Although it is recommended that you clean your rugs on a regular basis, it is also important that every 5-10 years they be hand-washed by a professional carpet cleaner (with references). See below for some general carpet care and maintenance suggestions. These you can easily do on your own so that your hand-made rug stays as clean and colorful as the day you bought it.

All-Natural Rubber Padding
Proper padding laid beneath a rug increases its life span, protects against wear, increases comfort and prevents slipping. While pads made of synthetic fibers are available from a variety of sources, synthetics do not breathe as well as natural fibers and tend to disintegrate, encouraging bacterial growth. Because these and other factors contribute to allergies, asthma and other respiratory problems, our all-natural rubber pads are highly recommended.

Contact us now to find out how you can save even more, when you add natural rubber underpadding to your rug  order!


Rotation
Try to rotate the direction of your rug every 6-12 months. This will help to reduce the amount of wear caused by traffic patterns and sunlight. The rug will age considerably less if not kept in direct sunlight, so close your drapes and blinds if you do not need the extra light while you are out. This will help the colors of your rug remain vibrant.<  Frequent cleaning and rotation will also help protect your rug against the possibility of moth damage.

Beating
An age-old yet very effective method of cleaning the rug is to beat it. Although today this is not really necessary, you may want to use this method where rugs are kept in high-traffic areas, or if dust build-up becomes excessive. To use this method of cleaning effectively, take the rug outside and beat it with a broomstick several times on either side, preferably while raised off the ground. In northern Europe they are beaten on snow banks.

Sweeping
Rugs should either be vacuumed (with a plain suction type vacuum cleaner) or swept with a broom once a week to remove any loose dust or dirt.

Never steam clean, or chemically clean, your rug. This will tend to speed up the rug’s aging process. Do not put rugs in a washing machine. Do not submerge the rug completely in water. Never squeeze water out of a hand-made rug. It is important to leave any serious washing of your rug to a professional.


Should disaster occur, you must act quickly.  Follow these cleaning guidelines .

The most important thing to do with a spill is to blot quickly, starting at the edge of a stain and working your way to the center. Do not   rub, just apply firm pressure so as to soak up all the moisture. The longer spill is allowed to stay on the rug, the more likely it is to seep into and permanently stain it. If any seeps in, dilute the stain with water and blot with paper towels or very clean cloths, until all the moisture has been removed. Then brush away any excess as quickly as possible, so as not to further damage the rug. If any slight stain remains, try spot-removal with a good wool detergent, like Woolite or similar. Dry by airing, or with a hair dryer if necessary.

You may be aware of an odor. Allow the rug to air out and the odor will disappear.
Unroll, and unfold the rug.