Rotate your rugs.
Rotate your rugs to even out any possible sun fading, and also not allow one specific area to get all the foot traffic wear. Try to rotate small rugs every 3 to 6 months. You should rotate large rugs every time it goes for a rug cleaning by putting them back down in the opposite direction.
Inspect your rugs.
Quarterly you want to inspect your rugs closely for any insect activity. Moths and carpet beetles generally begin feasting in areas that have little light and little airflow. This usually means they prefer underneath the rug or under furniture. The larva looks like sticky lint, so flip up the corners to see if you have any activity.
American Indian weavings hanging on the wall are particularly vulnerable, so take them down bi-annually to shake and dust and look for bugs.
You also want to check the ends and sides of your rugs to inspect for repairs. When fringe tassels become worn and torn, the wool (or silk) knots begin to pull away. If caught early, this is a much cheaper repair than reweaving a rug section down the road. Look at the Back of the rug to see if all the knots are tightly and securely in place.
Protect your Rugs.
Many newer rugs, especially Chinese rugs, receive a chemical wash to give them a nice sheen. This chemical process makes these rugs sensitive to sunlight and will fade in a few years. If this concerns you, consider treating your windows with UV Optical filter coating or use thicker window coverings to block out the rays during peak hours.
Never use Carpet spot removers or baking soda on your rugs.
Folex, Woolite, and Resolve are for Synthetic carpets and are not designed for wool or silk rugs. These chemicals are too strong to use on rugs and can cause a chemical distortion or bleach the rug dyes completely. Baking soda also causes damage by yellowing the fibers. This damage is permanent and will devalue your rug, so please stick to club soda and corn starch if you need to pack a spill with an absorbent compound.
Never have your valuable oriental rugs surface cleaned in your home.
Carpet cleaning chemicals and equipment are for wall-to-wall carpets, not oriental and specialty rugs. This equipment cannot thoroughly rinse your rugs clean, especially when there's a good floor underneath that can't get wet. So you are left with an area rug with chemicals and dirt still in the fibers. This chemical residue can lead to many problems from quicker re-soiling, yellowing of wool, dye migration and bleeding, and fading. Rugs, especially wool rugs, are meant to be washed at a proper rug cleaning facility.
Gatesway Cleaning & Restoration in Warren cleans your rugs in our facility. We never clean rugs in someone's home. Call us to find out how to get your area or oriental rug the cleaning it deserves.
