Canada is one of the largest importers of Persian rugs and carpets. And this explains the never-ending Canadian’s love for floor coverings.
But as much as Persian rugs are beautiful and cozy, they are also challenging to maintain. Moreover, they trap all kinds of dirt and indoor contaminants.
Your beloved Persian rug can be a health hazard to you and your loved ones without proper cleaning. It can also harbor dust mites and other types of insects. However, adopting the best Persian rug cleaning practices can help keep your living area fresh, clean, and habitable.
So, what can you do to ensure your Persian rugs are always clean? This guide will outline the best rug cleaning practices.
Why You Need to Clean Your Persian Rug Regularly
A new Persian rug is irresistible. It makes your home feel warm and look great, but it is also subject to wear and tear. If you don’t maintain it, it will deteriorate over time.
Here are is why you should clean your rug consistently;
Health and Hygiene
Rugs filter different types of particles and debris in your house. These include germs, dust, dirt, and crumbs. A build-up of these contaminants may become a breeding ground for bacteria. Over time, you and your loved ones could start falling ill.
While most people count on vacuuming to clean their rugs, it is not always as effective as you may expect. Hence, hiring a professional rug cleaning service delivers better results. Investing in a good steam cleaner can help keep various contaminants at bay.
Preventing the Accumulation of Stains
Your floor coverings bear the brunt of accidental spills. Usually, beverages such as tea, alcohol, and other drinks can leave visible stains on your Persian rug. A rug with multiple stains will look unpleasant, which can cause significant discomfort in your household.
Cleaning the rugs once in a while eliminates the accumulation of dirt. It helps to keep your floor coverings in a pristine condition and prolong their longevity. Furthermore, if you don’t take care of stains soon enough, they tend to weaken the fiber and break it down over time.
Softness
The chances are that when you bought your Persian rug, it felt soft and welcoming. Failure to clean it regularly can make it lose its softness. Moreover, some types of dirt are sticky and dry up; they form undesirable rough patches on your rug.
These patches are gross and may even produce an awful odor. As a result, cleaning your rugs keeps them fresh and soft for a long time.
Preventing Mold
Dirty rugs tend to attract mold, which can lead to respiratory problems and allergic reactions. Cleaning your floor coverings is the only way to deter these harmful fungal elements.
Moreover, if you live in a humid area, you must clean and dry your Persian rugs frequently. Otherwise, they will attract mold.
Maintaining Comfort and Beauty
You want your living area to smell fresh and feel comfortable. One of the best ways to achieve this is by ensuring your floor coverings are clean. When you eliminate the dirt from the heavy foot traffic and spillages, your rugs will look as good as new.
Best Cleaning Practices for Your Persian Rugs
Cleaning your rugs can be daunting, especially if you don’t know the best technique and cleaners. This section will explore the best cleaning practices for Persian rugs.
Follow the Care Guide
All Persian rugs are not made equal. And this explains why manufacturers include a label with a cleaning guide for most of these floor coverings. Since some rugs are made from delicate materials, using specific chemicals to clean them, such as bleach, can be damaging.
Before you start cleaning your rug, it is paramount to read the attached label and follow it to the latter. You will find that different Persian rugs are made from wool, silk, synthetic material, or cotton. Hence, each material has its unique cleaning requirements.
Cotton rugs are less delicate and easy to clean. However, if you have a silk floor covering, it’s best to take it to the professionals for deep cleaning.
Begin with Hoovering
Begin your carpet cleaning process with hoovering. For this step, you will need a hoover to remove the larger debris and dirt particles from your rug. Over time, these can damage your carpet extensively.
Lay your carpet on the floor and run your hoover gently over its surface. When you finish, turn it to the other side and repeat the exercise. Do this at least three times with medium to low suctioning.
While at it, ensure that you don’t run your hoover over the fringes of your rug. Otherwise, you will damage it. If you don’t like using a hoover, traditional methods such as sweeping your rug, beating or shaking it are equally effective.
Prepare Your Cleaning Solution
Investing in an excellent Persian rug cleaning shampoo will make your work easier. Please read the instructions on the label of your select cleaner and mix it as instructed. In case your floor covering has stains, you can improvise.
For tough stains that emanate from the spillage of wine, pet urine, or grease, use a mixture of water and vinegar. To avoid shrinking the fiber of your rug, always use warm water.
Wash Your Rug
Once the solution is ready, proceed to wash the rug. Begin by dampening with the detergent and some water. Follow this up by scrubbing it with a soft, bristle brush while emphasizing the area with stains.
If possible, avoid using too much water, so your rug can dry quickly. Scrub it gently to avoid damaging the delicate fiber.
Clean the Fringe
If your carpet has a fringe, don’t ignore it. But for a hand woven Persian rug, the fringe can be too delicate for you to wash yourself. In such a scenario, you can call the experts to clean it.
A machine-woven fringe is much easier to clean. You comb through it gently with a bristle brush. Follow this up by spraying a solution of warm water and white vinegar on it. Then you should thoroughly rinse out the vinegar with fresh water.
Rinse your Persian Rug
After washing your rug thoroughly, don’t let it dry without rinsing it properly. Otherwise, it will have some white, undesirable patches of soap. Furthermore, leftover detergent tends to attract more dirt to the rug.
Allow the Rug to Dry
If you are satisfied with the cleaning process, give your rug adequate time to dry. If the carpet does not dry out properly, it will have an unbearable odor. It could also lead to the rug rotting.
Hanging your Persian rug in an airy location gives it the best chance of drying. After some time, you can rotate it. To steer clear from water pooling, ensure it is on a surface with a slight slope.
There is a misconception that you should hang your Persian rug in a location with direct sunshine. Unfortunately, this could lead to its beautiful patterns fading away.
When drying your rug, be patient. Some materials, such as wool, may take up to three days to dry well.
How Often Should You Clean Your Persian Rug?
Experts recommend cleaning your Persian rug every three to five years. Cleaning it every few months might be more damaging than helpful. As a result, your floor covering will not last for long.
Should You Steam Clean Your Persian Rug?
It all depends on its material. But if you want to be sure, read the label on your carpet. In most cases, steam cleaning is not the best approach for your Persian rug.
The process will not be thorough enough and may also damage the rug.
Benefits of Hiring a Persian Rug Cleaning Service
If you have a busy schedule and barely have the time to clean your carpets, consider hiring professional Persian rug cleaners. Some of the benefits that you will enjoy are;
- Saving your time
- It provides a deeper cleaning
- Prolongs the lifespan of your rug
- Improves the air quality in your living area
- You don’t have to worry about the much-dreaded color bleeding
Moreover, expert carpet cleaners have tons of experience. Regardless of your Persian rug’s stains, they will remove them. In addition, the professionals also have the right equipment and detergents to do a stellar job.
The chances of a carpet cleaning Toronto service provider damaging your rug are minimal. If it happens, they are more than willing to shoulder the cost of repair or replacement.
Work with Persian Rug Cleaning Experts in Toronto
If you like to clean your carpet, the tips in this guide will come in handy. However, you might not have the time or expertise to execute effective Persian rug cleaning. If this is your current predicament, you can always hire the experts.
We are an award-winning rug cleaning and repair service in Toronto. And our objective is to offer our stellar services to people who appreciate their Persian rugs like you.
Contact us today, and we will be happy to help you take good care of your Persian rug.