A beautiful, handmade oriental rug is a treasured possession that deserves to be treated with great care, which is why we recommend having your rugs cleaned by qualified professionals rather than attempting to clean them yourself. Oriental or Persian rug cleaning is both an art and a science and is not something that can be learned in a hurry. Our oriental and Persian rug specialists have been cleaning rugs for years and have the knowledge and experience to ensure they do a first-class job every time. But how exactly do we clean an oriental rug? If you have ever wondered about the process, this guide will answer all your questions. In it, we are going to take a detailed look at the process and, along the way, you will come to realize why it is always best to have your Persian and oriental rugs cleaned by a team of experienced professionals.
Our Persian and Oriental Rug Cleaning Process
Whenever we bring a customer’s rug to our depot to clean it, we follow the process outlined below. What we do at each stage may vary slightly, depending on the condition of the rug in question, but the process is always the same. Over the years, we have found it is the only way to guarantee exceptional results and to avoid damaging delicate rugs.
- Beating – The very first thing that we do is to hang your rug up and beat it, firmly but carefully. By beating your rug, we are able to remove all of the loose particles of dirt and dust that are trapped in the individual fibers. Were we to proceed straight to the washing stage, all of these particles would become suspended in the washing solution, making it far less efficient. If you want to freshen up your rugs so they are not heavily stained or give off an unpleasant smell, this is something that you can do at home. However, you will need a convenient place to hang your rugs outside and a large, smooth stick to beat them with.
- Inspecting – Having carefully beaten all the loose particles of dust and dirt from your rug, we now move on to the inspection. Every rug we clean undergoes a thorough inspection so that we can ascertain exactly what condition it is in and if there are any stubborn stains present that require spot treatment before the full wash.
- Treating Stubborn Stains – If any troublesome stains are present in the pile of your rug, our rug cleaning experts will apply a spot treatment to them at this stage. We use special chemical solutions to treat stubborn stains, formulated to lift even the most deeply embedded dirt and grime out of the pile, without damaging it in the process. If your rug is in reasonable condition and has not been subjected to heavy foot traffic, there may well be no stains that require this special treatment. At this stage, we can also treat any pet urine stains that may be present in the pile. A normal wash would render them invisible but unless they are spot treated, the odor would remain.
- Full Wash – Once your rug has been beaten, inspected, and treated for any stubborn stains that may be present, our rug cleaning specialists will move on to the main event: the full wash. For this, we use the very best detergents, designed to penetrate the core of every fiber in your rug, leaving it smelling and looking as good as the day you bought it. The detergents we use may be powerful but they were chosen by our team because they are also gentle, enabling us to clean your rug thoroughly without damaging it in any way. For particularly dirty rugs, the wash process may be repeated but in the majority of cases, one wash is enough. Once the wash has been completed, your rug will be thoroughly rinsed.
- Restoring the Pile – After it has been washed, the pile on your rug will be flatter than it was before we started. It is for this reason that we groom each rug after washing, using brushes that are made especially for this purpose. Once we have completed the grooming process, the pile will be completely restored to its original condition. We brush the pile while your rug is still damp, to ensure that it all goes in the same direction. Our oriental rug cleaning technicians know exactly when it is the perfect time to brush the pile and always achieve outstanding results.
- Drying – Having completed all of the cleaning tasks, our team leaves your rug to air dry, this being the safest method of drying for delicate handmade rugs. Modern technology has changed the way that we do many things but when it comes to drying Persian and oriental rugs, the old ways are still the best.
- Final Inspection – We now inspect your clean, dry, and groomed rug, to make sure that all stubborn stains were removed completely and that there are no areas requiring further attention.
If you have an oriental or Persian rug that you would like our rug cleaning team to take care of, please feel free to call our team or contact us online. We will be delighted to arrange to pick it up and perform a full, professional cleaning at our depot before bringing it back to your home. To learn more about our specialized process, visit our rug cleaning services page.