We're often asked, how you can tell a good area rug from a not so good one? If you can see the same design on the back as on the front, that means the rug is more than likely woven. Buy that. If you cannot see the same design on the back of the rug as you can the front, that rug is “tufted” and is not the same quality as a handwoven one. Wool is the best as it is practically indestructible and sustainable. Hand-woven is the most valuable. It’s a piece of the weaver’s soul and many, many hours, months or years were put into making the rug. There are also machine-woven rugs made by Karastan that are industry recognized as quality manufacturing however they are not hand [...]
Oriental, wool and silk area rug cleaning experts throughout SW Florida You’ve invited guests and family over for the holidays, prepared a wonderful dinner of turkey, gravy, and ham and during dinner, a plate is spilled on your beautiful Oriental rug. What do you do? First, don’t panic. Immediately use a spoon to remove as much of the spill as possible Blot the area with a paper towel Prepare one teaspoon of a neutral detergent such as “Woolite” with ½ pint of warm water Apply the detergent solution to the spill, massage with your finger, allow to dwell for about three minutes and then blot, do not scrub. If staining remains use one teaspoon of household ammonia to one cup of warm water. Mix the solution and test on an [...]
Machine Washing Area Rugs - A BIG No-No! Some area rug cleaners in SW Florida use industrial style washing machines to “clean” precious wool and silk area rugs. This type of cleaning is called “batch style” because multiple area rugs can be gang-washed at the same time. This type of cleaning is designed to increase the rug cleaning plants efficiency which ultimately adds more profits because little skill is required and they can clean multiple rugs at the same time. Batch Machine washing, in our opinion, is best left for car washes and here’s why: Your area rugs are thrown in a tank with other people’s rugs. What if your area rug did not contain pet urine but one of the other area rugs did? Sure, the users of production machine [...]
SW Florida's Choice For Oriental Rug Cleaning And Repairs Last week a customer contacted us to inspect and possibly repair a 90+-year-old Persian Tabriz. What we saw when the rug came to our shop was horrific. This client had allowed a local dry cleaning company to clean her antique wool area rug and what they did to it was an absolute crime. The first mistake they made was to use an improper cleaning solution and rogue technique that ran the colors of the rug. They then proceeded to use a carpet cleaning wand, similar to the one used by companies such as Number One Carpet Cleaning, to extract the water and literally destroy her rare Tabriz by ripping the fringe from the rug! What could she have done to [...]
Hand-knotted rugs are beautiful and designed to last a lifetime. To keep them in tip-top shape, here are some “rules of the road” to follow to ensure they’ll last for generations. Oriental Rug Salon is SW Florida’s largest and most experienced Oriental, wool and silk area rug cleaning and repair facility. We clean and repair thousands of rugs annually and following is a list of “do’s and don’ts” to protect your area rug and ensure it outlasts you. Rugs Fade in Sunlight. Be Careful! Sunlight can be the “kiss of death” for many hand-knotted rugs. After inspecting thousands of area rugs in many homes and in our shop over the years, we have seen beautiful wool and silk area rugs permanently faded due to prolonged sunlight exposure through windows and [...]
Tree of Life Design As it is documented in the Tree of Life Persian rugs, legend has it that a cypress tree planted by request of a Zoroastrian Prophet, this tree grew to be so big that 10,000 sheep could use it for shade and thousands of birds lived within the branches. When the neighboring King heard of this massive tree he ordered it cut down and brought to him. Many people warned against this action. Ignored these warnings, the King had the felled cypress tree transported via 1200 camels to his palace. Ironically he never did lay eyes upon the tree as he was killed before it reached the palace. The Tree of Life, as it is symbolized in Persian rugs represents the connection between earth and the environment [...]
Oriental Rug Cleaning Naples | Bonita Springs | Fort Myers | Cape Coral Oriental Rug Salon is SW Florida’s largest and most experienced Oriental rug cleaning and repair facility. Our cleaning efforts are performed by hand under the watchful eye of a rug master in a controlled rug cleaning facility. We do not use automated rug cleaning equipment as we feel the efforts of machines are inferior to hand washing as well as impersonal and machine washing is best left to car washes. With a dedicated rug master on staff, you can rest assured your wool, silk or synthetic area rugs receive the best clean possible. The difference between Oriental Rug Salon and other “rug cleaners” is the entire experience. From the moment you contact our company for area rug [...]
Turkoman Kilim Bedding Bag - 1960 Hand-knotted textiles not only come in the form of beautiful area rugs but "bedding bags" as well. When the nomadic people of the Caucasus or the steppes of central Asia move their flocks from one grazing area to another- they don't break out the Samsonite luggage, they pack bags made for the precise purpose and decorated in accordance with their tradition. This large sturdy bag could have been used to pack the bedding (or most anything else) for an entire family. It is profusely decorated all over with colorful Kelim designs and reinforced with strong leather straps and massive leather handles. These would have been strapped onto a camel or perhaps one on each side of a donkey for balance! Oriental Rug Salon is [...]
Oriental rugs are beautiful and will last generations with a little love and routine maintenance. Whether it is wine, coffee, Kool-aid, urine, vomit or paint, the first step is to remove as much of it as possible as quickly as possible. Paper towels and a spoon work well. Keep blotting until you have no transfer of the stain to your paper towel. 1. After blotting, many spills will require diluting. If it is clear that much of the spilled substance is still in the rug, dilute it with club soda, distilled water (or water in a pinch) and use as much water/soda as necessary. That may mean a half cup for a small spill or a quart or more for a major spill. Don’t get the rug sopping wet [...]
The exquisite beauty of a hand-knotted area rug is one of the world’s treasures. If properly cared for, your rug can last for generations and be an endless source of pleasure and beauty in your home. Here are a few basics to ensure your rug is afforded the best protection: Has Your Oriental Rug Professionally Cleaned by Oriental Rug Salon? Why Wash Your Rugs? The proper way to clean a wool or silk area rug is by hand, in water, without harmful chemicals and machines. This hand cleaning is the same method used for thousands of years. It is time-consuming, but preserves these beautiful works of art and is thus worth the time and effort. Over time, common household soils and sand will accelerate the wear of your area rug [...]
