Care & Cleaning
Our carpets are handmade. Small imperfections are therefore possible and are an integral part of the carpet.
Carpet care and cleaning
Dirt, dust and other impurities, can quickly penetrate deep into the fibers of your carpet if given the chance. Their abrasive texture can eventually result in the loss of your carpet’s pile-also known as fiber density-which leads to a faded and worn appearance.
The best way to prevent this is to vacuum or sweep your carpet regularly. We recommend this routine cleaning once every one to two weeks, especially if your carpet is in a high-traffic area.
An important note: Never vacuum your carpet using the brush or bristles of a vacuum cleaner, as these remove a small number of carpet fibers with each pass. Over time, this can completely destroy your carpet. Be sure to use only the vacuum attachment, and if your carpet is particularly fine or brittle, consider sweeping it instead.
If a liquid or food spills on your carpet, clean it up as soon as possible. The longer the spill manages to penetrate the carpet, the more difficult it will be to remove it completely.
Blot up the excess liquid first, being careful not to rub the stain deeper into the carpet fibers. You can then wipe the area from edge to center with a damp, but not wet, cloth.
Depending on the foot traffic your carpet is regularly exposed to, we recommend having it professionally cleaned every two to five years. It is important to send your carpet to a reputable service with experience in cleaning fine carpets. To ensure proper cleaning and protect the colors from fading or bleeding, make sure your carpet is never dry cleaned or steam cleaned. You can check the grain load in the carpet by placing a clean piece of paper on the surface near a corner. Fold the corner over the piece of paper and tap the back of the rug over the paper several times, as hard as you can. Pull back the fold and examine the paper to ascertain the amount of grit and dirt that has been thrown off the carpet. If it is acceptable, the carpet should be professionally dusted and cleaned. When the carpet is noticeably dirty, it is time to have it cleaned.
Red wine: If red wine or a red drink is spilled, use carbonated water immediately. Pour over the stain and blot with a clean towel. Repeat (even 20 times) until all the red color is removed.
Animal urine: is very harmful to a handmade carpet. Not only is it unpleasant to smell, but it can cause dry rot and permanent staining or discoloration of dyes. Whenever accidents occur, use sparkling water to rinse the area thoroughly. Lift the soiled area onto a basin or bucket and run water through the carpet until it is clean. You can use a towel and a mild detergent such as shampoo, but be sure to rinse thoroughly. Make sure the carpet is completely dry before you put it back on the floor. Pets tend to return to the same places repeatedly. When prolonged use is discovered, consult a professional cleaner.
Periodically, every 2 or 3 years, the hand-knotted rug should be cleaned by a professional in a full-immersion bath; it will be refreshed and look as good as new.
Colors fade unevenly, and wool and cotton dry out and become brittle. A good rug can fade in a month or less. When colors are softer or lighter on the pile side of the carpet than on the back side, it means that fading is occurring. You can eliminate or prevent the problem by keeping the curtains closed or by having the windows professionally coated with mylar (an invisible film that can be applied to windows that protects against harmful ultraviolet light).
A new hand tufted carpet or rug may lose excess fibers. This fluff is not a manufacturing defect and will gradually disappear over time. We recommend regular vacuuming.
Sprouted tufts are a natural phenomenon in hand tufted carpets. If you find sprouted tufts, do not pull them out as you may damage the carpet. Carefully cut off any overhanging tufts with sharp scissors.
Over time, heavy furniture can crush the pile of hand tufted rugs causing indentations. Crushing can be reduced by occasionally rearranging heavy furniture so that the weight is not concentrated in one spot.
Regarding the cleaning of silk carpets :
Do not use enzymatic cleaners, which use enzymes to digest protein-based stains-silk is largely composed of protein, so these cleaners can break down silk fibers
Do not use hot water or steam; heat can cause silk to shrink
Do not scrub, wring or rub the carpet to avoid damaging the fibers
Do not bunch or stretch the carpet, to avoid permanently changing its shape
Never consider applying bleach to silk, it will not only cause a loss of color but also destroy the fibers
Do not soak the carpet, even in water.
In addition to stains, there is often a need to get rid of odors. Your guests may notice them. This is especially important for homes with children and pets. To remove unwanted odors from your carpet, follow the simple steps below and one of two procedures.
Procedure 1
You will need: vinegar, water, a spray bottle and a dry cloth. Using water and vinegar is an effective way to remove germs and odors from your carpet. Mix equal parts vinegar and water in the spray bottle; it will make it easier to apply the mixture. Lightly spray the area to be treated with the vinegar and water solution. Wipe the area with a clean, dry cloth and then let the carpet dry. After such cleaning, the carpet may smell of vinegar, but it will go away after a few hours of airing.
Procedure 2
You will need: baking soda, vacuum cleaner. Apply some baking soda to the affected area of the carpet (for example, where your pet lies most). Leave the baking soda on the carpet to let it absorb completely for about 1 hour. Clean the carpet with a brushless vacuum cleaner.
Sunlight can cause even the most vibrant carpets to fade over time, especially as the trend toward natural light continues in corporate spaces. Many modern windows are specifically designed with low-emissivity coatings to minimize the amount of infrared and ultraviolet light passing through the glass, but while this helps protect carpets, it does not completely eliminate the problem.
In addition to UV light, traffic patterns can quickly damage a carpet. If people constantly walk on the same section of fiber, that area will wear down to an uneven color and texture before the rest of the carpet.
Fortunately, the best way to protect your carpet from uneven sunlight and human traffic is simple: rotate it 180 degrees every three months. This quarterly routine will make a big difference in the appearance of your carpet.
Keeping excess moisture away from your carpet will help prevent mold and dry rot, so make sure your carpet has a chance to dry completely every time it gets wet.
For small spills or wet footprints, it will be fine to soak up the excess liquid with a towel and let the carpet lay flat. For large spills where the carpet is saturated to the brim, you will need to lift the wet spot until it has dried.
Mats can extend the life of your carpet in several ways. They hold the rug firmly in place to minimize wrinkles, and this stability also prevents slip accidents that can cause damage not only to the rug but also to guests and furniture. Some added bonuses of the mats? They make your carpet softer to walk on and protect your hardwood or LVT floor from scratches.
Chewing gum: Press ice cubes against the gum until it becomes brittle and breaks. Use stain remover to get rid of the last traces. Saturate the stain with a cloth soaked in vinegar or alcohol.
Candle wax: put a brown paper bag over the stain. Place the hot iron over the paper bag. Move the iron constantly. Wait a few minutes until the wax is absorbed. Repeat if necessary.
Ballpoint pen ink: saturate the stain with hairspray. Allow to dry. Blot lightly with vinegar-water solution.
Regular maintenance is the best way to prevent wool carpets from being damaged by moths. Periodic cleaning, moth-proofing, and rotating carpets is a good way to prevent moth larvae from gaining a foothold and damaging your wool carpets. When inspecting carpets, remember that most moth damage is on the backside, where moths are least likely to be disturbed. So examine the back of the rug along its perimeter and look for moths, moth larvae or the wrapping or fabric they leave behind.
The ends and edges are generally the first parts of a carpet that require attention as the carpet ages. Consequently, it is critical to keep them in good condition to avoid costly repairs. Usually the fringe of a carpet begins to wear out after 10 to 15 years. The fringe can be replaced, although a new fringe on an old carpet may seem inappropriate. Fortunately, the fringe is not structural and your carpet will not suffer any damage if you have it professionally removed.
Final finish wear, however, is another problem. Carpets are tied at their ends in various ways to keep the foundation intact. If the foundation becomes frayed, a rug begins to lose its pile and this requires expensive repair work. That is if the carpet can be repaired. Adding new selvages and ends to a rug is an art, as the new selvages must blend with the rug.
There are a number of other miscellaneous problems a rug can run into. These include holes, wrinkle lines, curled edges, visible wear, etc. These are expensive to repair and it is important to avoid excessive wear and tear. Rotating carpets, especially in high-traffic areas, is important to prevent this wear and tear from occurring.
There are many products on the market advertised for carpet cleaning, many of which contain harmful chemicals that can cause irreversible damage to the color and quality of your hand tufted carpet. We do not recommend the use of such products.
If you accidentally spill liquids on your carpet or rug, speed is of the essence. Blot up liquid spills with a clean paper towel or absorbent cloth. Do not rub as this will damage the pile. Carefully scoop up solids with a spoon or the end of a knife.
If the area is not stained, dry it with a hair dryer and restore the direction of the hair with a clothes brush. If an area is left with the stain, do not attempt to treat it yourself. Contact a specialized carpet cleaner.
For severe stains, do not hesitate to call a professional cleaner and have the problem treated by experts.
For less severe stains, you may choose to risk a home treatment. As with all stains, the faster you act, the more likely you are to succeed. So don’t wait for a liquid stain to dry before attempting to remove it.
First use an absorbent pad or paper towel to blot the stain as much as possible. Avoid the temptation to scrub.
Fill a spray bottle with a solution of equal parts water and vinegar; make sure the solution is cold or lukewarm at best. Generously mist the affected area of the carpet and blot up the moisture. Repeat this process until the offending stain has been (if you are lucky) completely removed. Then allow the carpet to dry naturally.
The best way to store rugs is to roll them up (in width) tightly, starting the roll on the side opposite the direction of the pile.
To prevent the rug from unrolling, use string, twine or tape to tie around the rug. Three or more pieces of rope may be needed, making sure they are evenly spaced across the width of the rug. The rugs should then be wrapped in airtight polythene with some mothproof balls and stored in a dry place.