The Do’s and Don’ts of Oriental Rug Cleaning

First, Are Oriental and Persian Rugs the Same?

In case you want to do your own research on oriental rugs, you might be curious if they are the same as Persian ones. The easiest explanation is oriental rugs are traditionally considered to be rugs that are made in Asia or the Middle East. Persian rugs are made in the Middle East only.

This means that all Persian rugs are oriental; however, not all oriental rugs are Persian. This is an important fact in case you see articles on Persian rug maintenance. You can also apply those tips if you’d like. Check out our comprehensive look at the differences between persian rugs and oriental rugs if you want to dig a bit deeper.

Now let’s get into the cleaning process of oriental rugs so that you can keep the integrity of the rug.

DO Vacuum Your Rug a Couple of Times a Week

Vacuuming your rug will keep dirt and debris from packing into its fibers and prevent moth larvae from setting into it. Make sure to flip over your rug and vacuum the backside with a beater brush first, as its texture is easily saturated with grime if you only go for the front. If your rug has long fibers or fringes, disable your beater brush before vacuuming the front. Otherwise, you could damage your rug.

DON’T Sweep It

Avoid sweeping the top or bottom of an oriental rug. Doing so could damage its fibers.

Also, since many oriental rugs are handwoven, the bristles of a broom could upset the weave pattern. Not sweeping them will help you to avoid the need for oriental rug repair.

DO Spot Clean Your Rug

No matter how careful you are with your oriental rug, accidents are bound to happen. That’s just life. Whether it’s juice, cat urine, or some other spill, put a hold on your panic. There’s any easy way to fix it:

• First, tend to the stain immediately. Don’t let it get a chance to set in.
• Then, gently use a white cloth to blot the stain. Try to avoid using another color cloth, as this can sometimes transfer dyes and intensify the stain.
• After the stain is less saturated, pour some club soda, white vinegar, baking soda, or mild detergent onto it.
• Use the cloth to blot the stain again.
• Repeat these steps until the stain is gone.

It’s important to note that white vinegar is especially effective at removing cat urine because it breaks down the uric acid in it.

DON’T Use Harsh Chemicals or Hot Water

No matter where you turn to care for Persian and oriental rugs, no self-respecting professional is going to say that you should use harsh chemicals on them. It’s simply a bad idea. Products like bleach and ammonia can throw off the pH balance of materials like silk and wool, and though hot water isn’t a chemical, it can also damage your rug’s fibers. (That’s one of the reasons you should avoid using a steam cleaner or putting your rug into the washing machine.)

When you are spot cleaning, stick to room temperature water. It keeps you from affecting the warp and weft of your rug.

DO Clean Your Entire Rug With a Sponge

While most stains do not cover the entire rug, it’s often a good idea to clean the entire thing anyway when removing strains. A lot of times, the spot from where you remove the stain ends up cleaner than the rest of the rug making it look uneven. Because of this, you might want to clean the entire thing. If so, here are the steps that you should follow:

• Add ¼ cup of mild detergent to a small bucket of room temperature water
• Dip a clean sponge into the cleaning solution and wipe over the grid pattern of the rug
• Rinse the sponge with water regularly while wiping.
• After you’ve finished wiping the rug, go over the entire rug with clean water one more time to remove any excess detergent.
• Use a fresh towel to soak up the leftover moisture.
• Let your rug air dry. (Do NOT put it into the dryer. This will damage it)

For a bonus, if your rug retains a foul or musty odor, sprinkle some lemon juice on it and let it sit for two hours before cleaning. This will help to get rid of any smell. (This works even when you are not planning to fully clean your rug. Just make sure to wipe up any excess lemon juice with a wet sponge after the two hours is up)

Cleaning your oriental rug every six months is ideal if you have children or pets. Otherwise, you can wait about a year in between cleanings.