Expert: Jahann and Sons Persian Rugs - 4/2/2009

Question
I rented The Rug Doctor carpet cleaning machine the other day and cleaned the carpet in three rooms with no problems. Everything looked great, I was on a roll. I decided I would clean the oriental rug in the living room. Its probably not an oriental rug, we purchased it at Costco a couple of years ago. Its a nice carpet and it wasn't cheap. Any way after I finished the cleaning I noticed the carpet was wrinkled and it wouldn't lie flat. I figured it would lay flat after it dried, well it's been 48 hours and it still looks bad, maybe worse than before. Is it ruined? Should I roll it up and hope it fixes itself?
Help, the wife is not happy!
Jeff Orland Park,Il

Answer
Hi Jeff,

Thank you for your question.  I'm sorry to hear about your rug.  It sounds to me as though the foundation of your rug has shrunk.  This occurs when wool rugs are saturated with too much water or are washed with warm water.  In order to remedy this situation, the rug needs to be rewashed and blocked.  Blocking is somewhat of a difficult process and requires some special equipment, so it is probably a good idea to get a professional involved at this point.  Blocking gone wrong can result in a torn rug, and I just don't recommend it.

You said you bought your rug at Costco, so it is quite possible that what you have is a hand-knotted Oriental rug, most likely from Afghanistan if it has a wool foundation.  I've noticed that a few times a year Costco brings in the real deal to sell to customers at pretty good prices...almost as good as mine!  At any rate, it is highly likely that the rug you have is worth the cost to fix it.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.  I'm happy to view photos or answer further questions should you have any.

Best of luck,
Katie (ruglady@jahannandsons.com)

Jahann and Sons Persian Rugs
West Howard Antiques District
4210 Howard Avenue
Kensington, MD 20895
301-530-6660