How to clean Persian carpets

How to clean Persian carpets

Click here if you're in a rush for the Persian/oriental rug cleaning guide

Oriental rugs can be a thing of beauty – or an eyesore! It usually boils down to how well they have been maintained. Do you know how you don’t realise you’ve lost weight until someone mentions it? Well, the same can be said for our oriental rugs. No, I don’t mean they get thinner (well, actually, they do over time). I mean, we see the rug every day and may lose sight of how badly it looks.

This happened to me! A visitor came to our house and said, ‘wow, that rug’s old; is it an antique?’ I felt ashamed, so I lied and said, ‘yes, it’s centuries old.’ Sadly, I’d only had it for a couple of years. I went online and searched for a professional rug cleaning company near me. While I was in the kitchen searching, I heard a shout from the living room. Our visitor had knocked his cup of coffee over onto the rug.

I panicked a little, as the rug was an expensive shiraz-style Persian. I tried to remember what to do in this situation; it was like trying to remember CPR in an emergency – my mind went blank! I quickly googled how to remove a stain from a Persian rug and got many rug stain remover ads. After scrolling for ages, I came across a few articles.

In hindsight, I realised that this was something I wish I’d known before the incident, so I will share my findings with you. If you ever find yourself in need of a DIY rug stain removal guide, then here it is.

How to remove a stain from a rug

1. Act quickly

This is not the time to start googling rug stain removal! This is the most essential part of the process. The longer a stain is left, the more difficult it is to remove.
Immediately blot the excess liquid using some absorbent kitchen roll or a cloth. Work from the outside of the stain towards the middle.  Ensure the cloth has been washed so no colour from it runs off onto the rug. Alternatively, use a white cloth if you have one.

If something solid has fallen onto the rug, scoop it up immediately with a spatula or clean spoon. Then, blot it up as if it were a liquid spill to remove any goo or liquid left over.

If the liquid contains bleach, then immediately pour clean cold water on it. Start from the furthest side of the spill and pour water to force the bleach to the outside of the rug. I once saved a friend’s antique rug this way after her cleaner knocked over the mop bucket with bleach, which went onto her hand-woven kilim.

2. Clean the stain

The best way to clean the rug stain is to use sparkling water such as soda water or vinegar and water. For general spillages, mix three parts water with 1 part vinegar. For red wines or similar dark liquids, it’s recommended to use soda water.

The best way to do it is to mist it from a bottle, but most of us don’t have ‘misting’ bottles lying around, so gently pour some of the liquid onto the stain. Use a soft brush to brush over the stain in the direction of the weave. Use a clean cloth if you don’t have a soft brush handy. This is done to remove any liquid that’s left out of the fibres.

*Don’t brush hard; never rub a stain, as this will force the liquid deeper into the fibres.

3. Dry immediately

Let the rug dry naturally, especially if the room is warm. You can use a fan or a wet vacuum if it’s cold and you think it might take a long time.

Hopefully, this guide may save you a few dollars and help to save your rug. However, if, like me, you didn’t get to the rug in time or the stain wasn’t removed properly, it’s best to hire a professional rug cleaning service.

Who are the best rug cleaners in Sydney?

Before I chose which rug cleaning company to use, I did a lot of research. I’m one of those guys who spend hours, sometimes even days, researching before I make a purchase or use a service. The internet is a fantastic tool to do this. I google different products or companies, read reviews and compare until I’m satisfied that I have the right one.

If I say so myself, I’m very good at it. I’m always happy with my purchases that I research this way. Friends tend to ask me when they are ready to buy electrical goods or similar because they know how good I am. To save you time and effort, I’ll share my findings with you regarding the best professional rug cleaning service in Sydney. I don’t want to sway you, so I’ll tell you what to look for.

1. Established: Make sure the company you use has many years of experience and is well established. One thing I look for is whether the rug cleaners have a physical shop or are just internet based. It’s much better to deal with a company with a physical base. If you have any problems, you can go and see them face to face, not have to deal with communication through email or the phone.

Check their reviews on google and see how they compare with similar companies. We all know it’s easy to get fake reviews, but by using discernment, you should be able to tell if they are legit or not. Even negative reviews can help you, because you can see what the person complained about and even how the company responded.

2. Free quote/appraisal: Any company worth their salt will give a free rug cleaning appraisal or quote. This way, you can compare a few companies to see how much you will have to spend before pulling the trigger.

3. Free rug pick-up and drop-off service: This is just a personal one for me, as I own a small sports car. There is no way I can fit my Persian rug in there. Have you ever tried transporting your rug? One thing I noticed was that no matter how often you vacuum your rug and attempt to keep it clean, it still gathers loads of dust. Why dirty your own vehicle when a professional rug cleaning company will pick it up and drop it off for you?

4. Woolsafe and IICRC trained: Woolsafe is an organisation that promotes quality care for wool carpets and rugs. They test and approve carpet and rug maintenance products. It’s important that the rug cleaning service use woolsafe products when cleaning your rug.

IICRC is the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification. Make sure the professional rug cleaning technicians you choose are all IICRC trained. This ensures they are up to date with the latest and most advanced rug cleaning methods.

Don’t cry over spilt milk

The bottom line is to be ready for those rug stain remover incidents. If you are prepared and forewarned with the information above, you can act quickly and decisively. By following the rug cleaning guide above, you should be able to remove stains from your precious Oriental, Persian, Turkish, knotted, embroidered or woven rug.

If not, and you need a professional rug cleaning company in Sydney or a rug stain remover in Sydney, then my research turned up Oriental Rug Care of Australia. They returned the rug to me, looking like new. They picked it up and dropped it off within a few days. The service was incredible, and I highly recommend them.