Rug Care is all about regular maintenance and quickly dealing with any spills that may occur. The information contained in this section provides you with a comprehensive list of how to look after your beautiful rug to ensure it remains in the best condition for its long life. Regular vacuuming is the basic requirement while dealing with spills and marks as quickly as possible is essential.
With a brand new hand tufted rug you may find that cloudy tufts appear which are cut fibers that were embedded into the face of the rug during the finishing stage. When rugs are made, the wool yarns are often much longer than the pile of the finished rug. At the end of the rug making process, the yarns are hand trimmed to the desired pile height or rug thickness. It’s like a big haircut for your rug. Cutting the pile can leave little pieces of wool fibre trapped in the rug. Over time, these fibres work their way out of the rug and onto the surface. Worry not! Shedding of brand new rugs should subside within the first six months or so and are not a manufacturing fault.
A concern sometimes heard from customers if they see loose tufts, snags and carpet sprouting on their new rug is that this is a manufacturing issue but it is considered totally normal and will not affect the overall wearabilty of the rug.
If you notice a strand of the pile appears to be loose or sitting proud of the surface simple trim if to the height of the rest of the surface pile with a pair of scissors. Do Not Pull It!
Like most carpeting, rugs should be vacuumed on a regular basis to remove dirt and restore life to the fibers. Ideally this would be done on a weekly basis and more often if the rug is placed in a high traffic area. Remember that regular vacuuming stops dirt from working its way to the bottom of your rugs pile where it is far more difficult to remove.
All tufted rugs have a pile direction, which is the direction that the fibers naturally lay. To determine the pile direction, brush your hand along the rug. The rug will appear darker and you will feel resistance when you brush against the pile.
If you vacuum with the pile direction, the fibers will cover and protect the dirt you are trying to remove. If you vacuum against the pile direction, this can provide unnecessary wear on the rug so it is best to vacuum perpendicularly to the pile direction.
If you vacuum with the pile direction, the fibers will cover and protect the dirt you are trying to remove. If you vacuum against the pile direction, this can provide unnecessary wear on the rug so it is best to vacuum perpendicularly to the pile direction.
We recommend that rugs are commercially cleaned every 12 to 24 months depending on where they are used. Only use a Specialist Carpet and Rug cleaning company that uses steam extraction cleaning machines that do not saturate the rug and will dry as quickly as possible. NEVER USE A RUG CLEANING COMPANY THAT USES ANY FORM OF DRY CHEMICAL OR BRUSH CLEANING METHOD!
Make sure that you safely and immediately clean up spots and spills before they set. Remember to spot check for colour fastness when using any of the cleaning solutions listed below and if you have any concerns it is always safer to call in the experts!
1 | COLD WATER |
2 | 1 TEASPOON WOOL DETERGENT + 1 TEASPOON OF WHITE VINEGAR IN 1 LITRE OF WATER |
3 | CLEAR HOUSEHOLD DISINFECTANT |
4 | DRY CLEANING SOLVENT SUCH AS WHITE SPIRIT – USE ONLY ON DRY RUG! |
5 | CHILL WITH ICE CUBES IN A PLASTIC BAG THEN GENTLY PICK OR SCRAPE OFF GUM – BE GENTLE AS YOU DON’T WANT TO PULL OUT THE RUG PILE! |
6 | MIX 1/3 CUP OF WHITE VINEGAR WITH 2/3 CUP OF WATER |
7 | WARM WATER |
8 | CLEAR NAIL POLISH REMOVER - SHOULD NOT CONTAIN LANOLIN |
9 | SURGICAL ALCOHOL |
10 | PLACE ABSORBENT PLAIN PAPER OVER THE WAX AND APPLY WARM IRON WAX WILL MELT AND BE ABSORBED BY THE PAPER |
11 | VACUUM CLEAN |
12 | MINERAL TURPENTINE |
12 | SEEK ASSISTANCE FROM A PROFESSIONAL CARPET CLEANER |
TYPE OF STAIN | STEP ONE | STEP TWO | STEP THREE |
---|---|---|---|
ALCOHOL DRINK | 1 | 2 | 1 |
BLEACH | 1 | 13 | X |
BLEACH | 1 | 2 | 1 |
BUTTER | 4 | 2 | 1 |
CANDLE WAX | 10 | 4 (on dry rug only) | X |
CHEWING GUM | 5 | 4 (on dry rug only) | X |
CHOCOLATE | 4 | 2 | 1 |
COFFEE | 1 | 2 | 1 |
COLA AND SOFT DRINKS | 1 | 2 | 1 |
COOKING OIL | 4 | 2 | 1 |
CREAM | 2 | 4 (on dry rug only) | X |
EGG | 2 | 13 | X |
FAECES | 2 | 3 | 13 |
FLOOR WAX | 4 | 2 | 1 |
FRUIT JUICE | 1 | 2 | 1 |
FURNITURE POLISH | 4 | 2 | 1 |
GRAVY & SAUCES | 7 | 2 | 1 |
INK | 9 | 2 | 1 |
FELT TIP PEN | 4 | 2 | 1 |
LIPSTICK | 4 | 2 | 1 |
MILK | 2 | 4 (on dry rug only) | X |
MUSTARD | 2 | 1 | X |
NAIL POLISH | 8 | 4 (on dry rug only) | X |
OIL AND GREASE | 4 | 2 | 1 |
OIL BASED PAINT | 12 | 4 (on dry rug only) | X |
ACRYLIC PAINT | 1 | 2 | 1 |
RUST | 6 | 13 | X |
SALAD DRESSING | 2 | 4 (on dry rug only) | X |
SHOE POLISH | 4 | 2 | 1 |
SOOT | 11 | 4 (on dry rug only) | X |
TAR | 12 | 4 | X |
TEA | 1 | 2 | 6 + RINSE |
TOMATO SAUCE | 7 | 2 | 1 |
URINE (FRESH) | 1 | 2 | 3 + RINSE |
URINE (OLD STAIN) | 13 | X | X |
VOMIT | 2 | 3 | 6 + RINSE |
WINE | 1 | 2 | 6 + RINSE |
UNKNOWN STAIN | 4 (on dry rug only) | 2 | 1 |