Expert: Jahann and Sons Persian Rugs - 10/8/2011

Question
How do I know when it is time to re-lanolize my rug, and can I do this myself or should I send my rug to a professional? If you advise it be done by professionals, are there any important questions I should ask before entrusting my rug to them?  Is there a particular product brand I should insist be used for the process?

I ask these questions because I recently purchased a room-size 19th century Amritsar in Los Angeles at a well known and venerable international auction house. During my very brief preview discussion with the specialist, I was told, as if it were a minor footnote to the rug's long list of attributes, that the rug "may be a little dry." I really did not know what that meant and I had already made up my mind I was going to buy regardless due to the rug's unusual pattern, striking in its elegant simplicity and rare even in terms of an Amritsar.

After installing the rug, which looks fantastic in place, I took some time to handle it, examine it closely front and back, bend one of its corners sharply over and upon itself, etc., with the hope of discovering the reason why the specialist felt the rug may be dry.  It did not split or crack or make a crunching sound as I folded a corner tightly.  Can you please tell me the symptoms of a dry rug?

I look forward to being properly informed through your expertise.

Sincerely,

Toby

Answer
Hi Toby,

Congratulations on your newest acquisition!  With an antique rug, or any rug of real value, I always recommend having it cleaned by a pro.  You could probably do it yourself, but if you run into any problems, you might not be able to fix them.  Also, the process is wet, messy and heavy, so you might not be able to finish the job without a lot of help!

The term re-lanolizing is not something I've heard very often, but we do deal with dry, cracked rugs quite a bit.  Water damage and/or significant age can cause a rug to be dry and brittle.  To figure out if a rug is dry and brittle, we do just as you did, look it over very carefully, running your hands across the rug to see if you feel any unusual rough spots, and also rolling or bending the rug to check for cracks.  If this has not happened in any part of your rug, then you probably do not have significant issues with the rug being dry.

If your rug is cracked and dry, the remedy is to soak the rug overnight in water with some livestock shampoo (which has lanolin in it), and sometimes even fabric softener for really tough jobs.  This process can sometimes cause the colors to run in the rug, so we only do it as a last resort.

At this point, going off what you said about your rug, I'd probably just recommend a professional cleaning.  Take the rug to a shop that specializes in Oriental rug cleaning only.  Don't go somewhere that dry cleans or steam cleans, as this process will be too harsh for your rug.  The terms "hand-washing" and "shampooing" are what you want to hear when it comes to having an Oriental rug cleaned.  If you opt not to have the rug professionally cleaned, at the very least, vacuum it about a half dozen times, front and back to help get the years of dirt and grit out the pile.  I hope the information is helpful!

Best of luck!
-Katie
www.jahannandsons.com