Let’s face it Persian or Oriental rugs don’t come cheap. In fact some of the very best can be tens of thousands of dollars. While not every rug has to cost the same as a decent family car, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t lavish the same amount of care and attention on it. The fact is that a rug that’s well cared for not only looks great, it can last for many years longer than one that hasn’t been maintained. With this in mind, just how do you keep your Persian or Oriental rug in tip top condition at home? Let’s take a closer look.
Regular vacuuming
Your Persian or Oriental rugs will benefit from regular vacuuming. In fact it’s probably the very best thing that you can do to keep it looking like new. Try giving it a good ‘going over’ on a lower power setting at least once a week, but more if it is exposed to heavy footfall.
Treat it with care
A rug that looks great is one that’s been treated with care. So avoid using heavy duty cleaners. Instead if you do see any spills or stains, use what you would use on yourself. A soft soap or well-known dish detergent for example that leaves your hands soft is ideal for a fragile rug which will benefit from being cleaned using less abrasive products. The wool fibres contained with your Oriental or Persian rug contain Lanolin (a natural repellent). Harsh or abrasive cleaners will remove the lanolin making the rug more susceptible to dirt and staining.
Act fast
Like all carpets and Persian /Oriental rugs are no exception, when you spill something you need to act fast. The lanolin contained within the fibres creates a natural barrier that protects spills from penetrating deep into the carpet fibres, but only for a certain amount of time. It’s far easy to remove stains before they fully penetrate rather than after. For this reason you need to act fast. Carefully blot the spill (never rub) then use small amounts of tap water to dilute any remaining stain. Then carefully blot the area again to remove the residue.
For more stubborn stains, try adding a few drops of detergent to a cup of plain water and repeat the process. It’s also possible cleaning the whole carpet using this process. Try working in 1 metre blocks and dampen, soap, dampen, and dry. Just ensure you go with the direction of the fibres. This is the direction that feels soft when you rub your hands over it.
Call in the pros
The good news is that a rug that’s been well-cared for shouldn’t need a professional clean more than once every couple of years. However when your rug has been in the hands of a capable professional it can vastly improve both the look and feel of your rug while improving it’s longevity, so it’s well worth the investment. By combining the above points with the occasional carpet clean, there’s no reason why you can’t go ahead and enjoy your carpet for many years to come.
If you need advice on carpet cleaning matters or would like to book a carpet clean, contact Carpet Cleaning Kings on 1300 7000 75 today.
