Antique Rug Cleaning
Antique rugs are an aesthetic piece that can add to increase the look of your living room. The piece of cloth can be helpful to give a pleasant look and give you a vibe that can take you back to the old days when they were made.
Antique rug care requires proper care and handling by experts so it does not lose its texture or color. Therefore, hiring a company like Green Carpet Brooklyn will be a wise decision.
If you think you can do this task all by yourself, you might be wrong. Just like any other antique piece, antique rugs also need a lot of care and preservation to ensure that they keep the same look. It is essential to take timely care of it by doing maintenance of it properly.
Nevertheless, the major part of the responsibility falls on the owner’s shoulder regarding the care of their antique carpet. So, to help you out, we will discuss all things everything when it comes to maintenance of your rug. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into it.
What is an Antique Rug?
The classification of antique rugs can depend on their age. The older the rug, the higher the care it needs and the value it has. By finding out the age, you can determine their correct category. The rugs fall into either one of the three categories: vintage, antique, or semi-antique rugs.
Antique rugs are generally more than 80 years old. As for the age of the vintage rug, it has to be older than 30 years but less than the age of an antique rug.
The last category, which is the semi-antique, includes all those rugs that have an age between 50 to 80 years. Nevertheless, all of these types of rugs are unique pieces that display the craft of their creator.
With proper antique carpet repair and restoration services, you can easily ensure that they last longer. Let’s find out some appropriate ways to store the rug to protect it from wear and tear.
How to Clean Antique Carpets?
Here is a step-by-step guide to help you clean your antique rugs without causing any damage to them.
- Step 1 – Vacuum it gently, and dust of any dirt from your carpet but don’t be too hard
- Step 2 – Make sure there is no color bleeding by running a damp cloth over the surface. If there is, then contact a rug maintenance company for it.
- Step 3 – Mix rug shampoo(only half cup) with a tablespoon of vinegar and five cups of lukewarm water
- Step 4 – Lay the rug on a clear surface and then gently run a brush of the solution from each corner.
- Step 5 – Place it on a hard surface and let it dry thoroughly. Do not use any heaters or hair dryers to dry your carpet.
- Step 6 – Gently brush it again before laying it on the floor or putting it back in the storage facility.
How to Store Antique Rugs?
Usually, people take out their antique Persian or Scandinavian rugs for a special occasion or a guest. After that, they store them to take out for the next time. However, many people make the mistake of storing it like a regular rug.
It is a precious item and needs proper storage to maintain its looks. Here are a few tips that you can use to store your antique rug.
1. Get your Rug Cleaned from a Professional
Cleaning is an imperative part of storing your rug. From time to time, there will be moths, insects, and specks of dust that will pile up in your rug. Therefore, it is vital to get the services of a cleaning company, such as the Green Carpet Brooklyn, to clean your rug.
Our professionals have years of experience and the right tools to clean your rug properly. In addition, you can get the services for washing your carpet as well. It will save you from the hassle of washing and you can leave the job for the specialists.
The next thing that is also crucial for storing your rug is finding an appropriate place. Storage places will have a significant impact on the health of the carpet. Let’s talk about it in detail in the next section.
2. Choose the Right Storage Facility
Keeping your antique carpet in the right place can also increase its lifespan and prevent it from deteriorating. If you store in a non-climate controlled area, it will be subject to the changing weather conditions.
For instance, putting it in your attic will make the rug vulnerable to high temperatures in summers and low temperatures in the winters. It can impact the fibers of the carpet since it will be impacting it directly.
To summarize, keeping your carpet in conventional storage places such as the attic, basement, or storage cupboard is not the right choice. The changes in the humidity and temperature can cause significant impact on the texture, look, and quality of your rug.
So, where do your store it then? The ideal place is to store it in a climate-controlled facility. There is no doubt that these rugs are a precious part of your home decor. That is why keeping them in your attic or basement will make it lose its aesthetic appeal.
If you don’t want to send it to a storage facility, it is best to store it in a guest room or any other room. You can choose a place that is not often used but maintains room temperature throughout the year.
By doing so, you will be keeping your rug in a room with the same humidity and temperature throughout the year. It will save the rug from any harm due to the atmosphere and prevent it from moths or other insects.
3. Keep the Rug in the Right Position
Besides choosing the correct storage facility, keeping the rug in the right position is also vital. It is preferable to keep your antique carpet on the flooring. It will prevent any damages that you can cause while folding it.
Place your rug on a desk or rack, and put a cotton cloth between the rug and the surface. It will prevent the carpet from absorbing the enzymes present in the wood.
If you plan on preserving the rug for longer than a year, the cloth is generally not required. Moreover, it is important to keep in the right direction as well. Remember to keep your rug horizontally, as vertically putting it might cause irreversible bending and folds.
The Dos and Don'ts of Cleaning your Antique Rug
The cleaning of an antique rug helps to maintain its pleasant look. It is also important to ensure no dust is piling up underneath the carpet or any insect seeds inside it. So, if you are cleaning your carpet at home, there are a couple of dos and don’ts. Here are some of them:
Do’s
- Find out about the history of the rug: Each rug requires a different way of handling and cleaning. By finding out the history of the rug, you can ensure that you can use the right steps to clean it.
If you don’t know how to do that, you can take advantage by using a helping hand of Green Carpet Brooklyn. Our services entail thoroughly examining the carpet before beginning the cleaning process. - Vacuum it on the top and bottom: The best strategy to go for when vacuuming your carpet at home is to do it twice. First, you need to vacuum it on the top, and then turn it around, and vacuum it on the backside as well.
Don’ts
- Try to wash it on your own if the rug is too dirty: If the carpet seems too dirty, then avoid using the DIY techniques to clean it. You can end up damaging the fibers of the carpet. Get the services of a professional cleaner to assist you with it.
- Let the stains set: The last thing you would want is a stain on your rug. Make sure to prevent any stains by keeping all the food and drinks away from it. Also, avoid letting your children or pets roll over it.
In case of an unfortunate instance, you need to clean it without making a mess. First, use a clean towel or paper to soak up the liquid. Then sprinkle some water on it and gently wipe it off.
No matter what the situation is, do not scrub your rug. It will damage the carpet fibers and harm your rug’s look. Repeat the process above a couple of times until there is no sign of the stain left.
Conclusion
The antique carpets are an aesthetic piece of decoration that can enhance the appearance of the room. Therefore you must take proper care of it ensuring, regular maintenance.
The best way to do that is by getting the service of your carpet done by Green Carpet Brooklyn. Our professionals have years of hands-on experience in cleaning and antique rug care. Call us today or visit our website to learn more about our services.
