Spills and Stains: Proper Care of Your Valuable Carpet

In the past artistic hand-made carpets were widely used in wall decoration. Today they have taken on a more functional 
use – they are laid on the floors in one’s home, and even at the office, where constant walking on them makes the 
susceptible to dirt of all kinds, and to wear and tear..  Handmade rugs can last for many years in good condition; give remarkably long service and age beautifully with proper care. 

Both www.handmadecarpets.net and www.bukhara-carpets.com have provided tips on how to best care for your carpet. 

Remember – do not experiment with unorthodox cleaning methods as it may cause additional damage and possibly the 
loss of your carpet. 

The Open Directory ‘dmoz.org’ under the title ‘Carpet: Wholesale and Distribution’ has a listing of dealers and importers 
of handmade carpets, where you can find the importer for information to the care of your particular carpet. 


General care to preserve your carpets and prevent irreversible damage: 

1) Vacuum regularly using a home vacuum cleaner, but never vacuum the rug fringes. 

2) Avoid brushing the carpet with a hard bristle brush. The effects of brushing can actually change the direction of the fiber 
and the movement of the brush strokes might compress or detach them. 

3) Do not beat your carpet, never, as beating will damage the underside and within time may cause in time the fibers to 
tear. 

4) Never hang your carpet for airing or drying, as it stretches the threads, resulting in distortion. Ripples will appear on the surface of the carpet when returned to the floor and would accelerate wear and tear. 

5) Keep your carpets dried and well aired. Water is a rug's worst enemy (yet it is the best friend for cleaning purposes). 
Make sure that you dry them when they get wet. You can air dry them or even use a hair dryer. When drying a rug that is 
really wet, comb the wet part in the direction of the overall pile of the rug.