Oriental rugs occupy floor space in homes right across the United States and for good reason. Not only are their designs and patterns visually stimulating and attractive to look at, but they do a great job at typing together all of the other elements of a rooms design. Wooden floors can look a little too naked when they are bare and oriental rugs do a great job at completing the room's appearance. However, for all of the benefits that they are able to lend to your property, they need to be carefully looked after, even more so than carpet, otherwise you could find yourself shopping for some new rugs sooner than you think. This is because they are carefully woven together and are often composed of delicate fabrics that are more sensitive to the rigors of everyday life and general wear and tear. If you own one or several oriental rugs, it's often a good idea to let a professional clean them for several reasons, which we're going to discuss below.
Professional Cleaning for Oriental Rugs: The Advantages
Oriental rugs need to be properly cleaned on a regular basis for many of the same reasons carpets do (you can read about truck-mounted carpet cleaning's benefits in our team's previous article) because they can become home to dirt, grime and other allergens that are brought inside your home over time, which not only leads to the condition of the rugs itself deteriorating, but it also lowers the quality of the air inside your home. Here are a few of the many advantages of allowing a professional to handle the cleaning of your rugs rather than doing it yourself:
- Thorough Cleaning Process - The thoroughness of the cleaning process when a professional service is utilized is far greater than that what you would achieve by doing the task yourself. Typically, the rug will initially be carefully inspected in order to look for any stains and weak points in the rug, as well as to assess the type of fibers it is constructed from and the dyes that were used. A suitable cleaning method will then be selected based on the information gleaned from this process and the expertise of the professional. For example, for older rugs that contain rips or that are extremely fragile, a dry cleaning process that uses foam will usually be selected, while those that are newer and in better condition will be either washed by hand or a water extraction machine will be used.
- Have the Necessary Tools On Hand - While a vacuum cleaner might be sufficient to keep your carpets clear, it won't usually be enough to prevent the build-up of dirt and grime on the actual fibers of these floor covers. However, the problem is that the oriental rug cleaning arsenal of most homeowners doesn't typically extend past the vacuum cleaner. Professional oriental rug cleaning services not only have all of the equipment required to thoroughly clean your rug, but they also have the knowledge to use them properly. Improper use of some tools can actually do more harm than good. For example, on rugs made of non-synthetic materials, a carpet cleaning machine utilizing hot water might cause the rug to shrink and the dyes to bleed, which would obviously ruin the rug. You are guaranteed to avoid this problem when using a professional service.
- Repairs Will Be Done If Necessary - As we've mentioned, the condition of your rug will be carefully assessed before any cleaning is actually done if you take it to a professional service. At this stage, if it's apparent that some of the fibers or other elements of the rug are damaged, the oriental rug cleaning expert will have the knowledge necessary to make the necessary repairs there and then, preventing your oriental rug from falling further into a state of disrepair. Most homeowners aren't properly aware of how oriental rugs should be cleaned, let alone how to spot damage and carry out intricate repairs.
A Few Tips You Can Use to Protect Your Oriental Rugs
While oriental rug cleaning should be left to the experts, there are a number of things that you can do at home that will help to protect the condition of your rugs and prevent any damage. Here are a few of our top tips:
- Avoid Direct Sunlight - Oriental rugs can become faded all over or develop 'light spots' if exposed to direct sunlight for lengthy periods of time. This problem is further intensified if the colorings on the rug are made from natural substances. To prevent this problem, simply position your rugs out of direct sunlight or use drapes and blinds to shield them.
- Rotate Your Rug - If you can't avoid having your rugs positioned in areas that direct sunlight is able to reach, the best you can do is rotate the rugs so that they fade evenly and the color of the rug is kept uniform.
- Avoid Furniture Use on the Rug - If one or more pieces of furniture are placed on the rug, particularly if that piece of furniture is moved frequently, this will accelerate the wear the rug experiences and increase the likelihood that fibers will become damaged. Avoid this problem by keeping furniture off of your oriental rugs.
- Vacuum Your Rug Regularly - While it's not an effective way to "deep clean" an oriental rug, regular vacuuming still plays a vital role. Vacuuming prevents loose fibers by keeping natural fibers from being pressed right down, helping to improve their longevity. It ensures grit and abrasive matter isn't pressed against the fibers of the rug, which could lead to serious damage being done.
Our team of oriental rug cleaning experts has assisted hundreds of people in and around Boulder, CO and also provide a range of other services, including, air duct cleaning and tile and grout cleaning. If you require any assistance, please don't hesitate to get in touch.