Before we get to how to best clean silk rugs, it is good to discuss the importance of avoiding problems from starting. Abrasive cleanings agents, hot water and steam cleaning can damage silk fibers, so professional cleaning is recommended for all silk rugs. To get rid of any stains on your silk rug, first absorb any spilled liquid with a clean white cloth. A silk rug is more expensive than and not as durable as a wool rug. Rugs that are placed in direct sunlight can be in danger of fading. When spot cleaning silk rugs, be sure to use lukewarm or cool water. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Don't: Clean Silk Rugs with Hot Water or Strong Chemicals Hot water will permanently damage silk rugs, so do not use water above a lukewarm temperature. Silk fibers are most sensitive to damage and stretching when they’re wet. Recently, a customer who had purchased a bamboo silk and wool rug from us called for a cleaning, because red wine had been spilled on the rug. Don't: Place Silk Rugs in High Traffic Area Rugs in high-traffic areas are more likely to be stained or to wear out. The lowest risk option to take when cleaning a silk oriental rug is to have it professionally cleaned, at an area rug store  like Ruby Rugs. Silk Turkish rugs and Kayseri silk rugs are also very popular. Ensure the rug has enough room to move freely during the wash. Add your detergent, but not too much. Composed primarily of fibroin, silk is one of the strongest natural fibers, but it loses up to 20 percent of its strength when it gets wet. Synthetic rugs, like any carpet, last longer when you take care of them correctly. The silk fibers are too delicate for strong cleaning agents and will deteriorate, causing texture changes or holes in the rug. If the rug is visibly faded or damage, do not use the cleaning solution. You will also want to find a specialty oriental rug cleaner where they use something called a Turkish bath. The question that all silk rug owners ask – how to clean a silk rug without damaging it? Silk is a natural protein fiber that is produced when silkworm larvae form cocoons. Here’s how to wash rugs and bath mats by hand: Prepare a bowl of warm water and detergent – such as Persil Silk & Wool; Using a clean colour-fast cloth, dab the rug with the water and detergent solution to loosen dirt. By using our site, you agree to our. If washing at home, you may want to wash it in the bath to make the process easier. Once again, use the BLOTTING method to absorb the stain into the towel. When spot cleaning a silk rug, test the cleaning solution (such as club soda or vinegar) on a small, hidden area before applying to the entire rug. For hand-tufted and/or carpets with silk/artificial silk content, please advise your local professional per your rug washing needs. We enjoyed wonderful food from SF Kabob and flowers from Solano Florist! Not all oriental rug retailers have this method of cleaning. With the cloth in hand, BLOT, do not rub. Then, using a padded hanger, hang the blouse or dress over the bathtub to drip dry. Upon bringing the rug back to the store, we observed that not only was wine splashed on the rug, but the rug was just generally soiled from the lounging of … A silk rug can add elegance and style to your home, but only when it’s clean and vibrant. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. [1] X Research source If it is an area where people eat and there are often kids and pets, you may be better off with a more durable easy to clean rug unless you are prepared to replace the silk rug frequently. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Hot water will cause permanent damage to silk rugs. What to avoid when cleaning silk. Bedrosian can restore the beauty and luster of your rug. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Vacuum the rug using a brushless suction head of a vacuum cleaner. These steps provide an emergency and quick solution to spills or pet urine. You can also clean area rugs without a machine on a snowy day. To create this article, 17 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Absorb as much liquid as possible by pressing the affected areas gently with a clean, white cloth. Then, blot the stain with a clean cloth and club soda. Vacuum silk rugs regularly. It is recommended of course to limit the amount of foot traffic especially from pets and children on silk area rugs. These are at-home remedies in an emergency. If water is not enough, the next step is to make a solution of 50-50 vinegar and warm water mix. Blot clean rug Dip a sponge in the water, squeeze out excess moisture, and blot the cleaner onto the rug, working in sections until you've covered the entire surface. These steps provide an emergency and quick solution to spills or pet urine. If warm water doesn’t lift the stain out of the silk Oriental rug, try adding a small amount of white vinegar to your at-home solution. Some Turkish rugs are made of silk and silk rugs are quite sensitive. How to Keep Your Silk Rug Cleaning Without Damaging it? Beater or roller brushes may pull out fibers, reduce the pile and damage the rug. Pour the club soda onto a clean cloth and blot the stain. These rugs are used exclusively by the royal class. Use a dry cloth to absorb any excess club soda. Also, the toenails of pets may pick or snag the fibers. Kids and pets can be very hard on a rug! For those who love silk rugs, it is not uncommon for them to have their silk oriental rugs scattered throughout the house in almost any traffic area. You cannot easily wash them the way you usually do with other rugs. ... you can clean your carpet at home unscrupulously. Notes On Hand Washing an Oriental Rug: Silk rugs should be dry cleaned by an experienced professional Additionally, the pile may be reduced and the entire rug may become damaged. The following instructions are exclusively for wool Oriental Rugs. After several years of planning and making several buying trips around the world, we’ve finally got the dream area rug store and the dream inventory. You have to give it extra care and go easy on the brushing. Allow the area to air dry. Wipe the rug gently with a clean, dry cloth. Apply a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water to remove stains. Fold the towel over and gently blot. The silk rug has been coveted for hundreds of years. For at least 5000 years, the silkworm has been domesticated and producing silk beginning in China, which later spread to India, Korea, Japan and the rest of the world. Can I use a wool and silk rug in a family area? wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. After the area rug is completely dry, vacuum the rug thoroughly to remove any soap sediment. Use a brushless suction head to vacuum silk rugs. To clean your silk rug, all you need to do is shake it outside and then gently sweep it with a broom. Don’t use heat to dry it, since this can damage its fibers. Mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Once you’ve got rid of the stain, leave the rug to air dry. In terms of cleaning silk carpets, there are some definite “no-no’s”: don’t use enzymatic cleaners, which use enzymes to digest protein-based stains – silk consists largely of protein, so these cleaners may break down the silk fibers; don’t use hot water or steam; heat can cause silk to shrink Use a vacuum cleaner that has a brushless suction head to vacuum the rug at least twice per week. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To wash the rug, you should set it to delicate and fill it with cold water. Thoroughly saturate urine area, then soak up all moisture with towels. Choose wool and silk blend rugs to achieve the softness of a silk rug, but the durability of a wool rug. Garden Hose would be suitable equipment for the task. The lowest risk option to take when cleaning a silk oriental rug is to have it professionally cleaned, at an area rug store like Ruby Rugs. It is expensive but I think it is the best method for cleaning them. SHAKE. If it's more of an adults/older kids only area where tracking in dirt and spills are unlikely, it will be fine. Call around Oriental rug stores to see if they clean … Allow your rug to dry thoroughly before walking on it again. Last Updated: September 7, 2020 You can also use a vacuum with a brushless section head. You should notice the highlight colors in your rug are more vivid and the pile has a lustrous appearance now that the wool is free from grime. For more tips, including how to find a reputable professional cleaner for silk rugs, read on! If you dont really need to deep clean, spot cleaning as accidents occur or just a small area is the best option to maintain silk and wool rugs. Consider placing a silk rug in a room that is used infrequently, or hang it on the wall as a decorative art piece. Use these tips to clean silk rugs. This article has been viewed 122,457 times. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Another more traditional way to get out the dirt is simply to hang the rug outside and beat it to remove the dust and dirt. See professionally prepared estimates for silk rug cleaning work. 3. The cost to Clean Silk Rug starts at $0.71 - $0.87 per square foot, but can vary significantly with site conditions and options. 4. This will allow the spill to absorb into the towel. Alternatively, mix equal parts white vinegar and water and blot the stain with the mixture and a dry cloth. Last option if the above does not work is to use a little bit of baking soda on the spill. References. Oriental Rugs Made from Silk. When done, fill a bucket with cold water and mild liquid soap (rug shampoo would work too). For more tips, including how to find a reputable professional cleaner for silk rugs, read on! Mildew, mold or dry rot can result if any of the rug surfaces are damp. In more severe cases, you should however have the carpet cleaned by professionals. Thus, it is best that they are not rubbed, heated or have strong chemicals poured on them. Another option is to blot the stain with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water. These are at-home remedies in an emergency. To do this you need to immediately soak the stain with water. Never wring your silk items-and never toss them in the dryer, warns Whitehurst. Last option if the above does not work is to use a little bit of baking soda on the spill. To give your rug a long lifespan, place the rug in a low-traffic area. If a spill happens on your silk oriental rug, the best thing to do is to immediately take steps to remove the liquid. The soda can be poured onto a clean rag and then blotted against the stain. Even though a grubby or soiled silk rug might be an eyesore, we don’t recommend you attempt to clean your valuable silk rug at home. Step 3—Place the rug in a clear area, such as a porch or a garage. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 122,457 times. The silvery, shimmery delicate look of fine silk is a preferred fabric for those with luxurious taste. The moment you place your rug in a clean place, have it face down on the reverse side facing up. This method works really well for rugs that are too delicate to clean with a vacuum or a heavy-duty machine, but it can be used on any rug that’s easily transported, which excludes wall-to-wall carpets. Hot water, steam cleaning and harsh cleaning products can damage your silk rug. Although it can rival the strength of steel yarn, silk is still delicate when it comes to stains and dirt. In this case, you must get them cleaned, but there is one problem. Color plays an important role in our lives, from the food we eat to how we, We have been saying for awhile that we are experiencing a renaissance in modern area rugs. 4 ways to clean silk rugs wikihow dark grey ziegler rug silk and wool an investment you can walk on natural silk carpet qom handmade 168 silk rug cleaning bedrosian... Read more » Like every other rug, silk rugs can also become dirty as time passes. Please read all instructions thoroughly prior to starting this project as you may not have the capacity to wash your carpet in home! The snow must be packable (i.e., snowman snow) rather than fluffy snow. With so many new materials and textiles showing up in the world, the word “silk” is still considered to be the best of the best of fine fabrics. Do not use chemical cleaners or commercial stain removers on silk rugs. The enemy to silk rugs is. Using a 50/50 warm water/white vinegar mix, attempt the same blotting method to remove the stain from the rug. If you have a full rug cleaning facility, with a roller wringer to feed the rug through, then it is possible to quickly wash a silk rug. Then, again BLOT the rug with the water and vinegar. Silk is made from the silk worm, otherwise known as Bombyx mori. Get fair costs for your SPECIFIC project requirements. https://www.superpages.com/em/silk-rug-cleaning/, https://www.rugknots.com/blogs/professional-cleaners/tips-for-how-to-clean-a-silk-oriental-rug, https://www.behnamrugs.com/baking-soda-and-persian-rugs-taking-steps-to-minimize-pet-damage-to-your-rug/, http://www.superpages.com/supertips/silk-rug-cleaning.html, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. If you’re drying it indoors, open the windows and run a fan in the room to speed up the process. The sun’s rays will cause the dyes in the fibers to fade or bleach out completely. We want to embrace the idea that modern rugs are here to, Sign up for our weekly newsletter for amazing offers and sales, Home Decor Trends With Modern Area Rugs in 2019, The Meaning of Color in Persian and Oriental Rugs, TRADE-IN YOUR OLD RUGS FOR MODERN RUGS - CALL 510-558-3244, Ruby Rugs in Berkeley is Open For Business, Ruby Rugs Grand Opening Party April 11, 2019, Enzymatic Cleaners – (including pet urine stain removers). Some silk rug owners trust club soda to remove the color from a stain. Then, soak the rug with cold running water in the same direction as the oriental rug pile; you can use a garden hose for this purpose. Step 2—Shake the excess dirt and dust off outdoors. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Rugs need less detergent than your typical laundry. Most of these rugs have backings that will fall apart if exposed to too much moisture. This article has been viewed 122,457 times. 7. Dry Clean Only Rugs . Antique Rugs Antique Rugs 2186 Carpets. unlocking this expert answer. Use the mildest detergents and as much as possible leave the cleaning to professionals to make sure that the right thing is done. To remove excess water, place the wet garment on a white cotton towel. A dry cloth should be used to absorb any excess club soda, and then the area can be left to air dry. There are two basic types of material used in Oriental rug making; wool and silk. Use your hands and, if you must, the smallest amount of soap to clean the spot with a clean white wash cloth. Soak … Support wikiHow by Russia Russia 1803 Carpets. See typical tasks and time to clean silk rug, along with per unit costs and material requirements. You can, however, spot clean stains using a carpet stain remover or follow the tips for removing specific stains from carpet. Silk rugs Silk rugs 1937 Carpets. 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