On a regular basis, Oriental Rug Salon cleans for customers who believe they have a "hand-made" (hand-knotted) area rug because that's what the salesman told them when the sad reality is they overspent on a machine made rug. The difference in price between an 8X10 hand-knotted area rug and an 8X10 machine made one could be thousands of dollars difference. This blog is designed to provide the reader with the ammunition necessary to be able to distinguish a hand-knotted area rug from a tufted or machine made rug and potentially save thousands of dollars when purchasing your new rug. A hand-knotted rug can be recognized by a three-part test.  First, the fringe must be a physical part of the rug.  It cannot be sewed on, glued on, or tacked on.  This fringe [...]

Hand washing of Oriental, wool and silk area rugs is a time-honored tradition beginning hundreds of years ago.  Unlike companies who use mechanical equipment to “surface clean” area rugs, each rug accepted by our shop is washed by hand under the careful eye of an experienced-certified professional. Our thoroughly exhaustive area rug hand-washing process includes: Step 1.  Extensive, thorough inspection and documentation. The inspection will reveal whether a rug is a machine or handmade, what its likely country of origin is, and its fiber content. These factors are important to a determination of the rug’s suitability for washing. Visible pre-existing conditions such as tea-washing, old spotting attempts, tears, sun-fade, residue from past cleanings, unraveling, excessive soiling, stains, and other damage will be noted and discussed with the client prior to [...]

1900 Antique Persian Bakhtiari Rug with Garden Design - $26,000 The Bakhtiari tribespeople of the rugged Zagros Mountains are famed for their annual migrations over snow-capped peaks and for their lustrous, deep-toned antique tribal carpets displaying grand scale, cornucopian designs. An early 20th-century visitor to the lush Chahar Mahal district in Central Persia noted: “To me, Bakhtiari carpets are among the most interesting of the tribal village weavings of Persia . . . for they have that quality which we call character: that is, individuality, sincerity, and strength.” Although the Bakhtiari tribespeople traditionally produced only geometric designs, they—along with the Armenian, Kurdish and other weavers of the Chahar Mahal—are also influenced by the floral carpets of the Persian cities, especially those of nearby Isfahan. This gave birth to an innovative [...]

1900 Antique Persian Bakhtiari Rug with Garden Design - $26,000 The Bakhtiari tribespeople of the rugged Zagros Mountains are famed for their annual migrations over snow-capped peaks and for their lustrous, deep-toned antique tribal carpets displaying grand scale, cornucopian designs. An early 20th-century visitor to the lush Chahar Mahal district in Central Persia noted: “To me, Bakhtiari carpets are among the most interesting of the tribal village weavings of Persia . . . for they have that quality which we call character: that is, individuality, sincerity, and strength.” Although the Bakhtiari tribespeople traditionally produced only geometric designs, they—along with the Armenian, Kurdish and other weavers of the Chahar Mahal—are also influenced by the floral carpets of the Persian cities, especially those of nearby Isfahan. This gave birth to an innovative [...]

Characteristics of Peshawar Rugs (Also known as Chobi Rugs and Ziegler Rugs) As with most types of oriental rugs, Peshawar rugs are named after the region they are woven in – (in this particular case Peshawar, the ninth largest city in Pakistan). Located on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, in early days Peshawar was a significant commerce and trade center in the region. Today, it is renowned worldwide for the fabulous rugs that are created there and exported all over the world. Peshawar rugs are hand knotted rugs that are usually created using locally spun wool. The pile of these rugs is usually made of wool, with silk being used to accentuate motifs occasionally. The weft and warp of the rugs are generally made of cotton. The tribal weavers use [...]

Characteristics of Peshawar Rugs (Also known as Chobi Rugs and Ziegler Rugs) As with most types of oriental rugs, Peshawar rugs are named after the region they are woven in – (in this particular case Peshawar, the ninth largest city in Pakistan). Located on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, in early days Peshawar was a significant commerce and trade center in the region. Today, it is renowned worldwide for the fabulous rugs that are created there and exported all over the world. Peshawar rugs are hand knotted rugs that are usually created using locally spun wool. The pile of these rugs is usually made of wool, with silk being used to accentuate motifs occasionally. The weft and warp of the rugs are generally made of cotton. The tribal weavers use [...]

At Oriental Rug Salon, we are often asked why area rugs should be cleaned in a specialized rug cleaning plant rather than in customers' homes or businesses. The Answer is: Cleaning rugs in a specialized rug cleaning plant allows for the proper and thoroughly exhaustive cleaning of your area rug by certified technicians in a professional manner to the highest achievable standard possible.  It is impossible to deep clean an Oriental, wool or silk area rug in a client home or business. At Oriental Rug Salon we own SW Florida’s most experienced and trusted rug cleaning and repair facility with A+ ratings by the Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List.  In addition, we are a Certified Partner with the prestigious Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and the [...]

  Tufting Gun Many hand-tufted rugs use high-quality wool so the finished product looks and wears much like a hand-knotted rug. Unlike a hand-knotted rug, a hand-tufted rug is created without tying knots. Creating a hand-tufted area rug takes a fraction of the time to make, therefore greatly reducing the cost. As a result, hand-tufted rugs are very affordable area rugs. These wool rugs are made with a tool called a "tufting gun." Loops of wool are pushed through a backing, also called a cartoon or stencil, which has been imprinted with the overall design. When the rug maker is through with this process another foundation, called a scrim is applied with latex glue. When this dries, the final protective cloth backing is applied and the fringe, if any, is [...]

NEVER allow a carpet cleaning company to "clean" your Oriental rug... Hand-knotted Oriental rugs are highly sought after additions to any home. Many of these rugs are unique and handmade, making them one-of-a-kind accents to your homes décor. Oriental rugs can last for generations with proper care and upkeep and many increase in value over time. Never allow a carpet cleaning company the opportunity to “clean” your beautiful Oriental rug because, in most instances, they are not certified and do not have the facilities to properly care for them.  Take pride in your investment by choosing a professional and certified Oriental rug cleaner such as Oriental Rug Salon of SW Florida. For more information about the proper care of Oriental area rugs please visit www.OrientalRugSalon.com Most Oriental rugs are hand-knotted [...]

Hand Knotted Persian Sarouk rugs are very attractive and are considered as one of the highest quality rugs originating from the well-established Arak weaving district in central Iran. These rugs are made in village as well as workshop settings in and around the village of Sarouk. They are woven on a cotton foundation and can be curvilinear or geometric in pattern. The most characteristic features of Hand Knotted Sarouk Persian rugs are its weft threads in blue, salmon color mixed with blues and ivory and brightly colored, disconnected floral sprays that may or may not have a central medallion. Hand Knotted Sarouk Construction & Color Hand Knotted Sarouk rugs have a cotton foundation are very closely woven using fine quality wool and very fine knots. Most rugs are large sized. [...]