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If you are a proud owner of an antique Persian rug, you know how valuable and precious it is. Persian rugs are luxurious items that everyone loves to own, and when you do buy one, it is considered a handsome investment. The elegance and classy look it brings to your living room is indescribable, and it is a great way to impress visitors. However, these kinds of carpets require extreme care if you need to use it for a long time without damages. Today, you can find professional companies specializing in cleaning them while retaining the quality of rugs. Here’s all you need to know about handling and cleaning Persian rugs to keep it looking elegant for a long time.
How to Check Whether Your Antique Rugs Need Cleaning
The area where you have placed your rug decides how often it needs to be cleaned and vacuumed. Yet, remember to check your antique carpets once in a while to see if it has collected dust. In order to judge how dirty a rug has become, pick it up from a corner and kick the back of the rug sharply. If a cloud of dust comes out of the rug, then it is a sign to show that your rug needs cleaning. But, a little amount of dust in rugs is usually considered normal and therefore is not something of serious concern.
You can also kneel upon the rug and rub your hand on it vigorously for a span of 5-10 seconds. If you find a lot of dust stagnant in your hand, then your antique rug has become very dirty. You should also check the base of the pile at the foundation of Persian rugs from time to time. If the warp and weft in here look dirty, you should consider cleaning it. However, these are places that can hardly be reached by a vacuum cleaner and therefore needs professional assistance.
Thing to Remember When Cleaning Rugs
Usually, you can clean Persian rugs by yourself if they are small in size and easy to handle. But, here are some things you need to know before you step up to handle this task. The most crucial step of cleaning carpets is extracting the dust collected on it completely. This is because, if dust particles are left inside the pile of the rug, it would become mildew after it is mixed with water. This will not only bring an unpleasant smell afterwards but also can break the pile of Persian rugs.
You should also keep in mind to use organic shampoo or special rug soap so that carpets won’t be affected by chemicals and thereby fade the color of rugs. It is important to dry them completely after a wash using natural sunlight or by hanging them in a drying room. Finally, after the Persian rugs are completely dried, you should groom the pile using a brush in the woven direction. This will make the pile of the antique rug go back to their original position.
Process of Cleaning Your Persian Rugs
You should select a utility room or any other suitable place to clean your rugs so that it will be convenient. First, vacuum each side of the carpet very well and extract the dust completely. Then, shampoo the rug and wash it thoroughly with cool water. You can use a soft brush or any other scrubbing tool which is not too harsh. Stroke the antique rug gently so as not to damage the pile while washing it with soapy water. Remember not to scrub it vigorously as it can seriously damage the rugs making your hard effort futile.
Then, begin to wash the fringes while rubbing them and finally wash the rugs again thoroughly. Afterwards, squeeze out the excess water from the pile until there are no water drops dripping from the carpets. Then, place the Persian rugs in a suitable place where there are ample ventilation and sunlight to dry. You can also use an ordinary drying room, but it will take some time. Remember to turn the rug over after one side is completely dried and if the pile of rugs feels stiff; groom it gently using a soft brush.