Written by Ali | 28 September 2009

To prolong the life of a rug and to keep it vibrant and attractive, it is recommended that you clean your rug regularly. There are no set criteria for cleaning. It depends mainly on where and how the rugs are used. Some of our Quality Assurance steps we follow for all carpet cleaning are listed below.

Inspection for damage

The rug should be inspected for a possible tear or hole prior to cleaning. If damage is present, temporary or permanent repair has to be carried out before cleaning takes place.

Loose-particle removal

It is important to ensure rugs are kept free of soil and solid dirt at all times. When solid particles sit at the bottom of the pile, friction as a result of pressure on the surface (e.g. walking) can cause the pile to break off, creating bold patches on the surface of the rug. Solid particles consisting of dirt, dust, grit, sand and broken fibres can be removed by gentle beating on the back of the rug with a traditional cane beater. This has to be carried out thoroughly so most particles are removed prior to next phase of cleaning.

Stain removal

Stains, particularly when accompanied by solid material (e.g. candle wax) should be removed prior to cleaning. If not removed in advance, these stains will be permanently fixed into the carpet and hence very difficult to remove. Some stains leave permanent marks regardless of all attempts to remove them, Never rub to remove a spill - blot with a clean, dry, absorbant cloth and contact usespecially if they occur over the lighter-colour areas of the carpet. These marks are best left alone and no aggressive method should be used to remove them as they could cause even more damage to the rug.

Colour-fastness test

This test should be carried out before cleaning takes place. This can be done by simply wiping the most colourful part of the rug with a damp white cotton cloth. If no colour passes to the cloth, the rug is colour-fast and cleaning is quite straight forward. If the colour passes on to the cloth, more care is needed during cleaning process in order to prevent colour run.

Final stage of cleaning

Cleaning must be carried out by hand. Any chemical and machine cleaning is to be avoided at all cost. The most suitable type of cleaning material is a special type of carpet shampoo that will dry to powder after it has been applied to the rug and removed almost completely after the rug is dried out. This type of shampoo is not usually available in super store or any normal retail shop. The only added material to the solution is white vinegar. The proportion of adding shampoo and vinegar to the warm water depends on the shampoo concentration and the rug type.

Hand cleaning of rug is usually a time consuming process. The carpet gets cleaned and then left to air-dry. This cycle of cleaning and air-drying is repeated a few times depending on the degree of dirt of the carpet and/or the colour of the background of the carpet.

How often a rug needs to be cleaned depends on where the rug is being laid. A rug which is been used in a living room or a dining room needs to be cleaned more frequently than the rug in a bedroom or a study. At Persian Carpet Gallery, we have been providing these services for the last four decades and are happy to provide advice at any time.