Expert: Jahann and Sons Persian Rugs - 4/10/2010

Question
I am considering a purchase from an estate sale of a 4x6 Karistan Rug. It is beautiful but there have been lots of dogs and cats on this rug and it smells.  I'm not sure if there is urine on the rug, but it has been in the garage lately and smells strongly of animals.  Would this smell come out with a professional cleaning service?  Do you think this is a wise purchase? I am extremely allergic to cats and some dog hair.  I also don't like funky smells and feel pretty sensitive to this. This rug would go in my entryway too. They are charging $175.00 for the rug and it will cost about $75.00.  I need a 2nd opinion on this please.

Thanks so much.

Answer
Hi Robin,

Thank you for the question.  I'm going to go with 'no' on this one, and I'll tell you why.  Karastan rugs, while they are aesthetically pleasing and good quality machine-made rugs, they are still machine-made rugs, meaning that they have little to no resale value.  $175 is a lot of money for a used, machine-made rug regardless of condition.  Secondly, you say that the rug smells quite a bit of animal odors, possibly urine.  A standard cleaning does not get this entirely out.  Usually the rugs have to be soaked in order to get all of the animal smells out of the rug.  Soaking is a last resort process, as it usually puts the rug at risk for color running, and it is also a more expensive process if you can find a place that does this.  

Just to put things in perspective, I have a shop that only specializes in hand-knotted rugs.  4x6 rugs can run anywhere from $195 and up, possibly even cheaper given the economy and sales.  For the cost of the used rug, cleaning, and maybe just a tad bit more, you can get a new, hand-knotted rug that will last longer, not have animal smells, and have a higher resale value should you choose to sell it down the road.  We're in the Washington, DC area where there are quite a few carpet shops so the competition makes the prices a bit lower, but even still, you should be able to find something in your area or online that is in better condition.

Hope it isn't too late to get you this information, and please let me know if you need any additional help with anything.

Best,
Katie

Jahann and Sons Persian Rugs
West Howard Antiques District
4210 Howard Avenue | Kensington, MD 20895
301-530-6660 | www.jahannandsons.com