Oriental and Persian rugs are handmade wool carpet that is either knotted with pile or woven without pile. They are available in a wide variety of intricate colors and designs, and are considered by many to be valuable works of art. With their value in mind, it is essential that Oriental rugs receive excellent care to prolong their life and beauty
The best way to keep these beautiful floor coverings clean is to simply prevent them from getting dirty to begin with. Oriental rugs (particularly small ones) should receive regular, thorough vacuuming on both sides to eliminate dirt, dust, and debris. Taking off shoes before walking on Oriental rugs is a good idea too.
Even with the best dirt-prevention efforts, however, Oriental rugs will eventually require periodic professional deep cleanings just like any other floor covering. Extreme care must be taken during cleanings to ensure colors don’t run and the delicate wool fibers aren’t damaged.
Jon-Don carries specialty chemicals and cleaning treatments specifically designed to clean Oriental rugs without causing colors to bleed or delicate fibers to fray. We highly recommend that periodic deep cleaning be only performed by professional carpet cleaners.
Cleaning Wool Rugs
Wool rugs are highly susceptible to bleeding. Test each color with each chemical for colorfastness. One color may not be a bleeder, but another color may.
Until recently, guidelines for cleaning wool have been very simple: keep the pH between 4.5-8.5 and you would be safe. These guidelines supposedly were created by Wools of New Zealand. Wools of New Zealand eventually abdicated their marketing position and the Wool-Safe Organization of Great Britain took over. Evidence showed that the pH guidelines previously used did not hold up to testing. Several products that were in the safe range caused color migration (bleeding) while some that were as high as 11.0 did not cause any problems.
The problem came from products that were buffered. Buffered solutions are used as a means of keeping pH at a nearly constant value in a wide variety of chemical applications. In other words, if you are cleaning a greasy restaurant, the product of choice will normally be a strong alkaline detergent (pH of 11.0-12.5) to break down the fatty acids in the grease. This detergent will be buffered to stay at the elevated pH range and not be neutralized by the high concentration of fatty acids in the grease.
On the other hand, if you are cleaning wool with an alkaline detergent, you want it to be non-buffered. This product will neutralize as it dries. The ideal pH range when finished cleaning wool is 4.5-5.5. This is the pH range at which the wool was dyed.
The safest way to choose a product is to look for the Wool Safe label which shows the picture of a sheep. There is no clear-cut way for the end-user to determine what the buffers are like in a detergent. An end-user must rely on the Wool Safe approval of the product.
Basic Method
Immersion Rug Cleaning
Warning: Always test materials for colorfastness, follow label directions, and never mix products unless specified in the label directions. Each situation reacts differently and results may vary.
How to Clean the Fringe on Rugs
The fringes on Oriental rugs often brown out and need to be cleaned. Care needs to be taken that no other parts of the rug are touched with these cleaning suggestions, as it may bleach out the color on the rug itself. Chlorine bleaching agents can dissolve wool or silk.
Basic Method:
There are many different rug fringe types. Please call our highly trained and professionally certified team for specific instructions and product recommendations. 1-800-400-9473
Warning: Always test material for colorfastness, follow label directions, and never mix product unless specified in the label directions. Each situation reacts differently and results may vary.
Carolyn X-TOL Carpet and Upholstery Shampoo has been trusted by in-plant Oriental rug cleaners for over 50 years! This anionic cleaner has a slightly basic pH. X-TOL contains a high percentage of solvents for fast cleaning and drying. X-TOL carpet shampoo dries to a hard brittle powder that is readily vacuumed away. X-TOL carpet shampoo is also biodegradable.
Starting at $33.62
MasterBlend Inplant Liquid is designed for use with in-plant equipment, such as a Moore flatbed machine for cleaning loose rugs. It can be used with or without a carburetor to control the chemical feed.
Chemspec Rx for Fringe is an oxygen-releasing bleach for use on undyed cotton fringes of Oriental rugs and undyed white carpets. When used as directed, Rx for Fringe erases browning from undyed fibers. It whitens and brightens even the dingiest fibers.
Starting at $38.29
Quality cleaning performance and fast, efficient soil removal are the top features of Professional Carpet Shampoo. Use this amazing product on any wet-cleanable carpet.
Starting at $27.44
Oriental rugs are beautiful, but also very delicate. If you use the wrong chemistry to clean them, the results can be disastrous and expensive. When tasked with cleaning Oriental rugs, don't put your business and reputation at risk: choose Chemspec Oriental Rug Shampoo.
Starting at $36.26
Starting at $19.07
Liquid In-plant Detergent, a primary carpet cleaning detergent specifically formulated to solve the problem of imbedded dirt in synthetic and natural fibers, is your best bet when using automatic mixing (carburetion) systems.
This gentle fine fabric shampoo combines a low pH with premium detergents to suspend soils, dirt, and grime while also preventing browning. It's ideal for use on any fabric, including wool and other natural fibers.
Starting at $24.18
Just as the name implies, Matrix Complete Rinse is a product you can use with complete confidence on ALL carpets and wet-cleanable upholstery, including commercial, residential, and yes, even wool! It eliminates dirt and cleaning solution residues, leaving carpet and upholstery looking its best.
Starting at $32.68
This high-quality pre-spray is specifically designed for the safe and effective cleaning of both wool and pH-sensitive fabrics. It lifts and suspends tough soils without harming delicate natural fibers, wool, and stain-resistant carpet.
Starting at $28.97
Dealing with tough, smelly contaminants on delicate wool rugs? You need Rug Restorer from Pro's Choice! This powerful formula is tough on nasty spots, but gentle on wool fibers. Whether you're dealing with a small spot or a rug that's been saturated with pet urine, Rug Restorer is your product of choice!
Starting at $29.74
Target is ideal for removing alkalines and tannin stains, such as coffee, tea, urine, perfume, and others. This acid-side spotter can also be used for correcting browning, dye reversal, and setting fugitive dyes. It is also excellent for removing ice melt residue.
Starting at $9.74
All Fiber Rinse rinses away every trace of dirt and cleaning solution, leaving behind a residue-free carpet that's squeaky clean and soft to the touch. For best results, use All Fiber Rinse after cleaning with Matrix Grand Slam Pre-Spray.
Starting at $17.77
Starting at $19.69
The Grandi Groom Carpet Brush features a single row of nylon fibers that have been designed specifically to give maximum penetration on commercial-grade level and multi-loop carpets.
The Dri-Pod accelerates drying by pulling warm, dry air from above and directing it downward in a high-velocity 360° pattern drying up to 10 feet across in all directions. Talk about efficiency—you can set up the Dri-Pod in one room while you move on to the next!