Expert: Jahann and Sons Persian Rugs - 11/14/2008

Question
Hello
I have two large persian rugs and not a professional carpet cleaning available
near home, I got an offer from the drycleaners but i´m afraid chemicals will
damage my rugs also they don´t seem to have experience with oriental rugs.
If I wash it myself with a carpet washer (mild soap no steam as you
recommend in other questions) how should I dry it if I live in a hot but humid
place? also should i lay them flat or hang them? , I´m afraid of shrinking
since it happen before to a rug that belong to my mother(don´t know if it got
wet or she try to wash it) thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Rita,

Thank you for your question, and my apologies for taking so long to get back to you.  You're right to not use drycleaners to clean your Persian rug.  Dry cleaning is too harsh a process, and those with dry cleaning experience are usually not very good with Oriental rugs.  

In terms of shrinking, if you have a rug with a wool foundation (the fringe sticking out is what the rug is woven on, if that is wool, you know the foundation of the rug is wool) and the rug has never been washed before, it is highly likely that you will run into shrinking issues.  When rugs "shrink", they usually end up getting wrinkles in them or they become buckled.  If your rug's foundation is cotton, you are not very likely to run into this problem.  Since you live in such a humid climate, chances are that the rug would have buckled by now if the foundation was wool.   

Now, if you're going to clean the rug yourself, be very careful with the carpet washer, making sure you use cold water and mild soap, like Ivory.  Be very careful not to fold the rug over on itself during the cleaning process, and do not hang it for any length of time, as this may cause the colors to run.  You have to lay the rug out flat in order to dry it.  What we do here is lay the rugs out over wooden palettes (we get them free from the lumber store) and then run a fan so air circulates over and under the rug.  You may also want to consider running a dehumidifier in the room as well.  It can take a large rug 4-5 days to dry, but it is the best way to do it.

I hope the information is helpful.  If you'd like to send me rug photos, including one of the back where the pile meets the fringe, I can tell you more about your rug and what you can expect while cleaning it.

Best,
Katie (ruglady@jahannandsons.com)