AboutJahann and Sons Persian Rugs Expertise I can answer any and all questions you have regarding the cleaning, restoration and repair of Oriental rugs. I am more than happy to view your pictures via email and to give you advice on what you can do yourself and what needs to be left to the pros. I can also advise on the cost-effectiveness of repair on your rugs.
Experience My family has had a Persian carpet store in the Washington, DC metro area for nearly 30 years (www.jahannandsons.com).
Question How can I effectively have cleaned a Heriz rug which is wool and the dye will run
if it is wet? I have got to rid the rug of the smell or I'll go crazy!
Answer Hi Anthony,
I hope you had a nice holiday. I am sorry for the delayed response, and quite sorry for my answer, which is probably not what you want to hear. There is no quick and easy fix, and no product that can get urine or smells out of a carpet. Only water can do that. The only way to completely get rid of cat urine out of a carpet is to have it submerged in water and soaked completely. This process runs the risk of color running, but it is your only choice. There are very few carpet stores that do this because of the risks. We do it, but we are always sure to make our customers know of the risks. We don't guarantee color stability, but we guarantee to get the smell out.
Anyway, all other processes mask cat odor and all it will take is one humid day for the smell to come back. Also, due to the nature of cats and their habits, if the smell is not removed completely, they will continue to go in the same spot over and over if there is any trace of urine there. And, even if the smell is magically concealed (which I have yet to find happen), years of urine acids sitting in your carpet will cause the rug foundation to crack and break. Most people take the color running chance because the only other option is to throw away a smelly rug.
With some rugs, color running does not occur or it is so minute that you don't notice. Older Heriz rugs tend to have good color stability. With others, you end up with some issues. A good way to guage just how much your rug will run is to look at the urine soaked areas and see if those spots have already run. If they have, you may run into problems. A lot of times, especially with Persian rugs, it is cost effective to have the dyes fixed.
Do you live in the Washington, DC area? If so, you should bring your rug by, and we can take care of it for you. If not, please feel free to email me directly. I can try and walk you through the steps or give you the laundry list of questions you need to ask when searching for the right place to clean your rug.
Best, Katie (ruglady@jahannandsons.com)
