Caring for Your Carpet and Rugs

Caring For a Carpet That Has Lost Its Shape
When a carpet or area rug is out of square or has built-in wrinkles, sizing or blocking might help to straighten the sides.

No hand made rug is exactly square or rectangular but they are approximately so and over time it can happen that a rug loses its shape and becomes noticeably lopsided or out of square, which spoils the appearance of the  rug. Another more common problem is wrinkling within the rug and curling at the edges as well as spoiling the appearance the wrinkling problem can make the rug dangerous in the home.

Both problems are usually to do with flaws in the original weaving  technique. The tension in the foundation of the rug was not completely equal during its construction and over time this inequality becomes more pronounced as the rug loses moisture.

Both of these problems can be resolved or minimised with professional attention using a processs called sizing To size a  rug, it is flipped on to its back side and squared and flattened into the correct shape gently ( it takes time and several attempts ) It is fastened down and wetted with a sizing solution which helps distribute the tension more equally and allowed to dry and then the process is repeated  making it as square and flat as possible.

Sizing makes a rug more attractive and usable but this process cannot correct an intrinsically crooked or badly made rug  rug.

Storage

If you have to store your oriental or Persian rug it should be done with some preparation, there are many sources of damage to your rug when it is stored. A Rug should always be stored off the ground and never in a damp place. Inspect it every few months to make sure that nothing is happening to the rug.

Before going to storage the rug should be thoroughly vacuumed and stains cleaned by hand, it should be sprayed with insecticide or moth repellent a few days before storage.

Then roll it  up and wrap in  plastic wrapping such as the Tyvek ®  paper they use for building.

Avoid wrapping in paper or any organic material for long periods – it may attract beetles or moths and will remove the rug’s natural moisture.

Don’t use moth balls or moth repellent flakes – they are not very effective and they will cause a very strong odour that is difficult to remove.

Do inspect the stored rug at frequent intervals to make certain it is in good condition.