Rugs add beauty and colour to the design of your home, creating a warm, cosy environment, but to ensure they last a long time& retain their colour and look as beautiful as day one, they need to be looked after and maintained.
Depending on the type of rug you own and the material used in knotting it, the maintenance could be different. As a rug owner, you should be very cautious when applying treatments or when trying the seemingly most common rug maintenance methods, like vacuuming.
The following ten tips to maintain and look after your rugs are the most common approaches all rug owners apply, but House of Haghi recommends that you give us a call for free advice from our friendly staff before trying any maintenance methods to avoid potential damage to your rugs.
1-Vacuum rugs regularly
Suctioning dust, dirt, and other grit from your rugs on a regular basis helps to extend the life of your hand knotted rugs. You should clean the rug at least once a week, or once every two weeks. Forgetting to do so and allowing grit to accumulate will result in a depleting rug pile and a faded and worn out appearance.
2-Keep rugs dry
It is very important to keep excess moisture away from your rug especially if the make-up is wool, as this will help prevent mould, mildew and dry rot.
When it comes to spills, whether they are food or liquid, they should be cleaned as soon as possible because the longer you wait for the spill to seep into the rug fibres, the more difficult it will be to remove. Blot any excess liquid with a damp cloth, being careful not to rub. Once the majority of the spill has been cleaned up, you can begin edging towards the centre with spot cleaning. Never use soap or cleaning products because many of them contain chemicals that will affect the dyes in the rug, causing permanent discolouration.
3-Rotate the rug and rearrange the furniture
Sunlight is one of a handmade rug's worst enemies, causing uneven discoloration in even the most vibrant rugs. Natural light has become increasingly popular in recent years, whether in commercial or residential settings, so a simple rotation of the rug every so often (three months) will help the rug be evenly exposed to the home elements, over time. A 180-degree rotation of a rug will also help to avoid significant foot traffic damage.
House of Haghi recommends having your rug professionally cleaned every couple of years, depending on the amount of foot traffic it receives. Ensure that the service you use is reputable and skilled in fine quality rug cleaning. Never have your rug dry-cleaned or steam-cleaned.
5-Use underlay
Investing in an underlay for your hand knotted rug is recommended because it offers numerous advantages. The underlay prolongs the life of your rug, holds it in place, reducing wrinkles, and prevents the rug from slipping, especially on wooden floors.
