| Wash your Oriental rugs at home and save money! Can you really wash your Persian rug or Oriental rug at home? I have recently come across a few articles that claim area rug owners will save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars washing their rugs by themselves rather than having their valuable wool rugs washed professionally. Well I admit that it is not very cheap to have a large rug cleaned professionally, but let’s take a quick look at what is involved in this process in more detail. Then you can decide whether or not it is wise to push your rug into the bathtub.A professional cleaner will first get the dust out of your rug using special devices. This cannot be achieved by household vacuum cleaners. Dust particles are very stubborn to leave their nest from inside the body of a rug. They are also as sharp as a brand new razor. As you step on a dirty rug, these particles will cut the fiber, resulting in premature spots of worn pile. Have you ever seen a rug that is only 15 years old and already shows worn spots here and there? A mild solution is then added to the surface in order to prevent colors from running. Pouring water onto the surface of a rug at home will result in colors bleeding, especially in rugs that do not have naturally dyed wool. As a result, you will see traces of red or navy blue in spots of cream or lighter colors. At a washing facility, the rug will then be washed by regular detergents and rinsed with a high quantity of water. The excess water is removed from the rug, usually by means of simple centrifuge machines. The final step is to lay the rug flat and let it get some air to dry up. If weather conditions don’t allow the natural drying, then heating devices will have to be used, but they usually result in traces of a yellow shade on the surface. So natural drying is the best choice for handmade rugs. Generally, Oriental rugs, Persian rugs, and hand knotted rugs of any quality can be washed at home. The question is: “Should they?” I have seen many of them washed at home and totally destroyed. Bear in mind that these area rugs do not need to be washed too often either. Like any other fabric, unnecessary washing will shorten their lifespan. As a test, rub your hand on the pile with strong back and forth motions for 10-15 seconds and if your hand gets dirty, it is time to have it washed. Professionally. |
