickly. A stain removal kit will help you do just that.
If, however, after your best efforts, you are not completely satisfied, call our shop in Roseville or Sacramento. We are happy to offer advice and are equipped to give the stain professional treatment.
We can help with particularly bad stains, click here to learn about our professional cleaning services.
Free Appraisal of Fine Rugs in the Roseville and Sacramento region
We offer free appraisals of rugs if you can get the rug to us in one of our two galleries in Roseville or Sacramento. We also offer fully documented appraisals for a small fee.
We can help you identify the quality and value of your rug, click here to learn about our free or documented appraisals.
The Kit You Need to Remove Stains from Oriental Rugs and Persian Rugs
Assemble these items and keep them close at hand:
- Clean, soft cloths
- Blotter paper and paper towels
- Brown paper bags (to remove wax)
- Clothes brush
- Mild detergent (Check labels to make sure the product does not contain any type of bleach.)
- White vinegar
- Hairspray
- Dry cleaning fluid
- Household ammonia (typically 5 percent to 10 percent in solution)
- Sponges, natural or synthetic. Test synthetic sponges to make sure they are colorfast.
- Isopropyl alcohol
- A small bucket or container for water
How to Treat Stains on Fine Rugs
- Work quickly.
- Blot a liquid stain with paper towels. Do not rub.
- Test to see if water alone will dilute and remove the stain.
- Be careful not to over-soak fibers.
- Gently blot up the water to see if the stain has been removed.
- Treat the stain lightly from the outer edges toward the center to prevent it from spreading or causing a ring. If cleaning with water isn’t 100 percent successful, choose a stain removal medium from your kit and apply with a clean cloth.
- Do not over-soak the stain, but make repeated applications over time.
- Allow the spot to dry. You may also use a fan or a hair dryer set on cool.
- When the rug is dry, whisk the pile with a clothes brush.
We can help with particularly bad stains, click here to learn about our professional cleaning services.
Handling Candle Wax on Your Hand-woven Rug
Use ice cubes to “freeze” the wax from the fine rug. Gently remove as much wax as possible without pulling or tugging on the Oriental carpet or Persian rug.
Place a piece of blotter paper, a brown paper bag or a paper towel over the wax. Set your iron on “permanent press” and slowly move the iron over the wax, watching to see a blot appear on the paper as the wax melts into it. Keep the iron in constant motion along the fine rug.
When the wax has permeated one section of the paper, move the paper, and repeat until all wax has been absorbed.
Removing Ink from Rugs
Use hairspray to saturate the spot on the fine rug itself. Allow the hairspray to dry and brush the spot with a solution of water and vinegar.
If Chewing Gum gets on your Oriental Rugs or Persian Rugs
Press ice cubes against the gum. When it becomes brittle, you may be able to break it off the Persian rug in small pieces.
If Your Fine Rug Gets Wine, Chocolate or Ice Cream On It
- Blot the stain with a paper towel or soft cloth.
- Apply a tiny amount of gentle liquid dish soap to a cloth or sponge and dab it on the stain.
- Apply water to remove soap.
- Repeat until the stain is gone from the fine rug.
Click to find the right oriental rug for you – runners, square, circle, rectangular – in all sizes, and the best prices!
