How to Clean a Persian Rug

Bold colors and traditional motifs are the hallmarks of a handmade Persian rug. These incredible carpets are an heirloom investment and require a degree of expertise to maintain. Learn how to clean a Persian rug and preserve its vibrancy, quality, and artistry with time-honored recommendations and easy-to-follow instructions.

The Persian rug is one of history’s original luxury goods. Famous for over 2500 years, Persian rugs use a range of intricate knots and natural dyes to obtain their distinctive look. Created by nomadic textile artists, most Persian rugs now come from modern-day Iran, while oriental rugs typically come from Egypt, India, and Turkey.

Persian and oriental rugs are beautiful showpieces, but they’re magnets for dirt and grime from heavy foot traffic. High standards of craftsmanship and quality materials mean that maintaining your Persian rug is about striking a good balance; over-cleaning wears the fibers out, and harsh chemical detergents fade the fibers prematurely.

Powerful Pointers for Cleaning a Persian Rug

Do you want to know how to keep a Persian rug vibrant without paying for professional rug cleaning? Learn the dos and don’ts of proper Persian and oriental rug care in this in-depth article designed for beginner carpet cleaning enthusiasts. Keep your Persian rug plush and perfect. Find out how to make simple spot cleaners, fight dust accumulation, and hand wash an entire Persian carpet with just a few inexpensive household items.

Check the Tags for Information

Before you leap in with expensive chemical carpet cleaners and abrasive tools, you must know a bit about your Persian rug and what it requires to look its best. The tag gives directions on how to clean a Persian rug, and it should be your first stop before performing any service on your expensive carpet.

Lift the carpet corners and look for a tag sewn into the backing or attached to the rug fibers; the label should tell you what kind of material the carpet is and how to care for it. Without a manufacturer’s tag, you might even contact the retailer with any concerns; you can never ask too many questions when it comes to expensive textiles.

Sweep Your Persian Rug Regularly

Most area rugs end up in the living room, dining room, or hallway, where they tend to experience heavy foot traffic from family, friends, and pets. Without proper care, your Persian rug accumulates a layer of dirt and grime that detracts from the rug’s natural beauty.

Cleaning a Persian rug is as simple as developing a consistent and gentle sweeping routine. Every two weeks, use a soft bristle broom to sweep the rug from end to end, not across the middle. The rug fibers are painstakingly knotted by hand on a loom, and going against the grain wears the rug out over time.

Another strategy that works well is to turn the rug over and gently tap the back with a broom to release debris that gets stuck deep in the carpet pile. Refrain from hanging and vigorously beating your rug, which is too hard on the carpet. Gentle tapping helps release dirt particles and restore your rug to a presentable appearance.

Vacuuming a Persian Rug

Any variety of area rug or upholstery in your home attracts allergens like pet hair, pet dander, and even tiny bugs. Vacuuming the entire rug every two weeks is a fantastic way to stay on top of buildup and keep your carpet looking fresh and clean.

First, find the low setting on your vacuum. If your vacuum cleaner lacks variable power settings, use the upholstery tool to get a clean Persian rug instead. A vacuum that’s too powerful could fray the rug fibers and snap the anchor loops that keep your Persian carpet together.

Also, don’t vacuum the carpet fringes on each rug’s end. The beater brush in the vacuum might trap and pull the delicate fringes right off; use the hose or the upholstery cleaning attachment instead. While you’ve got the vacuum out, you might as well do a little mattress cleaning or go over the blinds to really give dust the boot.

Spot Treatment for Wool Rugs

Artisans weave most Persian and oriental rugs from natural fiber like wool because it is durable, soft, and a plentiful natural resource in Iran. Sheep wool also holds colorful dyes much better than goat or camel hair. Learn how to spot-treat your Persian wool rug with this helpful recipe.

Washing a wool Persian rug is much more manageable with a teaspoon of wool laundry detergent. Gently blot spills and stains away with a clean cloth, as paper towels leave a papery residue. Mix a batch of wool cleaner, spray the area, and soak up as much of the stain as possible. Getting a clean Persian carpet may take a couple of passes, but it’s worth the elbow grease.

Spot Cleaner for Silk Rugs

Though most Persian and oriental carpets come from wool, some are woven entirely from silk fibers. Silk is fine and robust, and the extensive work and intricate detail make natural silk carpets much more expensive than traditional wool. Discover how to get stains off a silk Persian rug using one incredible kitchen item.

Combine fresh lemon juice and water in a clean spray bottle and lightly spray the stained area. Grab a soft sponge and soak the stain, working from the outside to the center. This recipe is excellent for a silk-blend rug. However, if your carpet is entirely silk, you should seek professional cleaning to avoid causing damage. Upholstery cleaning is tricky even on hearty fabrics, let alone fine natural silk.

How to Keep a Persian Rug Vibrant

Keeping the colors on a Persian rug vibrant is all about regular maintenance, gentle washing, and mild detergent. Persian rugs predate washing machines and Tide Pods, which means they’re well-suited to hand washing.

Now and again, you’ll need to wash your entire Persian rug to eliminate odors, bacteria, and allergens. Fill a one-gallon bucket with cold water and mild detergent, and grab a non-shedding sponge. Work the water through the rug with the sponge, flip the carpet over, pour the remainder of the cleaning solution through the back to flush out any soap residue, and hang it to dry.

Finding the Right Rug Shampoo

Cleaning a Persian rug is much easier with a specially formulated rug shampoo. There are many mild rug shampoo products on the market, even some specifically designed to treat and clean oriental rugs without causing damage or dulling the vibrant dyes.

These unique rug shampoo products contain very few active ingredients and provide you with the assurance and confidence you need when carpet cleaning at home. When shopping, look for products that indicate they are made for Persian carpets or ask someone at the store to help choose the most suitable rug cleaner for your carpet.

How to Clean a Persian Rug With a Squeegee

Most of us have seen a squeegee before; we use them to clean our windows and glass surfaces. Did you know that squeegees are super-effective on carpets, too? A squeegee creates a static force that pulls dust-borne particles out of carpet fibers with a few short strokes.

To use your carpet squeegee, use light pressure to pull the tool down the carpet, remove the debris, and move on to the next section; simple as that. A stainless steel carpet squeegee should set you back less than ten dollars, won’t need replacing for years, and does a superior job when compared to sweeping or shaking the carpet out.

Getting Pet Stains Out of a Rug

Pets and expensive Persian rugs don’t necessarily mix, especially if your pets prefer to go potty wherever they please. If you have accident-prone pets and need Persian rug cleaning tips, we recommend a one-to-one water and white vinegar mixture to scrub the stain.

You might even look into professional products like gentle enzyme cleaners to destroy the uric acid particles left behind. Enzymatic cleaners are the number one way to eliminate pet odor on carpets and area rugs. Increase your chances of success and address pet accidents immediately. The longer the stain sits, the more challenging it is to get rid of.

Cleaning Food Stains Out of a Persian Rug

Many Persian and oriental rugs hold a special place of honor in the dining room under the table. While it looks stylish, this design choice leaves your carpet open to stains from different types of food. Learn a little about the kinds of food-borne stains you might encounter and how to treat them.

Tannin-based stains like wine, fruit, coffee, and tea require warm water. Oily, greasy stains from fried food and salad dressing do best with hot water as it helps break up and release the oil globules for easy removal. Protein-based stains like dairy, meat, and eggs need cold water because it destroys the protein that bonds to carpet fibers.

Always pair the correct water temperature with a mild detergent or natural home remedy like distilled white vinegar, baking soda, or lemon juice. Test for color-fastness on a small corner before you use anything containing peroxide or other possible bleaching agents. Don’t leave your Persian carpet in the sun to air dry; it could create accidental bleaching and uneven color distribution.

Seek Professional Cleaning for Persian Carpets

A professional rug cleaner and serviceperson can assist with restoration, rug repair, and thorough cleaning for your heirloom rug while giving you priceless peace of mind. Never underestimate the expertise of professional rug cleaners; they know how to keep a Persian rug vibrant and looking beautiful. Oriental rug cleaning should be stress-free and easy; check your city for the best-rated Persian rug cleaners and call to inquire.

The Don’ts of Persian Rug Care

It’s easy to ruin your Persian rug, especially if you attempt to steam clean it yourself. Traditional carpet steam cleaning floods the fibers with water, and while pro-service cleaners have industrial wringers and regulated drying rooms, the average homeowner doesn’t have access to those benefits. Further, avoid aerosol cleaners, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, and any harsh chemical cleaning solution; these cleaners strip your Persian rug of its hand-dyed beauty, leaving splotches and, in some cases, ruining the carpet weave altogether.

Persian and oriental carpets are an investment that fills your home with color and class. These carpets need a bit of love and care to look their best and brightest for you. Once you know how to clean a Persian rug with preservation in mind, you should see a vast improvement in its overall appearance.

Remember to check your care tags, sweep regularly, and vacuum gently. Create a batch of gentle spot cleaners and keep a non-abrasive brush handy for easy cleanup. Go the extra mile and look into air duct cleaning to reduce dust-borne particles and stop them from setting into your expensive silk Persian rugs; every little measure you take keeps your Persian carpets looking pristine.

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