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How to Clean Valuable Persian or Turkish Rugs

Have you got a rug that needs to be cleaned? Have the kids dropped Fanta on it (or some adult dropped red wine), or is it starting to look faded? If the vacuum cleaning isn’t doing enough, you need specialist cleaning.

Carpets and rugs have a tough life. They are subjected to dirty feet, food and drink spills, the pitter-patter of pet paws, and everything else that you can imagine. Over time, they get grimy and dirty. While a quick ‘Rug Doctor’ is enough to bring your carpets back to life, rugs are different.

Why Rugs Are Difficult to Clean

While carpets are generally machine-made, have consistent colour and pattern, and are uniform in appearance, rugs are not. They can be highly patterned, using delicate wools or silks, intricate, and unique. There is a risk of damage if cleaned incorrectly.

  • Dye crocking is the tendency for dye for transfer to another surface when rubbed
  • Dye bleeding, when all the colours run together
  • Misshapen rugs or ‘sprouts’ of fibres if the suction of the vacuum is too high powered or over-processed

Rugs Can Be Valuable

Kiwis love to travel. And often, part of the travel is coming back with a reminder of the trip. No trip through Iran, Turkey Afghanistan, or Morocco is complete without the purchase of a rug.

In Iran, you can find one-of-a-kind hand-woven antique rugs, sourced from master weavers from nomadic tribes. Folded, taped into a compact yet heavy parcel, the rug is lugged around for the remainder of the trip and then back home. It has 30 years of Persian dust, a tendency for the wool tassels to drop off with over-vigorous vacuuming, and a deep patina that only age can bring. It needs a thorough clean, but it needs to be done without damaging the rug.

Kilim rugs have been made in Turkey since 7000 BC. Finding a gorgeous rug in a bazaar, bartering with the shopkeeper, the obligatory cup of coffee to ease the discussions, and then scoring a unique rug that will forever remind you of your travels: these rugs need to be cleaned professionally to protect your investment and your memories.

Why Get Your Rug Professionally Cleaned?

Good cleaning practices extend the life of your rug, removing stains before they set, and extracting dirt and debris that cause friction and fraying. Oils transfer from our skin which attracts more dirt, building up over time. Pets (or small children) may urinate on a rug. Urine never dries completely, instead, it becomes a gummy, sticky mess that attracts more dirt. It can be almost impossible for home cleaners to remove completely.

It’s important to clean rugs for your health. Think about what your rugs and carpets deal with; shoes from outside, food spills, urine…it’s estimated carpets and rugs are home to x4,000 more bacteria than your toilet seat. Yet, you eat a chip if you drop it on the rug. Ew. Did you know the Norovirus can survive in your rug for four to six weeks, with the virus becoming airborne when walked on?

Removing dust mites, bad odours, fungus spores, and other pollutants is important so your home is clean and safe for all—especially children, who spend more time playing on carpets.

What Is the Rug Cleaning Process?

To get your rug beautifully clean without damaging it takes special equipment and top-quality cleaning products.

Here at TechClean, we offer door to door pickup and drop-off to start with. We transport your rugs safely, without trying to fit it in a too-small space that can leave creases.

We clean your rug according to the type of materials it is made from and its special requirements.  We have a purpose-built washing facility with high-quality machinery.

There are carpet shampoo/ wet vacuuming options, steam cleaning (sometimes called hot water extraction), as well as a range of rinsing processes to get the rug totally clean. Sometimes, the rug needs time for the cleaning chemicals to function to their best, so the carpet is pre-sprayed and allowed to soak before the cleaning process starts.

Harsh chemicals and soaps may remove more than just the stain, fading, bleaching, or bleeding the dyes of your rug. Some cleaning products have a high pH level in order to remove dirt faster, but this can damage wool or natural fibres. However, a detergent that is too mild is ineffective. We use specialised cleaning products that are designed to be efficient in removing dirt and grime, even on delicate rugs.

While carpets should not be rubbed or agitated too much to avoid damaging the fibres, sometimes deep stains need spot agitation or treatment. We have expert staff that know exactly how to remove stubborn stains without damaging the rug fibres.

It’s important that the rug is completely dried afterwards. Even a bit of moisture will mean that the carpet will quickly become dirty again as foot traffic transfers grime and then the moisture makes it stick. Also, damp carpet allows microbial or fungus growth, leading to odour.

Call TechClean for expert rug cleaning

Using professional cleaners, you will love how clean and fresh-smelling your freshly-cleaned rug will be. And, you’ll have it returned to you in excellent condition, with no damage.

Contact us today to find out how we will look after your valuable rug, cleaning and restoring it so it looks amazing for many, many years to come.

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