To remain "healthy" and in the best possible condition, Oriental rugs should be thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis - as much as once a year, or more often if circumstances dictate.

There need be nothing mysterious about cleaning a fine Oriental rug; it is most often a wool product, (except for fine silk carpets) and should be cleaned and cared for in much the same way as any other wool product with which you may be familiar, including sweaters, blankets, or other textiles.

There are, in general, two broad categories of cleaning for woolen Oriental rugs which are distinguished from one another by the use or absence of water. The former category, or "wet" cleaning, involves the liberal use of water and mild detergents to clean heavily or deeply soiled pile material. The latter, which does not involve wetting the carpet, includes normal cleaning procedures such as sweeping and beating - procedures which we collectively refer to as "dusting." We have avoided the use of the term "dry" cleaning here because we do not wish this process to be confused with "Dry" cleaning, which is a common and familiar form of cleaning for certain kinds of clothing textiles. "Dry" cleaning involves the use of special chemicals which have been formulated in such a way as to remain on the surface of the textile, and has no bearing or relevance to the Oriental rug industry.

How to clean your Oriental Rug at Home Professional Oriental Rug Cleaning

Your Oriental rug will always look and perform best when it is clean. Much of the effort required to properly clean an Oriental rug is probably already familiar to you and can be quite easily accomplished in your own home. Here's what you need to do.

Normal Sweeping: Your rug should be swept with a vacuum cleaner in the conventional fashion on a regular basis. This removes surface dust and dirt, and keeps the rug looking clean and inviting.

Annual Beating: Once a year or so, you should "beat" or "dust" the rug. This process is only slightly more complex than normal vacuuming, but is important in maintaining the rug properly. To dust a rug, remove any furniture that might be in place on the rug, and remove the pad from underneath if one is present. Invert the rug so that the pile is facing the floor. Now attach a beater bar to your vacuum cleaner and beat the back of the rug thoroughly, running the vacuum over the surface of the back of the rug in several directions. This will cause dust and dirt that has collected deep in the pile to be shaken loose from the carpet.

When you lift the carpet from the floor, you will observe that the floor is now covered with dirt and dust, which you should remove with the vacuum. Repeat this process until no further dust is shaken from the carpet. Replace everything as it was in the room, and you're ready for another year of use from your Oriental rug.

What you shouldn't do: We do not recommend using any sort of wet cleaning process at home. In-home rug cleaning machines are not able to properly clean an oriental rug; the process requires copious amounts of water for proper flushing, and care must be taken for certain types of carpets with regard to color fastness. If you feel that a wet cleaning process is called for, we strongly recommend that you contact a professional cleaner that specializes in caring for Oriental rugs, which require different care and attention than do other types of floor coverings.

When should an Oriental rug be professionally cleaned? In general, there are two answers to this question. First, if the rug has sustained serious soiling that cannot be removed at home, it should be professionally cleaned. Excessive soiling from an animal, or spillage of a particularly difficult nature might be examples of this situation.

The second reason is more subjective, but no less important. If the rug has become dull and uninteresting; if it has lost some of it's lustre and appeal, it may be time for a thorough, professional cleaning.

A thorough professional cleaning doesn't actually work miracles, but most people are amazed at the difference in appearance that can be achieved when proper care and time are taken in cleaning an Oriental Rug.

Our Cleaning Services: We offer professional cleaning services for rugs of all sizes, styles, and types of manufacture. We use a wet cleaning process, which produces the best possible results on Oriental textiles; our cleaning services are highly successful in removing dust, dirt, and odor from the item, and in restoring it to the best possible visual condition.

Not all types of soiling can be corrected by simple cleaning, however; examples might include staining from spilled red wine, or extensive soiling from an animal. We always provide our customers with our best assessment of what can be expected from a thorough cleaning, and of how much time and effort will be required to achieve the desired results.