A Hand-Tufted Area Rug  The process for creating a hand-tufted rug is drastically different than hand weaving an Oriental, Persian or Turkish area rug. Hand-Tufted area rugs are made by punching strands of wool into a canvas or “cartoon” that is stretched on a frame with the help of a hand-operated tool. This process is not very time-intensive and does not require the same level of skill that hand-knotting does. After piling with wool, the rug is removed from the frame, and glue is applied to the back of the rug to keep the wool pile in place.  A scrim fabric is then applied to hide the glue backing. To complete the rug, a fringe is added by either sewing or gluing it on. Difference in Cost A hand-tufted rug [...]

As we’ve pointed out in previous blog posts, hand-woven rugs are works of art and should be treated as such. These beautiful, hand-woven textiles are unique and the result of many hours of labor and generations of knowledge and skills, and it is, for this reason, they are so highly valued, both in monetary terms and for sentimental reasons. Many rugs are in areas of heavy traffic, so it is essential that they are cleaned every couple of years to preserve them. One of the most important reasons for getting your area rug hand-washed by a specialist rug company such as Oriental Rug Salon is so that a thorough dusting takes place. Rug dusting is one of the essential steps to having a clean rug. Dust, dirt, and grit gather [...]

View our video on the advantages of applying a quality wool protector to your cherished area rug by following the below link: www.orientalrugsalon.com/videos/what-is-protector/ If your beautiful area rugs are positioned in an area that makes them susceptible to spills or high traffic, it makes sense to protect them with a quality fiber protector. Liquids such as wine, tea, coffee, Kool-Aid, and urine can cause severe and sometimes permanent damage to rug fibers which is why we recommend a stain protector treatment for peace of mind. Our specialist textile treatment seals the area rug fibers and creates an invisible bond that acts as a repellent by changing the surface energy. When either water or oil based liquids come into contact with the treated fibers, the spill is repelled instead of soaking [...]

Before the advent of “chemical” or “chrome” dyes, the Persian dyeing technique of wool was performed by villagers who were experts in producing the colors required by weavers to create the beautiful vegetable dyed rugs seen today. When sheared from sheep, wool may either be a light off-white ivory color, or a dark brown to black. Both may be used in Persian rug weaving, but it is the ivory wool that is easiest to alter through the process of dying to produce beautiful textiles and rugs. The earliest traditional dyes were those made from various vegetable sources. Vegetables, plants, and yes even bugs were mixed with water in a liquid form to allow the wool to soak and transform to just about any color you can imagine. Madder plants yield [...]

Hand-washing of rugs in Tabriz, Iran. In many parts of the world, Oriental, Persian, Turkish and other beautiful wool rugs are washed by hand in a stream. This “full-immersion” method uses the cold and running water of a stream coupled with natural hand-made “soaps” and has been used since the time of Moses. At Oriental Rug Salon, we too use natural cleaning agents coupled with full immersion cleaning in cold water.  Instead of submerging client’s rugs in a stream, we have a specialized bath where rugs are washed one at a time, by hand, by experienced rug cleaning professionals who love caring for wool and silk textiles. As each area rug is washed and moved to an air table for drying, the bath is drained, refilled with pH adjusted cold [...]

                    Oriental Rug Salon has an unrivaled reputation throughout the State of Florida for Oriental and Persian carpet and rug cleaning, repair and restoration. Our highly experienced rug weavers specialize in a traditional hand rug repair service for Persian, Afghan, Kilim, Turkish, Silk and Antique rugs, carpets, and runners.  From small rug repairs to a full Persian carpet restoration service, we offer a full range of services such as: Specialist Oriental rug cleaning Rug re-fringing and securing fraying sides Threadbare area and hole repair Carpet splits and tears repaired Moth rug damage correction – re-weaving and re-building Antique rug and carpet restoration specialists Pet/pest damage correction – including dog and cat urine removal service Carpet moth prevention treatment Non-slip/creep rug underlay [...]

Oriental Rug Salon is SW Florida’s most trusted source for the care, restoration, and repair of hand-knotted and tufted area rugs from around the world.  We are the “cleaner of choice” to many of our areas leading interior designers, rug collectors, insurance companies and rug owners who cherish their hand-woven, tufted and machine made area rugs. In fact, we regularly receive rugs from around the United States whose owners are desirous of a thoroughly exhaustive hand cleaning or professional repair by industry recognized experts. Our restoration process is performed by hand, and each area rug is cleaned one at a time, in a bath explicitly prepared for that textiles cleaning needs. Our technicians are highly experienced and certified and supervised by a qualified rug master experienced in all textile types. [...]

Water beads on protected wool fibers Sheep produce large amounts of lanolin that helps protect their skin and “coats” by providing waterproofing” and wear resistant properties.  When their wool is sheared to create beautiful area rugs, coats, and other consumables, the natural protection is no longer produced, and the wool is subject to staining and fiber deterioration. To preserve wools natural stain fighting properties a fiber protector can be applied. Clients often ask about fiber protector and how it works. At Oriental Rug Salon we recommend the application of fiber protector after an area rug has been cleaned for the following reasons: To preserve the fibers from staining by most spills. Protector is designed to form a shield around the fibers thereby allowing most spills to be easily removed by [...]

For the most part, in SW Florida, there are three ways to “clean” an Oriental, Persian, Turkish, wool or silk area rug.  The method you choose will determine if your rug survives the “cleaning” as well as the thoroughness and result of the effort. Hand-Washing – Just as you would hand wash fine cashmere and silk sweaters, cherished area rugs deserve the love and attention that can only be afforded at the hands of an experienced rug cleaning professional. Hand washing allows corrective action during every step of the cleaning process while minimizing stress to your textile and guaranteeing a thoroughly exhaustive cleaning result. Steam Cleaning by your local steam cleaner – This is a BIG NO-NO! An area rug cannot be cleaned thoroughly in a home, PERIOD!  Steam from [...]

Authentic Hand-Washing Of Beautiful Area Rugs Let Oriental Rug Salons authentic hand-wash area rug cleaning bring out the rich and stunning colors originally found in your Oriental, Turkish or Persian area rug back to life. With our thoroughly exhaustive hand-wash approach to cleaning, your rugs receive the undivided, personalized attention they deserve.  From the moment of inspection through the washing, drying, and final review process, your textile is under the watchful eye of a certified-experienced rug cleaning professional. As a commitment to ensuring your area rug receives the safest and most effective cleaning possible, our cleaning and wash methods are performed by hand just as they were over 2500 years ago by Nomadic tribesmen. By using 100% biodegradable, non-toxic and organic cleaning products, we can provide a truly healthier solution [...]