How to Maintain Handmade Rugs

• 16 July 2021
• 5 Min Read
• By Jaipur Rugs

A hand-knotted rug is an heirloom that has been hand-crafted using age-old knowledge by a community of artisans. Like a piece of art, it will be cherished for years to come, an enduring part of your home and life, unlike the machine-made counterpart that has a life of just mere four-odd years and carries with it a high carbon footprint.

A hand-knotted rug is an heirloom that has been hand-crafted using age-old knowledge by a community of artisans. Like a piece of art, it will be cherished for years to come, an enduring part of your home and life, unlike the machine-made counterpart that has a life of just mere four-odd years and carries with it a high carbon footprint. Though a single machine can replace 300 artisans, our pledge towards a hand-knotted rug sustains underprivileged communities across India.

Owning such an exclusive piece of art does not need to be very complicated. Actually, taking care of a handmade rug is rather simple and does not take too much of your time. 

Just remember that your brand-new rug will shed loose fibers as a natural part of the wearing process and this will eventually stop, especially if you vacuum it a couple of times. To tackle any sprouts—the long, untamed fibers that appear above the surface of the rug—just trim them with a pair of scissors to even the pile. Over time, rugs can fade if exposed to direct sunlight, thus they should be rotated every six months to minimize this occurrence.

Additionally, there are some simple steps that you can follow to maintain your handmade rug properly:

Getting rid of stains

Let’s get started with the most difficult topic first, removing stains from rugs. Blot the area where the spill or stain has happened rather than rubbing it. This will prevent the stain from penetrating deeper into the fibers and make it easier to clean it. Water is not the best way to remove stains from wool rugs, so you should try to use only recommended cleaning products to blot out stains. A slightly expensive, but effective way to clean your rug is by using baby wipes. 

Dusting your rug

Your rug will inevitably catch some dirt and dust, the best way is to get rid of it is by beating the rug with a broom, a stick or a racket. Shaking a rug vigorously to get the dirt out is another superb way of cleaning it. Alternately, you can hang it on a strong piece of furniture outside and beat it to get the muck out. One of the trickiest things to remove from a high pile rug is hair strands. Beating is generally ineffective in this regard and the solution is to use a utility brush or a clothing brush with stiff bristles. However, don’t be too rough. 

Using a vacuum 

This is one of the best ways to clean your rug with professional cleanings. Vacuuming your rug once a fortnight is a great way of keeping them sparkling clean. Any excess dust that you couldn’t get out with a broom or by beating will be taken care of by vacuuming. During the initial shedding phase of the rug, vacuuming can be really effective. A little TLC can really elongate the life of your rug and keep your rug looking as good as new for a long time. So, just put in a little effort and enjoy the warm cushy feeling under your feet. 

In case you have some serious damage to the rug. It can also be taken care of by professionals. 

Types of rug repair

A handmade rug lasts for generations. It is only natural to want a few changes to its look and feel. Services like re-fringing, binding, surging, adding, or removing fringes can be done to help you give a new lease of life to your old rug.   

For more serious wear and tear you can look at repairing missing or worn areas either by rebuilding or patching. This was, a bad spot on the rug will not hinder you from using it in your décor setting. For a rug that has been damaged from the back, you can ask to replace torn, detached, or deteriorated backing and get a new one to make your rug as good as new. Repairs can be made to rugs that have been damaged by spillage accidents or insects.  

And if it is the size or shape that you wish to alter, that too can be done depending on the design and specifications you share.

Making old rugs new

For worn-out traditional hand-knotted rugs in wool and silk, Jaipur Rugs has a special offering. Frankly, it is not really a repair option but it can repurpose traditional rugs that have lost their luster and use. By using the process of overdyeing an old traditional rug can be given an entirely different look and feel and you can use it almost as a brand-new rug for your home.  

Overdyed rugs are given a special kind of wash with a solution that eats up all the wool particles and leaves out the warp and the weft with traces of the old design. A washed rug is then overdyed using a color of choice which spreads unevenly across the rug and gives it a worn-out vintage appeal.

So, next time you feel bad about damaging your rug, just try our repair and maintenance services and add more years to your favorite rug. 

No matter what type of style or pattern you choose – a wool, silk, or bamboo silk rug is a great choice for a modern home. Aside from decorative purposes, a rug fulfills many practical purposes all well. Wool rugs deter the growth of dust mites and bacteria and they are naturally stain-repellent as a result of the lanolin in them. 

But every rug needs some maintenance to preserve its beauty and prevent wear and tear. It is advised to get your modern rug cleaned professionally at least once a year. But there are several things you can do yourself to keep your rugs good as new.

We make sure that our customers are well informed about the cleaning and maintaining process of the rugs that they are purchasing. As a result, every rug at Jaipur Rugs comes with care instructions that will help you look after your carpet over the years.