A fine rug is a purchase for a lifetime and can last many generations with simple and regular maintenance. Our rugs are made of wool and are easily and economically maintained. Wool rugs are extrememly durable and consistently outperform other materials. Unlike many other fibers, wool is much more resilient, cleans better and lasts longer. With approximately 4 billion pounds of carpet being discarded in the US every year, choosing an heirloom quality wool rug that can be passed from generation to generation, is a wonderful way to support both sustainable style and conscientious consumerism.

Wool is 100% renewable. It does not support bacterial growth, and will continually purify indoor air for up to 30 years, as contaminants are locked deep into the core of the wool fiber. Wool rugs are naturally flame resistant as they have a high moisture and protein content, making them difficult to initially ignite, and are self-extinguishing once the flame source has been removed.

Wool rugs are excellent choices for natural sound proofing, often used in apartments and recording studios for this reason. They will also help to heat and cool a room; wool rugs can absorb up to 30% of its own weight in water vapor, without feeling wet, and will then release or retain this moisture, keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

 

Rotation:
To ensure even wear on the pile and fringe, a rug should be rotated once a year. Depending on the traffic, the rotation may vary from six months to two years.

 

Vacuuming:
Oriental rugs, like most carpeting, should be vacuumed on a regular basis to remove dirt and restore life to the fibers. Please do not directly vacuum the fringe! Run the vacuum parallel to the fringe at the end of the rug, but not right to it, to avoid any fringe from being caught in the bar and damaging your fringe and/or rug. To clean the fringe, use the soft brush nozzle attachment and gently brush vacuum the fringes. Periodically flip the rug over and vacuum the backside as well.

 

Padding:

We strongly recommend use of a high-quality pad under your rug whether it is on a wood, stone or carpeted floor. A firm pad extends the life of a rug by cushioning it from below and preventing sliding, wrinkling, and stretching, as well as possible punctures from furniture legs. A padded rug is also more enjoyable underfoot and provides better sound absorption. A quality pad used under your rug helps to protect both the floor and the rug from dirt, wear and slippage. We carry cut-to-measure natural rubber and jute pads, as well as pre-cut cushioned felt pads that can also be used on top of wall-to-wall carpeting.

 

Cleaning:
We recommend our full immersion hand-wash every 3-5 years, depending on the amount of foot traffic. We see kitchen and entry rugs often once a year, while we may see dining room rugs only every 8 years if they don't get a lot of use.

 

Spills:

High quality rugs are typically made with lanolin-rich wool which has amazing stain repellent properties.

If a spill is dealt with immediately, often it can be easily blotted up before staining occurs. Use a moist, clean cloth to blot from the edges toward the center of the spill. If soap is needed, use hair shampoo, as the protein of wool is similar to human hair. Do not scrub, as this will embed the stain more deeply into the wool. Then elevate the damp area on a short stool or box for quick air drying. Avoid allowing your carpet to sit damp for an extended period of time, as this could possibly rot the cotton foundation.

 

We strongly advise against using home remedies for stain removal, as they can cause irreversible dye run and discoloration, and chemicals should never be used. If the above method is not effective, it should be left to the professionals. We have seen irreversible damage done at home from using baking soda on a red wine spill; and the same with using vinegar. Those rugs probably would have cleaned up just fine with our full immersion wash and treatment for red wine, had the other agents not have been introduced first. Never ever use Woolite to clean your wool rug. It has an optical brightner that will permantently discolor your rug.

 

Potted plants should never be placed on top of the carpet, even with a water basin or saucer beneath the pot, as it is still possible for moisture that collects under even a leak-proof pot to infiltrate the carpet, causing considerable, irreversible mildew damage to the carpet’s cotton foundation. This is known as 'dry rot'. We have seen this happen as well from a dog urinating repeatedly in the same spot, in a corner behind a chair, so the owners were unaware that the area was permanently wet and rotted out. We have also seen dry rot happen when a grand piano with a leaky humidifier was keeping a small area of the rug under it saturated.

 

Rugs which have been flooded accidentally need to be attended to immediately. Smaller rugs can be taken outside and spread on a lawn or hung over a railing to dry in the sunlight. For larger rugs, a water vacuum can be used, followed by the use of space heaters or a hair dryer. Again, the carpet must be dry, back and front, so elevation is advised. Often, having the rug professionally washed and dried within several days is advisable. We have special treatments as well for this - especially useful if the water was from a sewer pipe or had rusty, dirty water in it.

 

Sun Protection:

Although the dyes used in high quality, rugs are usually quite impervious to extreme fading, precautions must be taken against prolonged daily exposure to strong, direct sunlight. If closing the draperies during the periods of strongest sunlight will interfere with the view or the lighting effect you wish to create in your room, we recommend screening your windows with a clear plastic film. With trade names such as V-Kool and 3-M Mylar, these products are quite effective in eliminating the damaging effect of ultraviolet rays with virtually no color distortion to your window glass. We advise rotating your rug 180 degrees either annually or bi-annually to equalize the naturally softening effect of sunlight and the gradual wear of foot traffic.

 

Moths:

An old English butler, when asked the best way to protect woolens against moths, replied, “regular fussing in the wardrobe.” Our advice is similar: regular vacuuming is your best insurance against moth damage. Moths seldom are attracted to an oriental rug which is clean and in use. It is important to include in your vacuuming agenda periodic cleaning underneath or behind furniture, since moths prefer low light and undisturbed areas. Rugs hung on the wall should definitely be taken down and shaken or vacuumed at least three times per year.

Rugs that will be stored for a period of months should be professionally cleaned, then packed to prohibit moth and mildew damage.

 

Furniture:

For heavy furniture placed on your carpet, furniture cups are helpful in preventing the crushing of the carpet’s pile. Furniture can also be regularly shifted a few inches back and forward, or from side to side to minimize point of contact wear. Avoid dragging heavy furniture across a rug, as it can snag or even tear the carpet.

 

STORING A RUG:

1. Professionally hand wash rug before storing. Moths are less attracted to clean rugs. We do have a Repel treatment that many customers opt for when doing long term storage. It does not kill any larvae, but sours the tastes of the wool, discouraging them from eating it.
2. DO NOT wrap in PLASTIC. Wrapping a rug in plastic (like a garbage bag) may create moisture condensation, which can cause mildew. Wrap in Tyvek (house wrap) paper, which is breathable, moisture-resistant, acid-free and archival. If the rug is well-wrapped, we rarely see moth damage. We can wrap your rug for storage after a cleaning if you'd like. We offer both Kraft paper for very short term storage (like floors are being refinished) or Tyvek for anything longer. Costs are in addition to the wash expense.
4. Use plenty of tape to make sure all seams are covered. We use Duct tape at the shop.
7. The major problem comes from moisture. Try to elevate the rug from the floor rather than storing it on a concrete slab floor (basement or garage). Do not store in the attic because temperatures can be too high. Look for a stable temperature environment.
   
8. Guarding against rats and mice is hard because they can eat through the paper. The best advice it to store the rug in a clean environment, where you inspect the wrapping periodically to make sure it hasn't been infiltrated. We have seen improperly stored rugs where mice get into them and leave a mess of urine and excrement behind, where they've chewed holes in the rug that then needed to be patched, and have eaten the cotton fringe off completely. The upfront costs of storing these rugs properly from the beginning were far less than the customers needed to invest to remedy the damage that was done.