Oriental Rug Care
Care and Cleaning of Your RugPurchasing your beautiful Oriental rug is only the first step to enjoying a fine artwork that, properly cared for, will make a wonderful heirloom for your children and grandchildren. Cleaning your rug is a lifetime commitment -- but it's not as difficult as it sounds. Appropriate cleaning is the reason these rugs have endured for centuries.
Consult these simple safeguards and remember to enjoy your Townhouse Galleries Rug. It was made to last.
Stain Removal Chart
The letters in this chart refer to one of the seven stain removers below, which can be used singly or employed in combination to remove a stain.
Blot or dab the stain with these cleaning agents -- DO NOT RUB OR SCRUB! Rubbing spreads the stain to nearby fibers. Work from the outside of the stain towards the center so that the cleaning agent spreads inward.
| CARPET STAIN REMOVAL CHART | |||||
| STAIN | WOOL | ACRYLIC | NYLON | OLEFIN | POLYESTER |
| Animal Glue | F | F | A,G | F | F |
| Argyrol | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Ball Point Ink | B,C,then A,G | B,C,then A,G | B,C | B,C | B,C |
| Beer | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Catsup | A,G | A,G | A,G | F,A,G | F,A,G |
| Carbon Black | Vacuum A,G | Vacuum A,G | Vacuum B,C | Vacuum B,C | Vacuum B,C |
| Chewing Gum | C | C | C | C | C with steam |
| Clay | Vacuum A,G | Vacuum A,G | Vacuum A,G | Vacuum A,G | Vacuum A,G |
| Cola | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Coffee(B,C&S) | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Colored Paper | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Crayon | B,G | B,G | B,C | B,C | B,C,A,G |
| Duco Cement | B,C | B,C | B,C | B,C | B,C |
| Egg | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Enamel | B,F,A,G | B,F,A,G | B,F,A,G | B,F,A,G | B,F,A,G |
| Food Dye | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Fruit Juice | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| FurnitureDye | B,C,F,A,G | B,C,F,A,G | A,B,C | B,C | B,C,A,G |
| Furniture Polish | B,C,F,A,G | B,C,F,A,G | A,G,C | B,C | B,C,A,G |
| Grape Drink | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G,C |
| Gravy | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G,C |
| Grease,car | C | C | C | C | B,C |
| Ice Cream | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| India Ink | B,C,A,G | B,C,A,G | A,G | A,G | B,C,A,G |
| Iron Rust | Vacuum D,G | Vacuum D,G | Vacuum D,G | Vacuum D,G | Vacuum D,G |
| Latex Paint | B,F,A,G | B,C | A,G | B,C | B,C,A,G |
| Linseed Oil | C | C | C | C | C |
| Lipstick | B,C | B,C | B,C | B,C,A,G | B,C,A,G |
| Merthiolate | A,G | A,G | A,G | B,C,A,G | B,C,A,G |
| Milk | B,C,A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Mustard | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Nail Polish | E | F,B,C | F,C | ||
| Oil, Car | C | C | C | C | C |
| Oil, Paint | B,F,A,G | B,F,A,G | B,C | B,C | B,C,A,G |
| Permanent Ink | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Plaster | Vacuum A,G | Vacuum A,G | Vacuum A,G | Vacuum A,G | Vacuum A,G |
| Rouge | A,G | ||||
| Rubber Cement | B,C | B,C | B,C | B,C | B,C,A,G |
| Shoe Dye | B,C | C | |||
| Shoe Pol.(Liq) | B,C,A,G | B,C,A,G | A,G,C | B,C | C |
| Shoe Pol.(Wax) | B,A,G | B,A,G | C | B,C,A,G | C |
| Tar | C | C | C | C | C |
| Tea | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Tobacco | A,G | A,G | |||
| Urine | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Washable Ink | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Water Colors | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G | A,G |
| Wax Candle | Steam,C | Steam,C | Steam,C | Steam,C | Steam,C |
Code of Recommended Stain Removers
- Detergent solution -- one teaspoon of a neutral detergent (a brand for washing lingerie works well, such as Lux, Dreft, or Vel) plus one teaspoon of white vinegar in a quart of warm water
- Paint remover -- Note that the paint removed should not contain any oil. Lacquer thinner may also be used.
- Dry cleaning fluid -- Use any common brand according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Rust remover -- Brands such as Erusticator or Rust Go are recommended.
- Acetone -- A common drugstore brand or nail polish remover WITHOUT LANOLIN or lacquer thinner is a good source for acetone.
- Alcohol -- Use rubbing (but don't rub!), denatured, or isopropyl alcohol.
- Water
NOTE: If there is no recommended procedure for removing a stain on a specific pile fiber, consult a professional carpet cleaner.
REGULAR RUG CLEANING
Certainly you should care for stains as they occur, but you should have your rug cleaned by a professional at least once every three years.
First, of course, sweep the floor before you lay down your new rug. Dirt particles act like sandpaper once they're in the fiber of your rug. In the winter, or during a rainy season, you must be even more vigilant, because the moisture gets into the warp from the soles of your shoes or boots, as well as salt (in snowy areas) or road oils.
When you get your rug cleaned, ask the dealer for a beater -- a large wood or metal tool that looks like a multi-tined fork. Never wet the carpet without beating or vacuuming the rug first, because then you will have clean out mud, too.
SMOKE, FUMES AND MOISTURE
Exhaust from furnaces, stoves, chimneys and automobiles mix with humidity in the air to form an acid that fades and deteriorates the appearance of wool. Over time, moisture rots the threads and destroys the fibers of the rug. Keep your rug someplace dry.
WEAR AND TEAR
If a rug is cut or torn, ask a professional carpet repair person to mend it immediately. Holes can expand very quickly and ruin an otherwise repairable carpet.
With ordinary use, the selvage edges tend to fray, as they are not as compressed as the rug pile. Worn edges can be re-darned, fringes can be replaced, and worn areas in the middle of a rug can be re-knotted.
MOTHS
Moths are a danger to Oriental rugs, as they are to any woolen product, but frequent rotation of your rugs and exposure to light and air usually is an effective preventative.
Consult a professional carpet cleaner for mothproofing your rug.
Not only can moth larvae eat the pile, but they also eat the knots on the underside of the rug. Moths are especially attracted to areas under furniture (because no one walks there).
PADDING
Note that padding normally is necessary only to prevent your rug from sliding on a glossy floor. Be suspicious of retailers who offer to sell you expensive padding "to protect the life of your rug."
SWEEPING
Sweep the rug with a broom as an alternative to vacuuming to remove loose dirt and bring out the rug's natural sheen.
VACUUMING
Because of the numerous quality controls in an Townhouse Galleries Rug during every step of its creation, you can vacuum your rug at a low suction level, using a new bag to prevent reversal of dust and dirt. Keep the vacuum away from the fringes, though.
WASHING
Consult a professional carpet cleaner when washing your rug.
Do not steam-clean or use chemicals (other than those recommended elsewhere on this website) on your rug, as these methods remove natural oils from the wool and make the pile brittle.
Never submerge your rug in water.
CRUSHED PILE
Revive carpet pile that has been crushed by heavy furniture by brushing the indented area with a soft brush. Moisten slightly with a spray bottle of water, then brush again.
HANGING
Before hanging a carpet on the wall, consult with us.
Be certain that the warp threads can withstand the strain.
DO NOT use nails or staples to hang a large or heavy rug.
Use a strong poster holder to distribute the weight of the rug evenly.
RUG STORAGE
Always inspect your stored rugs regularly.
DO NOT lay carpets flat on top of one another for any length of time.
DO NOT store your rug in a damp or humid area, and do not store it in a hot or poorly ventilated area. Both can destroy your entire rug.
To store a rug, wrap it in fabric. The fibers need air circulation, which means that your rug can rot or mildew if wrapped in plastic.
A rug also can be rolled up and stored in a chest with some paradichlorobenzene crystals, or moth balls. Renew the mothproofing every few months.
Large carpets should be rolled around poles with the protruding ends resting on blocks or trestles.
If you discover a spill, use the methods described elsewhere on this list, or contact a professional carpet cleaner.
Townhouse Galleries recommends Admiral Cleaning in Huntsville.