If your Persian or oriental rug has got to the point where nothing short of professional cleaning is likely to restore it to its former glory, please do not hesitate to call and inquire about our specialty rug cleaning services in Longmont and nearby communities. If, on the other hand, you are trying to deal with a small stain and you think you can handle it yourself, the tips in this guide should help you avoid making any serious mistakes.
Oriental and Persian Rug Cleaning: How to Deal with Accidental Spillages
Before we get started, a quick word of warning. The last thing you want to do is to damage your prized possession so if you have any reservations about tackling the job yourself, we encourage you to contact our carpet cleaning team and ask for advice. With that said, let’s dive into the details of spot stain removal!
- Absorb Excess Liquid – If you knock over a glass of red wine on your beautiful rug, the very first thing you will probably want to do is scream but before you do that, grab a handful of tissues or a sponge and mop up as much of the spillage as you can. Don’t rub the rug when you do this, just hold the tissue or sponge on the spillage and let it absorb as much liquid as possible. This part of the process is damage control: if you can stop the wine or whatever liquid you spilled from soaking into the fibers of the rug, you will minimize the work you have to do to remove any resulting stain.
- Dab the Remaining Liquid with Tissue – Once you have absorbed any excess liquid, gently dab the area where the liquid has soaked in, working from the outside of the stain towards the middle. Use a clean tissue for this, discarding it and taking a fresh one out whenever necessary. Again, do not use a rubbing motion when you do this as you will simply be pushing the liquid more deeply into the fibers. By gently dabbing, you will absorb as much of the liquid as possible, without making the stain any worse in the process. You may be tempted to use soap or household bleach at this point but this would be a bad idea: Persian and oriental rug cleaning experts like ourselves only use the mildest of cleaning chemicals, to avoid the possibility of damaging the delicate fibers and dyes.
- Clean the Stain with Vinegar and Water or Club Soda and Water – For general spillages, we recommend a mix of 1-part vinegar to 3-part water, in a spray bottle. For red wine stains or any other type of stain caused by an acidic liquid spillage, we recommend using club soda instead of a vinegar/water mix. In either case, you will need to mist the stain with the cleaning mixture you have prepared, then brush over the stain in the direction of the weave, using a soft brush. This should lift any remaining liquid spillage out of the fibers, leaving your rug stain-free once more. Do not try to brush vigorously as this will only make the stain worse: a gentle brushing motion in the direction of the weave will yield the best results.
- Dry Immediately – Once you have cleaned the spillage by following the above steps, use a powerful fan to dry the rug, or a wet vacuum. This will help to prevent any permanent damage to the rug.
If the spillage contains any solid matter that is now stuck to the fibers, this can be gently removed with a blunt edge, such as a butter knife or a spatula. The key to successful spot stain removal with an oriental or Persian rug, whether you are a rug cleaning expert or an amateur, is to do everything gently. The less force you use when absorbing liquids and scraping solid matter off your rug, the less chance there is that you will cause any permanent damage. As we mentioned earlier, if you are worried that you may damage your rug or you would simply prefer to have it cleaned by a professional carpet repair and cleaning team, please feel free to call and speak to us without delay.
Stain Prevention for Delicate Rugs
As with most things in life, prevention is always better than a cure, and stains on Persian and oriental rugs are no exception. Below, we have listed a few tips from our oriental and Persian rug cleaning experts on how to avoid staining your beautiful rugs in the first place.
- Always Remove Your Shoes at the Door – When you come into your home from outside, take off your shoes at the door. This will help you avoid bringing dirt from the yard into your home and treading it into the fibers of your rugs.
- Vacuum Regularly – By vacuuming your rugs on a regular basis, you will remove any dirt and food particles that end up on your rug and prevent them from being ground into the fibers.
- Don’t Drink Over Your Rug – The simplest way to avoid spilling wine or other drinks on your rugs is to stay away from your rugs whenever you have a glass in your hand!
Call Our Westminster Team for Persian Rug Cleaning
We hope the advice in this article comes in handy but if you need any help from our Westminster rug cleaning specialists, call or email us whenever convenient.