How to Clean Oriental Rug from Stains, Spills and After Floods

Many people enjoy the classic beauty of Oriental rugs, but never buy one. There is a general belief that these beautiful area rugs are impossible to maintain and preserve.

Actually these carpets can decorate your home for quite a long period. All you need to keep your Oriental rug in good shape is to know its characteristics. They are made from natural fibres and require certain care, but once you know how to treat your carpet, the maintenance becomes simple as ABC.

With the advanced stain removal products we have nowadays what you should worry is not the cleaning of the stain, but the moisture. Even red wine spill can be removed easily. But if you don’t dry the spot, right after cleaning it the risk of mould appearance increases.
Mould is what can truly destroy your Oriental rug. You need to dry out the moisture really well.

Some stains usually require diluting. If you have to do this don’t get your flooring soaking-wet. Just apply appropriate stain removal product on your rug and let it do its magic for a while. “Rinse”, using slightly damp cloth and absorb the remaining moisture with dry one. Leave the windows wide open to let your oriental carpet air-dry. If the weather doesn’t allow it use hair dryer directly on the spot.

These stains have to be handled differently than beverage and food spills. Pet urine is acidic and literally bleaches your oriental rug, if you don’t take care of it immediately. Cleaning process is the same as with other kinds of stains, but you need to neutralise the urine.

Use enzyme-based cleaning product – this is the only way to remove of the specific odour. Read the label carefully before you start cleaning – some enzyme products need to stay longer than others. After you’re done you need to rinse and dry your rug well, in order to avoid mould appearance.

If there was a flood in your home and your oriental rug is soaking wet – don’t panic! There is a way to save it – you just need to react quickly. Put the wet carpet somewhere dry and warm. The best thing is to hang or lay it in your backyard. If the rug is soaking-wet, use a squeegee to push out as much water from it as possible before leaving it dry. Just remember – don’t place the carpet under the direct sunlight for more than a couple of days, because it’s bright colours will fade. If the weather outside is too cold, or rainy you can dry the rug at home using heaters and fans.

Regular vacuuming is a sure way to keep dirt and dust out of your carpet. No matter what problem you’re facing, most oriental rugs can be cleaned and saved. However, you should know, that some original oriental carpets are dyed with natural paints and there’s a risk of colour-bleed. If you have any doubts that home treatment will deteriorate your Oriental, better turn to rug cleaning specialist