Professional Oriental rug cleaners in Cyprus TX find it to considerably more difficult and time-consuming than cleaning a similar size area rug made of a synthetic material. A common material for Oriental rugs is silk; silk is similar to human hair, it is a protein and can easily be damaged. Oriental rugs need unique care and individual hand cleaning.
When placing a Oriental rug in your home, attempt to place it in an area where you expect minimal traffic and away from the direct rays of the sun. Over time, the colors in the rug can fade if it is subjected to harsh sunlight. If you must have your rug where it is subjected to sunlight, then have the window covered with a UV filtering material similar to that used for tinted car windows. To keep the wear pattern even, rotate the rug 180 degrees a couple of times a year.
Oriental rug cleaners in Cyprus TX will first establish if the rug is unadulterated silk or if it is a silk-wool blend. If it is a blend, it will be more stain resistant and durable. If the area rug contains wool, water will bead on the surface because the lanolin makes it water resistant. A true test it to turn the rug over and carefully extract a thread from the back. If this thread is burned and the smell is similar to burning hair, then the rug is pure silk, however, if it smells like paper or plastic burning, it is a blend.
Before any attempt is made at home to even clean a simple spill, it is important to determine the color fastness of the dyes that were used during the weaving process. Using water based liquid soap, wash a small area and then rinse to see if any color bleeds. If no color is visible then the stain can be blotted out with a clean white cloth soaked in a mild mixture of vinegar and club soda. Once the stain is removed, flush the affected area with clean water which will remove any trace of the material that caused the stain. Once rinsed, hang the rug for air drying.
Professional Oriental rug cleaners in Cyprus TX will never use dry cleaning or steam cleaning methods. Both of these methods will leave a residue behind and cause premature fading of the colors. The recommended way to clean common dirt is to air dust to remove any dry soil and then submerse the rug, dry it in a centrifugal dryer and then complete the drying process in a climate controlled environment. Abrasive methods must not be used as it is quite easy to damage the silk fibers.
Antique Oriental rugs often used vegetable dyes as the coloring agents, these dyes are very delicate and great care must be taken to see that they do not bleed and run during the cleaning process.
Oriental rugs are a considerable investment and with proper care and cleaning can last many years. The Great American Rug Cleaning Co are expert Oriental rug cleaners in Cyprus TX, call today for a fee estimate.
