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The most
important factor in maintaining and preserving carpets is to
keep them clean.
Dirt and
contamination not only diminish their beauty and appearance
but also cause damage to them. It’s obvious that carpets
with a light background and high pile or those that are
exposed to dirt and wear need to be cleaned more often.
The best
way to get rid of dust, grit and dirt is to clean the
carpets with normal hand brooms.
Although
this method takes a long time, still this is the one that we
recommend. Powerful vacuum cleaners with rotary brushes
should not be used to clean the rugs as these many loosen
the knots and cause them to be used. It’s also recommended
to use a vacuum cleaner with a beater on the back of the
rug, once every few months. By this method all the grit, and
the dust can be removed.
Water and
humidity can cause damage to a carpet. Whatever the cause
may be, on this occasion the steps which should be taken at
once are: with a towel, or a non-dyed cloth sponge the excess
water until completely absorbed on both sides. Then this
area should be dried with a hair-dryer, the heat of which
should not be strong; or it should be exposed to a moderate
sun. After this process, by rubbing with fingers, the pile
of the wet carpet can be reset to its previous position.
Stain
removal
If tea,
coffee, juices, alcohol, shoe polish or any greasy substance
stains a carpet, the first step is to absorb it immediately
with a non—dyed cloth, blotting paper or tissue paper.
Sponging with wool or silk and a compatible solution for
removing the specific substance (tea, wine, and grease)
should be done till the colouring substance has been wiped
off.
Each of the
stains has a different technique for removing it. Many
common substances are best removed from rugs and carpets
with the following methods:
a) Soft
drinks, milk, coffee, tea, alcohol and chocolate can be
removed by a mixture of lukewarm water and soap or
non-alkaline detergents.
b) Eggs and
bloodstains can be removed with mixture of salt, non
alkaline detergent and lukewarm water.
c) Human
and animal urine is best removed with white vinegar with
lukewarm water.
Clean
grease, shoe polish and fatty substances with non-alkaline
detergent and white vinegar.
When fat
spills on a carpet, it should be first gathered with a
spoon, then a piece of non- dyed cloth of white blotting
paper should be over it and pressed slightly with hot iron.
With this method the fat is absorbed.
Washing
The most
important factors to preserve carpets and rugs for a life
time and future generations is to keep them clean, to take
good care and restore them immediately when damaged or
rotted.
Normally a
carpet should be washed every two or three years. When
touched by hand, if the pile and the fibre of the rug are
rough and sticky or totally dirty, depending where the
carpet has been spread and the frequency of its wear and
tear, then the time has come for it to be washed. One can
also ascertain when to clean a rug by folding a corner and
tapping the back by hand.
If any
particles of grit, dust or pieces of wool fall off, then the
rug should be washed. A carpet can also be washed at home
with particular attention. To test and see if a rug is
colour fast or not, it’s enough to wipe a full-designed part
of the rug with a damp white cloth, If the colour stains the
cloth, then the rug should be not cleaned at home.
Never wash
antique, silk and carpets that are not colour fast at home.
these should be taken to professional rug-cleaning
establishment. They are equipped to shake; wash and dry rugs
with specially adapted modern and mechanical facilities.
The process
of hand cleaning carpets in the home takes experience and
patience, but can be successfully accomplished.
The
materials and products used to was rugs are very simple and
elementary and most of them are in every household; a pail,
a brush with soft bristles, the lenght of which should not
exceed three centimetres (made of natural fibres), soap or
special carpet shampoo without any acid elements.
In the
process of hand washing, the first step is to mix one cup of
shampoo to ten cups of warm or lukewarm water. It’s better
to add two spoonfuls of natural white vinegar to prevent the
colours from running. After preparing the solution, lay the
rug flat on a hard, smooth and dry surface, i. e., on a
terrace, balcony, with the pile of the rug facing upwards.
Plunge the brush in the shampoo solution. Start from one
corner moving gradually upward and downward into the pile
until all the rug is thoroughly cleaned.
Try not to
brush hard as this action seriously damages the rug. Never
soak or plunge the rug in the solution because too much
wetting may hurt and rot the foundation. It’s not necessary
to wet and clean the back, warp and weft of the rug, as this
part is not exposed to dirt, as the pile. After the washing
process, a brush should be used to carefully remove the left
over shampoo powder and dirt; the rug thoroughly cleaned
with lukewarm water and gently brushed in the direction of
the pile. Then, if the weather permits, the rug can be taken
out to the open air with utmost care. Sunlight is the best
means to dry a rug provided it is not strong otherwise it
causes the colour to fade.
In rainy
and wet weather it is advisable to dry the rug at home on a
special wooden frame where the current of air penetrates
facilitating the drying operation thus leaving no humidity.
Avoid drying a rug on lawn as the moisture that the grass
contains may seriously harm and damage the foundation, the
warp and weft. In no occasion place rugs near direct
heat-fireplaces open fire, stoves, radiators and floors
where warm water pipes pass underneath. Intense heat damages
and dries the fibres and the oils of the wool causing it to
lose its lustre and making it brittle.
After both
sides of the rug have dried completely and when touched by
hand the warps and wefts feel soft, it can then be laid back
gently to its former place. When a rug is still damp it
should never be folded as humidity gradually penetrated and
rots the foundation. Before washing a rug, all the dirt,
grit, loose fibres and fluffy wool should be removed by
beating the back gently with a cane beater. Companies
specialised in cleaning oriental rugs have mechanised
beaters. During the hand cleaning process if not completely
removed, the remaining dirt transforms into a thick
substance, like mud or sticky cement. Subsequently, while
removing this dirt the rug gets hard and rough and it may
also shorten its life.
Repairing
the carpets should be carried out after washing the rug.
From the hygienic point of view this process is essential as
the restorer can handle a clean rug better, without any
danger to his health. A very tiny particle of design and the
natural colour also appear clearly on the surface when the
rug is clean.
Small rugs
should never be cleaned in the washing machine, the
detergent, the water temperature, the movement and the
squeezing most probably may ruin the fibres, the wool gets
stiff and hard. Many rugs have gone to pieces when cleaned
in the washing machine.
Rugs should
be washed only in specialised professional rug-cleaning
companies and never in dry-cleaners. The solution used by
the dry-cleaners ruins the wool, the warp and weft.
Moths
“Tinea
Pellionella” is the scientific name for the moth that is a
tiny butterfly, 9 to 12 millimetres long.
In the
first two to three weeks of their lives, the female moth
lays about a hundred eggs between the folds of rugs and
other woolen textiles. In one of the stages of its growth,
the eggs of the butterfly are transformed into larvae. These
larvae cause damage to fibres of the rug by weaving webs on
the wool and creating tunnels inside the fibre.
To protect
the carpet from damage by moths, use compatible moth
repellent available in the local market.
When
storing a carpet have it cleaned and washed and protected by
use of mothballs.
Yet another
way to combat moth is to frequently spray the front and back
of the rug with anti-moth capsules containing insecticide
fumes.
Ten
recommendations
1. Keep the
carpet protected from sunrays by heavy curtains or shutters.
2. No
object that is damp or likely to cause dampness should be
places on the carpet.
3. To
prevent localised wear and tear, occasionally move or turn
the carpet so that the normal pattern of traffic is spread
uniformly over different parts of the carpet.
4. Carpets
should not be spread under doors. The lack of space between
the bottom of the door and the carpet can cause the carpet
to fold and suffer excessive wear and
tear.
5. On hard
surfaces such as marble or linoleum the carpet should have
an underlay or padding made of polyester to prevent sliding
of the carpet, especially silk ones.
6. The
runners that are placed on stairs must be fixed on both
sides with metal rods to prevent them from sliding. Once in
while the runners should be pulled by a few centimetres up
or down to ensure uniform wear and tear.
7. If the
carpet is spread over stone surface or on mosaic, it should
be ensured that the Joints are not sharp and uneven
8. The leg
of a chair, sofa, table or any other heavy item of furniture
damages the pile of the carpet. A small piece of linoleum,
wood or other similar type of material should be put under
the legs of these objects to protect wear and tear of the
carpet.
9. The
portion of the carpet that remains under the bed or under
any other piece of furniture should be frequently exposed to
sunlight and fresh air, as the lack of these might lead to
growth of moths.
10. Keep
the carpet clean. It’s the most important recommendation.
Cleanliness ensures longevity and perfect form.
Domestic
pets
In a house
covered with rugs keeping domestic animals, especially if
they are not trained provide a serious problem to the
carpet. The acid and pollution existing in urine and residue
affect chemically the fibres of the rug and alters the
colours of the wool hence rotting the foundation. Most cats
love oriental rugs.
They
sharpen their claws by thrusting them into the fibres and
play with the fringes of the rug thus pulling them out. It
is therefore recommended into keep the untrained pets away
from rugs. If damaged, the rug should be cleaned and
repaired immediately.
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