Cleaning Traditional Oriental Rugs The Traditional Way

So, you’ve inherited an antique Oriental masterpiece from an adventurous relative. Or, maybe you’ve come back from an exciting trip abroad with a new, hand-woven treasure. Perhaps you were talked in to spending more than you should have by a smooth-talking bazaar huckster and need to recoup your losses on Ebay. In any event, your Oriental rug is important to you and it should look spectacular.At Aquamist, we have cleaned rugs from all over the world. We know how to gently restore them to their original state - it will look like they just came off of the loom.Oriental rugs can be living pieces of history. They were created according to long standing traditions and usually depict patterns that have passed down through countless generations. In many cultures, their designs actually tell a story about the weaver’s family, tribe, and beliefs.

Why Mess With Tradition?

The point is, Oriental rugs are not new inventions. They have been decorating people’s homes for millennia, and they been getting dirty for just as long. Rug cleaning is obviously not a new invention either. People must have experimented with innumerable techniques and detergents over the years in order to find the best way to do it.So, if the method for cleaning these delicate rugs has been perfected long ago, who are we to challenge it?Aquamist approaches Oriental rugs with a respect for the long-standing traditions that govern not only how they are created, but how they are cleaned. We utilize a method that replicates the traditional cleaning process that has been passed down for generations. We start by fully immersing the rug in a bath of mild cleansers and then start softly kneading it. The entire process is extremely gentle, but still very effective. You will be surprised how great we can get an old rug to look.