Persian rugs are delicate. They need special and regular care to maintain their beauty. While you should have them professionally cleaned once per year (more often if they are in a high traffic area), there are many ways you can care for them to prolong their life.
First and foremost, you must vacuum your rug regularly. This means at least once each week to remove grit and dry soil because these contaminants have a sandpaper effect. This dry soil will wear down the fibers over time and is the biggest risk to your valuable rug. Always vacuum in the direction of the pile and be very careful near fringes.
Once every couple of months you should conduct a deep soil removal cleaning. No special equipment is needed, just your vacuum, and it helps get out dirt and grit that has worked its way down to the foundation of your rug. Vacuum the front of the rug then the back, using the beater bar on the back. Vacuuming the back should loosen any soil trapped in the foundation, which will be on the floor when you lift the rug. Now sweep up the dry soil on the floor and vacuum the front again.
Regularly rotate your rug so that it wears evenly. This is especially important if it sees regular foot traffic. Foot traffic will wear down the fibers over time and if it is always in the same position, wear spots will become visible in some areas but not others. A rug that is heavily worn in one area will be considerably devalued.
Invest in quality rug padding; don’t just lay your rug on the bare floor (this is especially important if your rug is on a hard surface like wood or marble). It is essential that you add a protective layer underneath to increase the life of your rug and also help hold it in place. It is important to use the correct type of padding for the floor you are laying the rug upon and for it to be the correct size.
You can opt to add a stain protectant to your rug. This will provide extra protection from dirt and spills. Be sure to use something that will not damage your rug. Not all stain protectants are the same, so be sure to read the bottle. If you spill anything on your rug, the first step is to absorb as much as you can with a plain white towel. Blot, don’t rub as this may cause damage to the wool or silk fibers. If the stain does not come out, call a professional right away.
Lastly, have your rugs professionally cleaned. At Royal Interior Cleaning, our trained personnel will take into account the material of your rug and determine the ideal procedure for cleaning it. Delicate rugs like silk, Persian, or Oriental that require careful cleaning will be handled differently than the more common blends like wool, nylon, cotton and poly-blends.
