Frequently Asked Questions

We are rug experts and are here to answer your questions. If your rug needs cleaning or restoration we will provide a quote and an informal assessment of age, origin, and value to help you make the most informed choice.

Absolutely. We work with clients all over the world. We have tried and true procedures for shipping even the largest rugs safely and efficiently. Give us a call and we’ll help you make a plan.

If a rug still looks soiled after vacuuming, it’s probably time to have it cleaned. Try this test: Blot the nap of your rug in an inconspicuous spot with a damp white cloth. Let the cloth dry, and check to see if soil was transferred from your rug. If the is a spot on the cloth, your rug will benefit from cleaning.

It depends on how much use the rugs get. Rugs in entries, kitchens and eating areas may need cleaning every six months. In lower traffic areas every three or four years is probably enough. Light colored rugs, or ones made from less soil resistant fibers such as art silk or ‘Bamboo’ silk, may require more frequent cleaning.

Rugs can be washed—though carefully. It is the best way to remove as much soil as possible. No other cleaning method leaves your rug as fresh, soft and good-looking as wet cleaning.

We can wash most any kind of area rug. Persian, Turkish, Chinese, Oriental rugs of any description (antique or new), wool, silk, Navajo, Karastan, Gabbe, flat-woven, hooked, braided, tufted, Tibetan, modern designer rugs, shag, Flokati.  You name it and we can clean it. We also clean tapestries and collectable textiles.

After a careful initial inspection, we remove as much dry soil as possible mechanically. Then rugs are submerged in water, washed flat with detergents and cleaning agents, thoroughly rinsed, centrifuged to extract as much water as possible and air-dried in fewer than eight hours. Dry rugs are re-inspected, groomed, and returned looking their best.

We have safe ways of cleaning damaged and fragile rugs without causing further damage. Unstable areas are stabilized with hand-sewn screen mesh. Cleaning methods are modified to suite a specific rug’s needs. If you have any concerns, we can look at your rug together to decide the appropriate protocol.

No. Would your clothes last longer if you never laundered them? Accumulated soil and grit damage the fibers in your rug and stains become more difficult to remove with time. Cleaning prolongs the life of your rug.

Yes. Most stains can be removed, though results might vary depending on the type of stain and what’s been previously done. Some of the worst looking stains (ie. red wine, food dyes, coffee, urine) are quite simple for a professional cleaner to remove.

Yes! Home treatments can effectively minimize fresh stains. The key is to act quickly and not make matters worse.

If the spill is still wet blot immediately with paper towels or cotton rags. Don’t add water and don’t scrub. Place a layer of absorbent material above and below if the spill has soaked through the rug. Wait an hour or two and check to see if any dye or color has transferred to the absorbent material.

If you see dye transfer, stop and let the rug dry. If not, you can blot out more of the stain with a sponge dampened (not dripping) with water and a drop of liquid dish detergent. Get the area as dry as possible by pressing paper towels on the nap and then elevate the area so it can dry from both sides. If the stain is visible after the rug is dry, give us a call.

Yes. Spot cleaning with a sponge dampened with a weak detergent solution( water and a drop of liquid dish detergent) can loosen soil. Stop if you see any dye bleed. Blot the rug as dry as possible by pressing paper towels on the nap. Elevate the area so it can dry from both sides. Detergent residue will be rinsed out during the next professional cleaning. A light mist of water suctioned out with a wet vacuum can be very effective. Work slowly and carefully being sure not to over scrub or damage the rugs nap surface.

Dry cleaning solvents can be used safely on grease, wax, tar, and other oily stains such as lipstick or shoe polish, but these spotting procedures are often best done by someone who has had practice.

Most household cleaning agents (Fantastic, Oxyclean, laundry bleach, etc.) are too powerful for home use on natural fiber and will do more harm than good.

Usually. Most rugs that have shifted out of square, or that don’t lay flat can be stretched or blocked to improve their shape.  Sizing (like starch) can be added to help hold the corrected shape. Rug shape problems can be caused by underlying issues ranging from furniture placement to foot traffic patterns and to weaving flaws, so correction may have to be repeated.  Thin or flat-woven rugs such as kelims, Aubussons, and needlepoints often look better after blocking.  Once we see your rug we can give you a good idea of how much it can be improved.

Navajo rugs and Southwestern textiles can be washed, leaving them soft and fresh with all soil rinsed away. It requires skill and good technique. Stop by our shop, we will be happy to show you what we do.

Yes, though every situation is different and results may vary depending on the severity of the problem. Color run is common in Navajo rugs. Since the end of the 19th century, most Navajo rugs were woven with synthetically-dyed and often non-colorfast yarns. The removal of color run can sometimes alter color and it is not risk-free. Experience gives us a good sense of outcome and we can discuss predicted results before beginning any work.

Yes, our procedures are very effective for cleaning these types of rugs. Shag and flokati rugs are put in a large tumbler to remove loose grit and soil, then washed and rinsed. We often tumble them again after cleaning to fluff up their long nap.

Yes. We wash these rugs with special techniques that clean plant fibers safely and effectively. We then put a particular emphasis on careful drying for a good-looking result.

Yes, silk rugs can be cleaned effectively. We do it every day with excellent results.

‘Art silk’ and ‘banana silk’ are marketing names for viscose rayon, a man-made fiber produced from natural source cellulose. Viscose is less stain-resistant and harder to clean than wool fiber but can usually be cleaned with good results. Viscose rugs are not suited to high traffic or heavy soil locations.

We can clean tufted rugs, though some are harder to clean than others. Tufted rugs are made by inserting yarns into a stretched canvas backing, which is then coated with an adhesive to stabilize the structure of the rug. The back may be covered with a fabric lining and the front is usually sheared to create a nap like that of a traditional Oriental rug.

High-quality tufted rugs are durable and hold up well in cleaning. Lower-quality tufted rugs often use lesser quality adhesives mixed with fillers which can break down with time and subsequent cleanings. We clean all sorts of tufted rugs and have methods for addressing most problems. Contact us if you have questions about yours.

Maybe. Odors related to soiling will disappear once the rug is cleaned. Cleaning will not remove chemical odors caused by the adhesive backing breaking down.

We can, but it takes a lot of work. We can provide a quote once we see your tufted rug.

Canister vacuums with hard surface attachments are very gentle, making them ideal for fragile rugs or to clean fringes, but are not powerful soil removers. Upright vacuums with spinning beater bar/brush assemblies are very effective but can remove fibers or cause damage over time if used without care. The type and condition of your rug are important factors when choosing a vacuum. Give us a call if you’d like to discuss what might be best for you.

During regular vacuuming, move with the direction of the nap, not against it, and avoid a back-and-forth motion. Use an upholstery tool on fringes. If you only have an upright vacuum, set the brushes as high as possible and vacuum parallel to the edges to avoid drawing fringe yarns into the vacuum. For rugs in high-traffic areas, turn them over once a year and slowly vacuum the back with an upright. This will vibrate loose soil out of the nap. Don’t be surprised to see a pile of dirt on the floor when you’re done!

Dry soil is removed mechanically, with a variety of techniques depending on the rug and its needs. Methods include vibrating or tumbling rugs in specialized machines to loosen soil, forcing dust from rug foundations with compressed air, or even vacuuming through screens to remove soil while protecting the most fragile textiles. Stop by our shop if you’d like to see what we do.

As a hand-made rug is woven, pile yarns are inserted by the weaver so that the finished nap lays in one direction, much like the fur on a cat’s back. Slide your hand back and forth from one fringe to the other and you will feel the difference, or look closely to see the direction the pile lays in. While looking ‘down’ on the rug pile, it will appear lighter and shiny. While looking ‘into’ the rug pile, it will appear darker and more richly colored.

Yes, but we may be able to help with that. While a small percentage of people may be allergic to the wool or silk fibers of a rug itself, accumulated soil, pet hair, or pet dander are usually the problem and can be removed effectivly by cleaning.

We use a wide range of cleaning agents in our processes but can omit individual ones if necessary. Tell us your concerns and we can make a plan that avoids your allergens. In addition, the final steps of our washing process extract all water and residues from your rug. We air-dry rugs quickly to avoid bacterial growth and odors.

Fringes wear over time and can be repaired or replaced. At the least, we can secure an unravelling fringe edge to make it look neater and prevent the body of the rug from unravelling. We can also sew machine-made fringes over the worn fringe or reweave new fringes in by hand that match the existing fringe exactly.

Holes can be re-woven, creating new fabric to fill the empty place. It’s  high-skill and labor-intensive work, but the best results are undetectable. Our restoration experts spin and dye materials as needed, sewing and reweaving them into the rug by hand. The original weave structure, fibers, and colors are replicated exactly. A good repair restores both function and value to a rug. Contact us to discuss what’s possible.

Wear is harder to treat than damage. Large threadbare areas can’t be repaired the same way a hole can be re-woven or a tear sewn closed. The restoration trade uses techniques to conceal wear and restore fabric when possible. Fiber can be added to worn areas using ‘flat-stitching’ and low-pile re-knotting techniques. Every situation is different. We are happy to help you make the most informed choices possible.

We offer informal verbal appraisals at no charge. If your rug is at our facility, we can provide an opinion of origin, age and value. We can often provide informal opinions from photos of your rug.

Yes, we provide formal written appraisals for a fee. Our documentation includes photographs, a technical description, age, origin, condition assessment, and an opinion of value.

Not exactly.  In the United States there are no state or federal licensing procedures for rug and textile appraisers. An appraiser’s membership in a trade organization or experience in the rug industry is not a guarantee of expertise. In legal matters an insurance company, court, or the IRS might vet an appraiser’s background and expertise by reviewing trade experience and education as well as the quality of the research and documentation presented in an appraisal.