How to Take Care of Your Vintage Rugs - Level 3 Maintenance
To be honest, vintage rugs are pretty self-sustaining without much maintenance needed at all. Many are made out of wool, which is naturally stain resistant so you can usually prevent a stain if you catch a spill pretty early on. However, if you just want to clean them up a bit, but aren't ready for a full on professional cleaning, you can do it yourself at home quite easily.
To begin with, I recommend giving your rug a good vacuuming to remove surface debris as shown in the previous post (click here) regarding level 1 maintenance. After that, there are three ways that you can approach your cleaning process. The first one is perhaps the easiest, as outlined below.
The hose method:
I like to take my rugs outside on a nice day and hose them off. Just place them on a paved or grassed surface and use your spray nozzle to give them a gentle water-only cleaning. This works quite well for getting any lingering spills or debris off. If you have a long-handled squeegee, you may even elect to use that to get as much water as possible out of your rug before allowing it to dry.
To dry, warm sunshine works best. Just hang the rug over a fence or other object so as to allow as much air flow as possible to get through both sides of the rug. As you can see, I draped my rugs over some steps. You will want the rug to remain in the drying position as long as necessary to get it completely dry. If the inner warping of a rug does not fully dry, it can lead to mildew, which can be smelly. On the other hand, too much sunshine can also be bad for your rug. Excessive sunlight is the enemy of natural dyes and can cause fading so be sure to bring your rug back inside as soon as it is sufficiently dry.
The hose and scrub method:
If you feel like you need a deeper cleaning than just water, you can use the same method outdoors as the one above. However, after you have initially hosed your rug down, you can saturate it with a bucket full of warm water mixed with a gentle cleanser, like castile soap. Use a long-handled push broom to scrub your rug with the cleansing solution. You may even want to turn it over and scrub the back as well. Once you are satisfied with your work, make sure to rinse it really well, squeegee it if you like, and then allow it to dry as described above.
The bathtub method:
This method of cleaning is also a great way to clean your rug without the necessity of a professional. It's just as easy as it sounds. You can elect to just soak your rug in a tubful of plain water, then rinse all of the debris very well before squeezing out the excess water and hanging to dry. Or add a gentle cleanser, like Castile soap, to your water while filling the tub and then agitate the rug as necessary to get the cleanser worked in. Again, make sure to rinse really well and ring out the excess water before allowing it to dry either outside or in a well-ventilated area.
See how easy rug cleaning can be? Something that should be considered before you clean, however, is the chance of the natural dyes migrating. There is a possibility that they can bleed into different areas of your rug. I don't really mind this on my own personal rugs, but if this is something you want to avoid, I recommend testing your cleaning method on a small corner of your rug before fully diving into the self-cleaning process.
Professional Cleaning:
If it's been a few years since you've had your rug(s) thoroughly cleaned, you may want to invest in a good professional cleaning. When researching professional cleaners in your area, I recommend seeking out those that have notable experience with vintage/antique oriental rugs/carpets. You will definitely want to make sure that you are working with a reputable cleaner so that you can trust that you will receive your rug in like or better condition than when you leave it with them. In fact, you might even ask friends/family to see if they have any experience with good rug cleaners in your area. Word of mouth can be the best way to find professional services like rug cleaning.
Professional Cleaning Costs:
As far as pricing goes, the cost of professional rug cleaning in my area of Olympia, WA in 2024 was about $5 per square foot. It may be more or less in your area, so make sure you do your research ahead of time and are prepared for the investment. It's been a long time since I've used a professional cleaner for my own rugs so the prices in my area may have changed, too.
Who I recommend:
If you are in the Olympia/Tacoma/Seattle area, my go-to recommendation for professional rug cleaning is Hammond Knoll in Tacoma. They've been around since 1939 and have tons of experience. I think that they also can help you with repairs if you need them. Click here to see their website.
That's it for Level 3 Maintenance! Don't forget to visit the following links if you need a refresher on the lighter levels of vintage rug cleaning/maintenance below:
How to Take Care of Your Vintage Rugs: Level 1 Maintenance
How to Take Care of Your Vintage Rugs: Level 2 Maintenance, Spot Cleaning
Thank you so much for being here!
😊 Julie
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