For many people who own authentic Oriental rugs, these décor pieces are hand-me-down heirlooms that have graced several households throughout the years. After all that time, one common characteristic of an Oriental rug is that the fringe on the edges tends to get a little messy. It can get dirty, matted, or even start to lose strands over time. Some owners think that the best way to handle this unsightly situation is to cut the fringe off – but that could lead to damaging the rug beyond repair. Here’s why, and how you can get rid of the fringe on your Oriental rug.

WHY CAN’T I CUT THE FRINGE OFF?

True Oriental rugs are made with long extensions of the warp threads that make up the rug itself. The fringe is essential to the structure of the knot formations in the rug, and cutting it off could cause the rug to unravel entirely. There is a way to carefully trim fringe on these rugs a bit shorter, but it requires very special tools to prevent any damage to the rug itself. It’s best that a professional handle this if trimming the fringe is the path you want to take.

DIY ORIENTAL RUG FRINGE FIX

If you aren’t able to get your rug to a professional, it’s tempting to try to trim the fringe yourself. But this is not advisable if you want to preserve your rug. Instead, one great way to hide unsightly fringe is to hide it behind the rug itself. Simple packing tape is all you need. First, create a casing for the fringe. Lay a piece of packing tape face up on the ground, and carefully arrange the fringe on it, in a flat and even layer. Then cover the top with another piece of packing tape, creating a seal between the two pieces of tape. Then flip the newly encased fringe behind the rug and tape down to the back. When done carefully, this method will create a pleasing rounded edge.

You can also do this same fix with strips of cotton. Encase the fringe in two strips of cotton, and then pin to the back. This method is mostly used as a temporary way to preserve the integrity of your rug until you can get it to a professional to repair and clean the fringe properly.

ON MANUFACTURED ORIENTAL RUGS

One thing to keep in mind is that your rug, beautiful as it may be, might not be an authentic Oriental rug. If it is manufactured, rather than hand-knotted, you can carefully remove fringe. If this is the case, you can carefully trim away any damaged fringe threads with scissors. Just be sure only to cut threads that are loose or fraying, and to leave the rest intact.

In most cases, removing the fringe from an Oriental rug is a task best left to the professionals. Be sure to check the experience of any professional you visit, to be sure they know how to care for these unique hand-knotted masterpieces.