Oriental Area Rug Cleaning Area Rugs have a much denser pile than wall to wall carpeting and require cleaning by a professional to preserve the life and integrity of the textile. At least once a month we receive a call or rug from a consumer who allowed a “carpet cleaning company” to clean their beautiful area rug with the end result being bled colors, shrinkage or irreversible damage. Carpet cleaning companies regularly clean synthetic wall-to-wall carpeting, NOT natural wool or silk area rugs. Many carpet cleaning companies have no idea how to safely clean a wool area rug and are not certified in natural fiber cleaning. Area rugs come in all shapes and sizes and are constructed much differently than your wall-to-wall carpet and need to be cleaned in a [...]

Is A Rug Pad Necessary? The short answer is, “definitely, yes.” Here’s five reasons why. SAFETY ◦Rug pads prevent shifting of the rug when it is walked on. A rug pad is designed with a surface that will stick to both the floor and the rug. This is especially important if you are placing the rug on a hard, slick surface like tile or hardwood. CLEANLINESS ◦Most rug pads have ridges or bumps that are able to trap dirt particles that can become imbedded in your rug. These ridges and bumps will also allow air flow between your rug and the floor, which will help greatly when vacuuming your rug. INCREASING THE LIFE OF YOUR RUG ◦Rug pads can increase the life of your rug by protecting it from shifting [...]

Urine illuminated via Xenon lighting Pet accidents may happen on your favorite area rug at any time. With a hand-woven oriental rug, this can be a curse because pet urine on a hand-knotted rug is one of the most dangerous spills on a textile – not only for the rug itself, but for the occupants if you allow the accidents to happen over and over. With woven rugs, the foundation fibers are typically cotton. This means the wool fibers are tied around cotton warps. So pet urine (or vomit/feces) will penetrate the wool fibers and reside in the cotton foundation.  Because this accident is hot and acidic – it will be absorbed by the cotton interior fibers. This means the accident you see is only the tip of the sewage [...]

Oriental, wool, silk and Flokati area rugs Authentic Greek Flokati rugs are made of 100% New Zealand wool and are hand woven on a loom using a centuries-old process. The tradition of Flokati rug making began in the 5th century. To use the name "Flokati," the Greek government requires that all Flokati rugs be washed in the waterfalls of the Pindus Mountains for approximately 40 hours. By tradition, detergent is not used. Instead, the high pressure of the waterfalls cleanses the wool and causes the back of the rug to shrink, making the pile thicker. What starts out as coarse yarn ends as thick, soft fluff. After washing, Flokati rugs are hung out to dry in the sunlight. Due to the high lanolin content in the wool, they have a [...]

  Oriental Rug Cleaning - Do's and Don'ts When you buy a hand-knotted rug, this means that a skilled weaver individually tied every knot, this creating a one-of-a-kind handmade rug. That is what makes hand-knotted rugs so special, and that is what makes them so much more expensive than all other types of area rugs. Depending on how many knots are in each square inch (50 to 160 knots per inch is typical, 400 per square inch is remarkable), it can take more than a year for one weaver to complete a 9x12 rug. Wool, silk and cotton are the three primary materials that are used to make a hand-knotted rug. Wool is the most used material. New Zealand and South Korean wools are often mixed with local wools because [...]

When you buy a hand-knotted rug, this means that a skilled weaver individually tied every knot, this creating a one-of-a-kind handmade rug. That is what makes hand-knotted rugs so special, and that is what makes them so much more expensive than all other types of area rugs. Depending on how many knots are in each square inch (50 to 160 knots per inch is typical, 400 per square inch is remarkable), it can take more than a year for one weaver to complete a 9x12 rug. Wool, silk and cotton are the three primary materials that are used to make a hand-knotted rug. Wool is the most used material. New Zealand and South Korean wools are often mixed with local wools because they have more lanolin, which adds sheen, strength [...]

Wool has a natural ability to resist staining and soiling. In fact it has more than a 30% higher rate of stain resistance than even the best synthetic fibers. It’s so good at resisting stains because of the natural light lanolin that coats the surface of the wool. This coating helps stop dirt and stains from actually penetrating the wool leaving any soiling on or near the surface. That’s why spills on wool is very easy to clean. Wool fiber is also flame resistant providing natural flame retardant without the addition of chemicals. Because of this wool is an excellent choice for any room in your home and especially for children’s rooms. Wool is also very durable and will last for many years without showing signs of wear. While wool [...]

  (Hand-Knotted Moroccan rug with braided fringe) Hand-knotted rugs are the most unique, and since they require more effort and time to create, cost more. The benefit of these rugs is that no two would ever be exactly alike. You’re getting a piece of art. “These types of rugs are produced on big looms, quite similar to other fabrics, which are woven. The piles can be Berber or plush. However, plush ones are generally cut piles and Berber ones are loop piles. Innovative style carpets combining the two techniques have also been launched. Vibrant colorful yards are usually employed to weave intricate patterns and designs on the rugs.  Woven rugs are generally the most expensive ones due to the involvement of a lot of toil and labor. (Tufted Rug in progress.  [...]

Persian rugs are frequently absorbed into the generic description “oriental,” a class of fine, patterned rugs woven throughout Asia and the Middle East. Strictly defined, Persian rugs come from Iran, although historic Persian Rugs originated in that entire region, not just within present-day geographic boundaries. The rugs are characterized by dense weaves, unique knots and opulent colors. The oldest known rug in existence is from the 5th century BCE. The 2,500-year-old Pazyryk rug, was found frozen in an icy tomb in Siberia, and still retains its deep red dye. The art of rug weaving is ancient and so too are the color dyeing techniques, symbols, styles, and motifs. The meaning attributed to these are a way to share stories and pass them down from generation to generation. Colors for the dyes are obtained from nature. Colors [...]

The process of hand knotting rugs goes back a few thousand years. The oldest rug in the world is the “Pazyryk” carpet, which dates to the 5th century BCE. The ancient art form and master craft of hand knotting rugs continues today. It starts with a design drawn on graph paper, called a "cartoon". Then the weavers take the design and begin the process of making the rug, one knot at a time. Each color of yarn is chosen according to the graphed design and then tied unto the "warp." Depending on the type of knots made, the size of the wool strands, and how tightly the knots are tied and pounded down, this will determine the density and level of quality of a rug. For fine "oriental" rugs a high [...]