Persian area rugs are a stunning addition to any home decor, highly esteemed for their craftsmanship, resilience, and quality. They are crafted from wool and feature complex, handcrafted designs that enhance their appearance. A genuine Persian rug needs two to five months to finish and can last for many generations with proper care. Understanding how to clean a Persian rug is crucial to ensure its durability.

Generally, Persian rugs do not require much effort for cleaning as the shag rugs do. However, they still need proper care and cleaning to maintain their shine and lush texture. If you don't pay attention to the Persian carpet cleaning, its color may fade, and its appearance may get damaged.

Read the Persian Area Rug Label

Before cleaning a Persian rug, you must read its label. Lift the corners of your carpet to reveal the label. The label usually provides instructions on the safest method to clean your rug. Every kind of area rugs requires different cleaning ways and maintenance. Cleaning silk, wool, cotton, or synthetic carpets requires a certain level of expertise; hence, it increases the importance of checking the label first.

Cotton and wool area rugs are more durable and simpler to clean than other carpet types. On the other hand, a silk rug with severe stains should be professionally cleaned.

Now, let's explore the ways to clean a Persian area rug.

How to Clean Persian Rugs?

Here are the different instructions and ways how to clean Persian Rugs. Keep these do's and don'ts in mind while washing and maintaining the area rugs.

Vacuum Your Persian Rug

Vacuuming your rug helps eliminate dirt and debris. Here's how to vacuum your carpet. Lay your Persian carpet on the floor. Gradually vacuum it to eliminate excess grit, pet fur, and grime. Perform the above steps at least three times on each side of the carpet. This action aids in removing all the dust embedded in your rug.

While vacuuming your handcrafted rug, keep the following in mind. Avoid using a vacuum cleaner on the fringes as they can get entangled in the cleaner. Do not vacuum in the opposite direction. Keep in mind that vacuuming may not be effective on all rug types. A specialized cleaning tool is the most suitable choice for Persian rug cleaning an antique or expensive item rather than a regular vacuum cleaner.

However, if you still want to vacuum your rug, we suggest disabling the beater bar. The bar can catch loose fibers and exacerbate the damage to Persian and oriental rugs.

Brush Your Area Rug

Individuals often vigorously clean their rugs until they appear spotless. However, a more gentle approach to removing dirt from your rug is recommended to prevent potential damage and extend its lifespan.

Use a straw broom to sweep across your Persian rug from one end to the other, avoiding a back-and-forth motion that could harm the carpet.

Inspect the Carpet for Dust & Dirt

Hand-knotted carpet and oriental rugs trap more dirt, grime, and soil. To identify these unwanted particles in your carpet, you can use the following techniques:

• Continuously rub your hand over the wool fibers for a few seconds.
• Part the pile and scrutinize the base of each fiber.

Upon spotting dirt, you can proceed to clean your area rug. Dust removal from your carpet is a simple process. Simply take your rug outdoors and shake out the dirt.

Rinse and Wash Your Persian Carpets

It is ideal to do persian rug cleaning on a sunny day so that the sun's heat may dry it. This is how you should clean a Persian area rug:

1. Take your carpet outside. Make sure your rug is completely wet by hosing it down on all sides.
2. Put gentle laundry detergent into the wool. Wash the area rug with your hands while on your knees.
3. Flip your rug over and clean the other side. Rinsing your area rug is the next step after washing it.

The soapy water can be effectively removed with a hose that has an adjustable nozzle. To rinse your carpet, follow these instructions:

• Continue removing the soap from your rug until there is no more foam. On the other side, repeat the previous step.
• Repeatedly rinse the nap side after turning over the reverse side.
• A squeegee directed toward the nap should be used to remove as much water as possible. Make sure your Persian carpet is entirely dry.

Choosing the right time to put your handmade Persian rug outside on your patio or driveway is crucial. So it can absorb sunlight before it dries. It could take a day or two for the carpet to dry after washing fully.

If you hang your rug on a clothesline or over a rail, it will be less likely to collect dew and morning fog. However, this method will be effective if you want to dry the carpet for longer than a day. Don't forget to use the sun to also dry the opposite side. However, the colors may fade if you expose your persian rug to direct sunlight. To ensure that the colors of your rug fade uniformly, remember to rotate it regularly.

After a day or two, crease the nap and feel the fibers' base to see if your carpet is dry. Next, use your hands to separate the fringe and rug fibers until it straightens out completely.

Spot Cleaning Solution

It is advisable to clean up spills as soon as something goes wrong. This keeps the stains from going deeper, which would make them harder to get rid of. Here's what to do in the less than 15 minutes you have left to keep your rug clean. Blot up as much liquid as you can as soon as it spills.

Squeegee (ideally), tissues, paper towels, or whatever else you can find will work. After you finish, wipe the stain with warm water using a damp rag. Take caution; rubbing back and forth could cause the stain to become more deeply set. In most situations, cold water is sufficient; however, for pet, grease, or coffee stains, you should use white vinegar in addition to clean water. To remove stubborn stains, combine ½ teaspoon of mild detergent and a quarter cup of vinegar with extra water. Also, this technique gets rid of musty smells!

Get Rid Of Smells from Your Persian or Oriental Rug

There are several ways to eliminate pungent, musty odors from your Persian carpets. You might try the vinegar, water, and detergent mixture as a solution. By using this mixture, you may revitalize your carpet and get rid of stains and smells.

An easy way to get rid of odors from area rugs is to use talcum powder. Dust your carpet with powder and leave it there for the night. The powder absorbs all harsh smells; vacuuming your oriental rug restores its original fragrance.

Hire Cleaning Professionals

The IICRC, a leading maintenance and restoration organization, suggests having a professional clean your rug at least once a year. To get your rug back to its best, experts in rug cleaning use steam, dry cleaning, or deep cleaning. Although the former has previously been covered in this post, let's first review the latter's background. Cleaning is done in two steps with steam cleaning.

 First, a stain-treating and residue-removing solution is sprayed onto the rug. Subsequently, high-heat residue is extracted with a steam rug cleaner. Can a Persian rug be steam-cleaned, then? Well, that should be sufficient for you if it works for the pros. If you have the required tools and professional rug cleaners, you can do the procedure at home as well. But don't let the text above mislead you. No matter how many papers or videos you've read or watched, it's not easy to emulate a professional's skill. You should have at least one professional cleaning for your persian rug cleaning every year as they have spent years honing their expertise.

Some Don'ts for Persian Rug Cleaning

Naturally, a Persian rug will stay longer if you take better care of it. Effective maintenance can even save you money by preventing you from having several cleanings. Almost often, prevention is preferable to treatment. It is best not to test new cleaning techniques on pricey carpets.

Remember that a rug can only withstand limited water contact. The rug experiences deterioration once it is soaked, with fibers dropping off. If you have cleaned it, make sure it is dry. If you leave it like this, mildew may grow and release a musty odor. So, just remove the water as quickly as you can.

Furthermore, if your carpeting is colorful, sun exposure may fade the color tones.

It's all about how to clean a Persian rug and what you should avoid while cleaning carpets. However, if you are looking to buy a high-quality Persian Rug, then explore our website. We offer premium quality and affordable prices for entire rug collections for sale online.

Furthermore, if you have more questions or want any rug done in a custom size, email us at info@rugknots.com. Also, you can call us at (301) 660-7046. Our customer support team is available to answer all queries at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Persian Rugs

Why are Persian carpets so well-known?

Persian rugs are still in style and well-known for their intricate geometric and floral designs. Craftspeople hand-knot these carpets; some take up to ten years to complete a single Persian rug. They are superior to others because of their patterns and opulent textures.

What will be the cost of hiring a professional Persian rug cleaner?

Naturally, prices differ across companies. Nonetheless, a few variables affect how much cleaning a Persian rug will cost. The type of structure and the fiber type are the determining factors. Additionally, the type of rug you have will ultimately determine how much rug cleaning will cost.

How Often Are Persian Rugs Supposed To Be Cleaned?

Experts and professionals advise having your oriental carpet and Persian rug professionally deep cleaned every three to five years to avoid dirt and dust accumulation. In this manner, your rug will remain in place and not smell.

Can My Persian Rug Be Steam-cleaned?

As previously indicated, the material of a Persian rug or any other rug determines how to clean it. As a result, natural fibers like wool, cotton, silk, and so on make up the majority of a Persian or Oriental rug. A steam cleaner can cause damage to a Persian rug if it is passed through. It won't be the best option to clean it because it won't get completely clean and may even become worse.