What Should I Do With My Rug’s Fringe?
October 8, 2015 01:27:31pm
Oriental rug owners are united in our love of exquisitely constructed rugs. We love the rich colors, patterns, and textures, but if there’s one feature upon which we are divided, it’s the rug’s fringe. Some rug owners love the fringe, and others hate it. Fortunately, there are options for what to do with your rug’s fringe, regardless of which side of the fringe debate you are on!
All About Rug Fringe
In machine woven rugs, the fringe is added on, whether sewed or glued, as a final step. However, in hand woven rugs, the fringe is part of the rug’s foundation fibers. Your Oriental rug was woven onto these foundation strands, or warp fibers, by twisting or tying pile knots onto the foundation fibers. The fringe is essentially small, exposed remnants of the foundation warps. The fringe has little to do with the value of the rug. However, if the fringe unravels, deteriorates, or is cut off, the pile knots themselves can separate and unravel, which does affect the value of the rug. Those being said, if you are unhappy with your rug’s fringe, explore the following options closely before taking a pair of sewing shears to the tassels, in order to avoid the risk of ruining your rug.
Option 1: Clean the fringe.
The best thing to do with your rug’s fringe is also the most convenient, the least risky, and the least expensive: clean it. The overall appearance of the rug is greatly affected by the appearance of the fringe. When the fringe is bright and clean, the entire rug looks good. When the fringe is dingy or discolored, however, the entire rug can look bad. We have often found that when a client is dissatisfied with the look of his or her fringe, it’s often because the fringe is dirty. Once properly cleaned and brightened, the fringe is much more appealing to the client. After all, the fringe lays directly on the floor, and traps dirt and debris from all foot traffic. When dirt and dust particles get tracked onto the face of your rug, they are well hidden by the wool or silk fibers, which are dense, and often dark in color, and pull the dirt down into the base of the rug. When the same dirt and dust gets tracked onto the fringe, it remains visible. The fringe is usually made of cotton, which does not hide dirt well, and is almost always very light in color. For a clean and bright and great looking fringe, find the best professional rug cleaning company in your area, and let the experts clean your rug top to bottom, and fringe to fringe. A great Oriental rug cleaner will know the perfect cleaning methods and solutions to use on your rug’s fringe that are gentle yet effective.
Option 2: Hide the fringe.
If you truly cannot stand the look of fringe, we recommend hiding the fringe. In this process, the fringe stays attached to your rug, but is hidden and secured underneath the rug, or wrapped in wool binding. This option is the safest option for your rug, since it leaves the fringe intact, with no chance for the pile to unravel and ruin your beautiful rug. If absolutely necessary, you can hide the fringe on your own rug by securing it beneath the rug using masking tape. However, we recommend having the tassels or fringe bound by a professional rug cleaning or rug care company. Most of the best area rug cleaning companies in town offer this service.
Option 3: Shorten, replace, or remove the fringe.
There are more extreme options for your rug’s fringe, but they come at a risk. For example, you could have the fringe shortened. This does not mean that you cut it yourself with heavy duty scissors, but rather, that you schedule the fringe to be shortened by a professional, using the appropriate tools of the trade. You could also have the fringe replaced with a prefabricated fringe. This is the first choice of rug owners who do like rug fringe, but have uneven or damaged fringe. Replacing the fringe creates a uniform look, and you can control the color of the fringe. Lastly, you could have the fringe completely removed. This is the riskiest option of all, since it endangers the rug’s very pile. This option should only be performed by the most trusted and highly rated rug expert you can find.
In any of these three extreme options, it is imperative that you find the best rug repair specialist possible, and ensure your rug is being cared for by hand, rather than by machine.
Oriental Rug Cleaning And Care In Jacksonville FL
RugPro Oriental Rug Cleaning is the best professional rug cleaning service in Jacksonville Florida, and the one to trust with your Oriental rug. We specialize in fringe cleaning, and use gentle yet effective cleaning solutions and methods, leaving your fringe bright and beautiful. If you want to give your rug a new look, or have damaged fringe or other issues, we can hide your fringe, creating a simple and elegant new look for your rug, while leaving all fibers safe and intact. Our clients depend on us for their rug cleaning needs, and we are the Oriental rug cleaning service of choice for homeowners throughout Northeast Florida, including downtown Jacksonville, historic Riverside Avondale, Fleming Island, Ponte Vedra Beach, and throughout the region.
