Why Oriental Rugs Need Specialized Care
Most oriental rugs use natural fibers like wool, silk, or a mix of both fibers on a cotton foundation. These fibers react differently to cleaning agents than the synthetic fibers used in mass produced area rugs and carpet.
The lanolin found in wool rugs holds the wool fibers together and provides protection from soil. Using detergent or heat to clean wool rugs can remove this lanolin and lead to brittleness of the wool fibers. Silk fibers are more delicate and can be harmed by certain detergents that will remove the sheen from the fibers.
Dyes present another challenge entirely. The natural, vegetable based dyes that were used to color many of the antique and semi-antique rugs can bleed and fade if exposed to the wrong pH or temperature levels. Even the synthetic dyes used in newer rugs can be harmed by overly-aggressive oriental rug cleaning in San Diego methods.
Then, of course, is the issue of the rugs’ construction. The rugs are constructed with a foundation of warp and weft threads that hold the rug together. Exposing these rugs to excessive moisture or rough handling can weaken this foundation over time, potentially doing permanent damage to the rug that can’t be undone by any number of repair methods.
This is precisely why using oriental rug cleaning in San Diego methods used for synthetic wall to wall carpeting is the wrong tool for the job. Using a truck mounted steam cleaner to clean a hand knotted Persian rug can cause irreparable damage to the rug in minutes.
Our Oriental Rug Cleaning Process
Every rug that comes to our shop in San Diego goes through a rigorous oriental rug cleaning in San Diego process that has been specifically designed for hand woven rugs.
Inspection
The first step in the oriental rug cleaning in San Diego process is inspecting the rug. During this stage, we closely examine the rug to determine its fiber content, the type of weave, the dye and the origin of the rug. We also inspect the rug for any damage to the rug such as dry rot, moth damage, or worn fringe. Each rug is photographed in its current state to document its condition prior to the rug cleaning process.
Dye and Colorfastness Testing
We test the dyes on an inconspicuous part of the rug to ensure that it responds well to the water and the oriental rug cleaning in San Diego solutions. This will tell us how to clean the rug without risking any damage to the dyes.
Dry Soil Removal
Many rug cleaners skip this step, but it is one of the most important. Years of rugs bearing the weight of foot traffic will inevitably leave behind grit that sits deep within the rug’s fibers. If not removed prior to washing the rug, this grit will act like sandpaper on the fibers of the rug, damaging them during the wash cycle. Through specific techniques, we will remove this grit from the rug before soaking it in water.
Hand Washing
Rugs are hand washed or rinsed with specialized equipment based on the fiber content of the rug. Wool, silk, and blended rugs are cleaned with solutions specifically made for these types of rugs. No synthetic wall to wall carpet equipment is used in the rug washing process.
Thorough Rinsing
Any leftover cleaning solution is rinsed from the rug’s fibers as solution can attract soil to the rug and cause damage to the rug over time.
Controlled Drying
Rugs are dried in a controlled environment to allow for proper air circulation around the rug. Rugs are never dried in direct sun or excessive heat that could potentially cause shrinkage or damage to the rug fibers. Rugs are dried evenly on both sides of the rug to avoid mildie and warping of the rug foundation.
Grooming and Final Inspection
Once the rug is dry from the steam cleaning process, we groom the pile of the rug to its natural texture and do a final quality inspection before sending the rug out of the shop.
Special Oriental Rug Cleaning in San Diego
In addition to steam cleaning, we also offer the following special oriental rug cleaning in San Diego for our oriental rugs:
Fringe cleaning and repair – fringes tend to experience the most wear on rugs and are often left alone by rug cleaning professionals who only steam clean rugs
Moth prevention treatment – wool rugs are targeted by moth larvae, so a moth repellent treatment helps protect the rugs from damage caused by moths
Pet stain and odor treatment – rugs can be exposed to the smells and stains of pets, so we offer an enzymatic treatment to eliminate the odor of the stain at the source, rather than just masking it with perfume or odor neutralizers
Color restoration – for rugs that have faded or experienced dye issues over time
Reweaving and structural repair – for rugs that have developed holes or worn foundation areas
Padding replacement – to rugs that may experience excessive foot traffic upon daily use
