Oriental And Persian Area Rug Protector – Is It Worth It?

One of the most important things you can do after having your cherished area rug cleaned is to have a professional-grade fiber protector applied.

What Is Rug Protector, And How Does It Work?

There are dozens of “fiber protectors” on the market, including the consumer-grade products you can buy at your local grocery or hardware store.  These “over the counter” products can never match the quality of commercial-grade applications’ strength or protection ability.

At Oriental Rug Salon, we apply one of the industry’s best commercial-grade wool and silk protectors.  Unlike many fabric protectors that are diluted with water, our protector contains no water and is safe for all wool and silk fibers.  Major carpet and textile mills use the same fluorochemical resins found in our protectors known for resisting all types of soils, including water-based, oil-based, and dry soil.

How Does Rug Protector Work?

Without getting too technical or boring, Oriental Rug Salon uses a quality wool and silk fiber protector containing hydrocarbons that work by creating a robust molecular bond around the rug’s fibers.

Whether water or oil-based, spills will not immediately penetrate the rug fibers, giving the rug owner enough time to remove by dabbing with paper towels.  Spills and pet accidents may contain dyes or acid components and, if left on your area rug too long, will have an opportunity to break the bond of the protector and attack the protected fiber.

Will My Rug Feel or Look Different After Treatment?

No. There is absolutely no way to tell that a rug has been protected by looking at it or touching it.

Does Stain Protector Make My Rug Permanently “Stain-Resistant?”

No.  A common misconception about fabric protector treatments is that they make the target fibers permanently stain resistant. There isn’t a protector on the market or applied at a factory that will permanently protect fibers from stains.  Don’t expect to spill a glass of wine or allow pet urine to stay on a protected surface, and find the rug in pristine condition once the stain has dried.

That being said, the benefits of having your cherished area rug protected are significant.  A quality fabric protector is designed to buy the rug owner time to remove the spill from the protected surface before the dyes and acids have an opportunity to stain permanently.

The Benefits Of Having Stain Protector Applied To An Oriental Area Rug

You Can Deal With Spills Easily – Our clients often ask us what they can do themselves at home to keep their rugs in pristine condition. One of the points we mention in our video guide, “The Value Of Oriental Rug Protector,” is that dealing with spills and stains is far easier when a protector has been applied.

Without stain protectors, beverages such as fruit juices, coffee, tea, and wine will often cause stains that require professional cleaning to remove.

Your Rug Will Last Longer –  Rugs do not just wear and age on their own. It takes soil, spills, abrasion, and time. So the less dirt and spills that have an opportunity to penetrate the pile of your rug, the longer it will last.

Another fact is, wool and silk area rugs that have a professional protector applied are easier to vacuum.  The rug owner will receive a much deeper vacuum because soils, pollen, dust mites, and other solid contaminants can not stick to the rug’s fibers.  A deeper vacuuming means better indoor air quality for your family and a reduction in airborne allergens.

You Will Save Money – The cost to have your rug protected is minimal compared to the value you receive by not having to pay for an emergency professional cleaning every time you spill something. In addition, your Oriental, Persian, Turkish or other wool or silk area rug will remain phenomenal looking and last for decades.

Our Experience Protecting Persian & Oriental Rugs

Oriental Rug Salon has successfully treated thousands of hand-knotted and machine-made area rugs over the years. We’ve treated rugs for museums, rug collectors, private residences, hotels, insurance companies, interior designers and have thousands of happy clients throughout the United States.

Our rug protector service is not limited to wool and silk. We regularly treat art silks (including bamboo and other types of viscose/rayon), tapestries, nylon, and cotton.

Why Oriental Rug Salon Rug Protector?

Three Factors That Affect The Performance of A Rug Protector

Suitability – Many rug cleaning companies use the same protector for EVERYTHING, regardless of fiber type.  Oriental Rug Salon matches the formulation based on the textile type.  Wool receives a protector specifically designed for wool.  With silk, cotton, or other textiles, the same rule applies.  We can even custom design a protector based on the pre-inspection of the rugs needs.

Application Method  – Many rug cleaning plants mist or spray-on protectors and allow them to dry on the surface of the area rug.  This misting protects the surface yarns of the area rug, but how about deep in the rug’s pile?  Not so good!

At Oriental Rug Salon, we are methodical in our approach to applying fiber protectors. We carefully apply and brush the product into the rug to penetrate the face fibers and fringe. After the first application, with sufficient dwell time, we apply again. That’s correct… We apply protector twice.

Testing – While many rug cleaning plants “mist and forget,” we test the resiliency of the applied protector once it has cured in several places to ensure efficacy.

Oriental Rug Salon cleans and protects area rugs the old-fashioned way – by hand.  We do not use automated batch washing equipment that “wash” up to a dozen rugs at a time.  Each rug trusted to us is washed by hand by certified professionals who are supervised by a rug master.

Oriental Rug Salon is a Certified Partner with the prestigious Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRCC) and the International Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI).  We are a WoolSafe Approved Service Provider and A+ Rated by the Better Business Bureau.

For all of your Oriental, Persian, Turkish and other wool or silk area rug cleaning and protection needs, you can count on Oriental Rug Salon.

For more information about our company and services, please visit us online at www.OrientalRugSalon.com or give us a call any time at 239-424-8171.