If you are the proud owner of fine rugs, such as silk, Oriental or Persian rugs, you may already have taken steps to keep them in the best condition. In this article, though, we are going to look at the obvious to the not so obvious tips for maintaining the quality of your valuable carpets and rugs. We’ll start with the simplest and move on to the most advanced.

THE SIMPLEST TIPS FOR MAINTAINING THE QUALITY OF YOUR VALUABLE CARPETS AND RUGS

The most obvious tips have to include keeping your rugs out of direct sunlight, away from areas of high humidity or chronic dampness and never putting heavy furniture on top of them.

Remember to rotate rugs once every two years or so to ensure that they are evenly worn. Though you should never leave valuable antique rugs in high traffic areas, you can prevent damage by turning rugs and allowing wear to be more evenly distributed.

WHITE VINEGAR

Another all-natural deodorizer, white vinegar can be used to help eliminate surface odors from your carpet, as well. Add equal parts of white vinegar and water to a spray bottle and then spritz the area where you noticed the odor. Once the vinegar dries, the smell of the vinegar and the offensive odor should be gone.

The two options above work well with odors on the surface of the carpet, but what about for those that are deeper down? Pet odors (including dog urine) fall into the category, but really, anything that soaks down into the pile and backing of the carpet can cause odors.

In the case of dog urine, you’ll need an enzyme digester. There are several commercially available options at the average big box store, and they work the same. You’ll need to pour the liquid onto the affected area of the floor, making sure that you cover the entire stain. This generally means having to use the same amount of liquid as caused the odor in the first place. After about 15-20 minutes, soak up the liquid with a towel and allow the area to dry (use a fan if possible to speed the process up).

PULL IT UP

If the tips above don’t work, you may need to clean the upper portion of the carpet as well as possible, allow it to dry, and then pull the carpet up so you can access the padding underneath. Serious spills can soak into the padding, and even soak down to the floor underneath.