Fact: Rugs and carpets will look their best and last longer when they are properly maintained. Handmade Oriental and machine made carpets should be cleaned every two to four years. Dan Hodges, President of the Oriental Rug Importers Association says, "Over time grit and dirt become embedded so deeply that professional cleaning is required. Oriental rugs and other area carpets should be taken out of the home for proper cleaning." The cleaning will remove the grit as well as the surface soiling that gradually dulls the appearance of the carpet.
Never ever allow a wall-to-wall carpet cleaning firm to clean an Oriental or area rug in your home. It may sound good, easier and cheaper but there is nothing you can do that will harm your rugs more than this.
When a cleaner attempts to clean a rug in the home with a hot water extraction machine (better known as steam cleaning) the top half of the rug in most cases becomes saturated with detergent while the bottom half remains untouched by the detergent. As quickly as the solution is sprayed onto the rug it is extracted by the machine's vacuum. This process never really gets the dirt and grit out of the bottom half of the rug's foundation.
The real problems occur when the cleaner over-wets the rug by applying too much detergent, getting the foundation of the rug (its cotton warp and weft) wet. Since the rug is lying flat on the floor, the foundation never has the opportunity to dry properly. This will lead to mildew and dry rot, either ruining the rug or drastically reducing the rugs longevity and value. The other problem with in-home cleaning is that the cleaning chemical is never properly rinsed out of the rug. Think about it: if detergent is injected into the rug wetting the wool, and the excess is immediately extracted, the soap and moisture left in the rug attains a very high pH level. The rug dries, leaving the pile heavily laden with soap residue. We use the analogy of washing your hair without rinsing it. The soap left in the rug will start doing what it was intended to do, attract dirt. This will cause the rug to get dirtier quicker, and, more seriously, it will attract the gritty dirt that, once deep down in your rug and will cause the fibers to break down, leading to premature wear. This soap residue makes cleaning loose dirt and dust virtually impossible, negating its important benefits. It must also be pointed out that the fringes of the rug cannot be cleaned. So don't choose the quick, easy and wrong way it will cost you much more in the long run.
Never ever allow a wall-to-wall carpet cleaning firm to clean an Oriental or area rug in your home. It may sound good, easier and cheaper but there is nothing you can do that will harm your rugs more than this.
When a cleaner attempts to clean a rug in the home with a hot water extraction machine (better known as steam cleaning) the top half of the rug in most cases becomes saturated with detergent while the bottom half remains untouched by the detergent. As quickly as the solution is sprayed onto the rug it is extracted by the machine's vacuum. This process never really gets the dirt and grit out of the bottom half of the rug's foundation.
The real problems occur when the cleaner over-wets the rug by applying too much detergent, getting the foundation of the rug (its cotton warp and weft) wet. Since the rug is lying flat on the floor, the foundation never has the opportunity to dry properly. This will lead to mildew and dry rot, either ruining the rug or drastically reducing the rugs longevity and value. The other problem with in-home cleaning is that the cleaning chemical is never properly rinsed out of the rug. Think about it: if detergent is injected into the rug wetting the wool, and the excess is immediately extracted, the soap and moisture left in the rug attains a very high pH level. The rug dries, leaving the pile heavily laden with soap residue. We use the analogy of washing your hair without rinsing it. The soap left in the rug will start doing what it was intended to do, attract dirt. This will cause the rug to get dirtier quicker, and, more seriously, it will attract the gritty dirt that, once deep down in your rug and will cause the fibers to break down, leading to premature wear. This soap residue makes cleaning loose dirt and dust virtually impossible, negating its important benefits. It must also be pointed out that the fringes of the rug cannot be cleaned. So don't choose the quick, easy and wrong way it will cost you much more in the long run.
