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Taking Care of Your Rug
Every rug we sell has the potential to continue looking and feeling amazing for decades, if not centuries. As with any textile product however, they are susceptible to wear-and-tear and will require some TLC from time to time. On this page you will find a number of simple tips that will help you to protect your investment for years to come. Read on to find out how you can get the most out of your rug.
Underlay
Underlay helps your rug in three main ways. Firstly, it stops it from moving (or "walking") on the floor, preventing accidents. It also protects the underside from rug-hungry moths, which can often go unnoticed in the space between the floor and the rug. Lastly, it stops the rug from losing its shape. Hand-knotted are made with a small amount of "give" to make them more durable, but over time this can lead to them going out of shape. Underlay holds the knots together and prevents this from happening.
Professional Cleaning
Cleaning is essential for keeping your rug looking and feeling as good as possible. Over time, rugs accumulate dust and other particles deep in the foundation. This increases friction between the knots, accelerating wear-and-tear, as well as dulling the colours and reducing the softness of the fibres. Depending on use, we recommend professional cleaning every 2 - 3 years.
A Stitch in Time
The most common area for damage to occur is on the fringes and the long-sides of the rug (selvedge). Fortunately, these are comparatively simple to fix, but if they are left to deteriorate, the damage can make its way into the middle of the rug. This is more complicated complicated and expensive to repair, so it is always best to nip it in the bud and repair minor damage as and when it occurs.
Vacuuming
We recommend regular vacuuming to keep dust and other particles out of the foundation of the rug. For best results, it is also worth vacuuming the back of the rug and the surface it sits on every month or so.
Sunlight and Shadows
Sunlight will inevitably alter the colours in most hand-knotted rugs, but not in a way that is unattractive or will lower the value of the rug. The main thing to consider is whether the effect is consistent across the whole rug. If one side experiences more sunlight than the other, it may be worth rotating the rug 180 degrees every few months to even it out. This will also prevent any uneven wearing on parts of the rug that get more foot-traffic.
What Not to do
We do not recommend using Scotchgard or similar products. While they may provide protection in the short-term, over time the chemicals will harden into dark, unattractive clumps that are difficult to remove even with professional cleaning. If a stain occurs, it is best to gently apply very dilute dish-soap in the direction of the pile (not scrubbing back and forth). If this fails, get it to us within two weeks and we can generally remove it completely.
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Like-wise, we advise against superficial, "surface washing" using carpet shampooing machines. Our service includes a thorough rinsing stage that purges dust and soap residues from the rug, and a controlled drying stage. Without this, moistened dust is left to cake into the foundation and make the rug more brittle and susceptible to damage.
