There are a number of important steps you should take to care for your stretched-in wall to wall carpet or your oriental or other fine area rugs:
Vacuuming
Regularly removing abrasive, dry soils through vacuuming is extremely important to the care of all carpet & rugs. However, care must be taken not to damage older or more fragile rugs with overly aggressive vacuuming.
High quality vacuum manufacturers will sometimes offer equipment with softer brushes designed specifically for fine wool or silk rugs. If possible, vacuum those rugs lightly each day and more thoroughly once a week. This will go a long way to removing the highly abrasive soils which can act as sandpaper abrading the fibers as people walk over them, thereby diminishing appearance and duration.
For light cleaning, make three passes with your vacuum; for thorough cleaning, use as many as seven passes. Take your time (especially if only using suction without a beater-bar) and consider vacuuming across the rug which generally makes vacuuming easier and reduces the chance of tangling the fringe on rugs in the vacuum cleaner brush.
Frequency of Carpet / Rug Cleaning
This depends on several variables: amount of traffic, children or pets present, location in the home, etc. As a general rule, Magna-Dry suggests yearly cleaning of wall-to-wall carpet with perhaps a maintenance cleaning of heavy traffic areas as needed in between.
For area rugs, we agree with Oriental Rug experts that hand-made rugs should be cleaned every two to four years. However, if your rug receives heavy traffic then annual cleaning is recommended.
At Magna-Dry, we believe that wall-to-wall carpet should be cleaned using a dry-cleaning fluid method pair with free-standing equipment. For area rugs, the total immersion cleaning is the very best way to care for Orientals and other fine area rugs. That is why we utilize the unique process and highly specialized equipment that delivers the best cleaning results without abrasion, scrubbing, harsh chemicals, or power spraying that can damage rugs. Magna-Dry offers both types of complete cleaning that simply can’t be achieved with any other method and will allow your carpet and area-rugs to last for many years
Reposition Your Area-Rugs
It’s a good idea to rotate your rug 180° every six months. This will balance the affect of traffic, allowing the rug to wear evenly and maintain the best possible appearance and longest life. While repositioning, take time to clean the floor under the rug as well; that also helps in overall preservation.
Spots and Spills
Spills on wall to wall carpet or area rugs must be attended to immediately; however, avoid the temptation of using cheap retail stain removers on Oriental and fine-rugs! You can easily cause permanent damage.
The best treatment is to blot the spill with a clean white towel. Fold the towel several times and forcibly push down on the spill (you can even step on towel) to absorb the spill.
If a spot remains, call Magna-Dry immediately so we can professionally evaluate and treat your carpet or rug.
Stain and Spill Protection
Most wool / silk rugs are sold without stain protection. Magna-Dry offers special protectors for all rugs, including fine wool, silk, nylon, and olefin rugs that will protect against water-based and oily spills as well as dry soils. If your rug is in direct sunlight, ask about our protector with built in UV protection.
Use the Proper Rug Pad
Many people don’t realize how important it is to use the proper padding for fine area rugs. Using the correct pad increases rug life, reduces slipping and makes the rug feel even more luxurious. Ask Magna-Dry about the right pad for your rug and floor.
Inspect for Insect Infestation in your Rug
Some rugs can suffer from insect infestation – usually moth or beetle which can literally destroy the rug “from the inside out”. Magna-Dry suggests that you look for these pests when vacuuming and, if discovered, call us immediately.