Craig Wallen is a certified fine arts appraiser and the owner of Gallery 51 in Philadelphia's historic Old City district. A curator of public and private collections around the world, Craig has been a guest speaker for The Textile Museum in Washington D.C.and a contributing writer for Hali Magazine in London.
Despite their reputation for durability and ability to last several lifetimes, oriental rugs are inherently, perhaps even deceptively fragile and, if we're not careful, that centuries-long lifespan can be cut short pretty quickly.
As if their beauty and craftsmanship weren't reason enough to protect them, oriental rugs have a tendency to be somewhat expensive, making it impractical if not impossible to replace them frequently. Conversely, repairing damage to a rug is often possible, but can be very expensive as it is often priced by the square or linear inch. So, to protect your investment in an oriental rug, new or old, there are some key things to keep in mind to help ensure that your rug lasts a lifetime – or more. As the old saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
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People often ask, do I really need to put a pad under my rugs? The answer is yes! Absolutely! Why? Because pads offer even support that ultimately extends the life of your rugs by protecting the knots from the damaging effects of dust and grit that fall thru the rug's porous structure. The friction caused by walking on rugs without pads will eventually 'sand away' the knots, resulting in tufts that will easily pull out, especially when the rug is vacuumed or sent out for a wash.
In addition, a pad offers some safety by preventing the rug from sliding on a slick surface such as a hardwood, stone or tile. And of course, a pad makes walking on a rug much more comfortable and luxurious.
Rug pads come in a variety of materials, such as felt (sometimes referred to as 'horsehair'), dense rubber, polyester or manufactured foam. For smaller, thinner rugs you really want a thin, dense rubber pad, from 1/8 - 1/4" thick. Thicker polyester felts are good for larger, heavier rugs. Tip: Stay away from foam pads or cheap, soft rubber pads, which often stick to both flooring and rug. They can be difficult if not impossible to remove after years of use. With regard to sizing, your rug pad should be about an inch smaller than your rug's outer edge on all sides.
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If your new rug arrived in the mail, it was probably packed tightly and might arrive folded into a small package. If this is the case, you may see creases, folds or wrinkles when you open it up on your floor. Today, the foundation of most rugs is made of cotton, while the pile is usually wool. After laying out your rug for a few days, it will often 'relax' and the wrinkles will disappear, but if you don't see an improvement, you can press the crease with a warm (not too hot!) steam iron.
Before ironing, place a slightly damp cloth on top of the rug, to protect it from scorching. Using a slight motion in the direction of the pile, you should be able to relax the rug enough for the crease to disappear. However, sometimes flaws in the weaving itself will cause a crease or wrinkle that is impossible to correct without 'surgery'. For happy floors, try to avoid purchasing rugs that appear to have stubborn creases, as they might not be correctable.
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There are times, such as when you are moving, where you might need to put a rug away in storage for a period of time. Before doing so, be absolutely sure your rug is completely clean and totally dry. Then spray it with a safe insecticide. Wrap it tightly in a medium gauge plastic or a waterproof, quasi-paper type of covering like Tyvek and seal all seams with packing tape. In the past, newspaper or butcher paper were often suggested, but since they're porous and degradable, they don't provide adequate protection from moisture or damaging insects.
Of course, do your best to keep rugs away from other kinds of infestation, such as mice or squirrels, who will chew their way through almost anything. Unfortunately, moth balls, moth flakes and cedar chips are virtually useless. Some people recommend chamomile tea bags or sachets, but there is little evidence as to whether they are truly effective insect repellents.
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It's important to vacuum rugs regularly. Though they may not look dirty, dust, soil and grit can build up on the surface. These dull the colors and also fall thru the porous structure of the rug and end up underneath. To clean thoroughly, you'll need to vacuum the backside as well as clean the floor underneath. Use care when you get to the fringes, as they can be fragile and can pull off easily with strong suction.
A rug should be sent out for professional cleaning every 3 - 5 years, depending on the level of use. For most of us, using a gentle, low suction vacuum on a regular basis – say weekly – is probably the best and easiest way to protect your rugs. The goal is to prevent the dust, dirt and grit from that comes in on shoes from sinking into the pile, where it can accumulate and cause problems. High powered, beater-type vacuums, while great for machine manufactured wall-to-wall carpeting, can be way too harsh for handmade rugs and can severely damage the fringe, which can easily get caught in the rotating brushes and torn off. Fringes are usually repairable, but costly. Of course, leaving your shoes at the front door can help a lot in this regard.
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Always try to place the rugs on a fairly level or smooth surface as bumps in flooring will tend to cause rugs to wear more quickly at those points. While padding can help to mitigate some of this damage, in order to prevent wear patterns from developing, try rotating your rug's position. Of course repositioning a rug in a room that you use is easier said than done. Rugs, especially large antique rugs, are heavy.
We also tend to place things on them -- heavy things, like sofas and coffee tables. So what can you do?
First, remove all furniture that might be sitting on your rug. You never want to attempt moving a rug with furniture on top of it, as it could easily result in a tear (and a bad back). Once the furniture is gone, pick up a corner and wave or flap the rug gently, while pulling it into position. You'ill notice that the rug will almost 'walk' towards you. And, of course, don't ever pull a rug by the fringe. Depending on how much foot traffic you have, your rugs should be rotated about once a year to encourage even and balanced wear. If you do this, wear will be almost invisible.
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