How NOT to Clean Your Rug

Posted by Admin

November 16, 2020 08:42:36pm

High quality wool or silk area rugs last for decades – or longer! – when handled, cleaned, and cared for the right way.  It’s also important to know how not to clean your beautiful Persian and Oriental rug!  These beautiful rugs are, in essence, handmade works of art, and certain cleaning methods can cause damage to them.  Here are tips from professional rug cleaners to help you avoid any dangerous or damaging rug cleaning methods:

1. No Scrubbing – The aggressive motion of scrubbing can damage or break the fibers of a wool or silk rug, ultimately causing the torn fibers to create fuzz along the surface of the rug. Broken and scratched fibers also cause a rug to look dull and lose its beautiful sheen.  Even if you use a gentle scrubbing motion, the item you use to clean the rug may also cause damage.  Avoid abrasive brushes and bristles for this reason.  Rather than scrub or use abrasive supplies, blot away spills or moisture as soon as you notice such an issue.  Use a paper towel or clean white towel so that you can see the spill as it is absorbed and continue blotting until you have removed as much as possible of the spill.
2. No Steam Cleaning – Do not use steam cleaning, or even very hot water to clean Oriental rugs. Hot water can cause the rug fibers to shrink, warp, or twist, and can cause dyes to bleed.  High quality rugs are colored with vegetal dyes, and these dyes can be very unstable and bleed easily.  Be sure to keep the water temperature under 150-degrees during cleaning, and better still, simply leave wet cleaning to a highly rated professional rug cleaning company.
3. No Abrasive Cleaners – Wool fibers and silk fibers, though they are very strong, are also sensitive and harsh chemicals can case severe damage to them. Use cleaners with neutral pH levels, and always read any label on your rug or information from the manufacturer before applying a cleaning solution to it.  Even when you find a cleaning agent you feel comfortable using, be sure to first test a small, inconspicuous area on the rug, typically on the backside of the rug, to be sure the chemical cleaner will not cause damage.

Rug cleaning is highly specialized work, and for the best results that do not damage your beautiful rugs, it’s recommended that you call on a good local rug cleaning service to provide professional cleaning.  RugPro Oriental Rug Cleaning is the best rug cleaning company Jacksonville FL customers trust with their handmade rugs.  We serve customers throughout Riverside, Ponte Vedra Beach, Southside, Atlantic Beach, and throughout Jacksonville, and they love the results every time!  We’d love the opportunity to take care of your beautiful area rugs too, beginning with a free in-person quote.  Let’s get started!