Posted on March 3, 2021 by Behnam Rugs

Rug Cleaning: When Does My Rug Need It?

First, let’s explain the difference between rug cleaning and rug washing. Rug cleaning involves the use of machinery to clean the rug. The machinery agitates the rug fibers, often in an unnatural circular motion. Rug washing is done completely by hand, using traditional methods passed down over generations from Old Persia, the heart of the rug industry.

We do not recommend the rug cleaning method for cleaning rugs, as it is harsh, and causes breakage and unraveling. Rug cleaning is typically a surface clean only, whereas rug hand washing penetrates the front and the back of the rug multiple times using brushes and paddles. In addition, rug washing is safe for all rugs, even antiques, whereas rug cleaning decreases the life expectancy of fine rugs, especially delicate antiques, even if they don’t immediately unravel.

Regular professional hand washing is essential to the health and longevity of your rugs. The main takeaway is that rugs should be professionally cleaned whenever you feel the rugs need it based on traffic and wear. This blog is simply a guide to help you decide when your rug needs cleaning by taking the construction materials into account.

The material your rug is made affects how often it should be washed if it experiences normal wear and tear. Keep in mind that rugs in high traffic areas require more frequent cleaning as they retain more dirt and the fibers experience pressure and wear from use. The material, density of the weave, and country of origin are all factors that affect how a rug retains dirt. Read on to find out when it’s time to wash your rug depending on its material.

Wool Rugs:

Wool is the most durable rug fiber. Due to the strength of this fiber, wool rugs last the longest under normal conditions, over three hundred years if cared for properly! Not all wool is the same. Depending on the breed of sheep, its environment, and what part of the sheep the wool was sheared from, the diameter of the fiber and its fineness varies.

Sheep that live in cold climates produce more lanolin, natural oil that coats and protects the fiber while retaining heat. The more lanolin coats the wool, the thicker and harder the fibers, and the more odor it has. In general, the dyeing process will remove this natural odor without stripping the protective lanolin. Australia accounts for 25% of the world’s wool exports. New Zealand is another top exporter known for producing the highest-quality wool.

Rug weaving is often a family business, and they use their expertise to source wool from certain parts of the sheep’s body and from breeds known for having the highest flexibility, fineness, sheen, softness, and durability wool. When sheep are sheared, the wool is separated by the part of the body it comes from and by its color. This ensures uniformity when dyed and woven.

One interesting fact about wool fiber is that it is essentially hollow, and the lanolin coats the inside of the fiber, not the outside. As an organic material, wool needs oxygen to keep the lanolin from hardening. This is why rugs, especially wool rugs, should never be stored in plastic or any other non-breathable material (storage blog).

Wool rugs should be washed every four to five years.

Silk Rugs:

Silk is a delicate and shiny natural fiber. Made from the excretions of silkworms, silk quality varies based on the environment and diet of the worms. Higher quality silk is finer, which makes it better for twisting into long threads for weaving. China (link) is the largest silk supplier in the world. Silk rugs should be washed every 8 to 10 years unless they experience heavy traffic, pet stains, and odors, or have become dingy from dirt penetration. In those cases, it should be washed more frequently at the judgment of the owner.

Antique Rugs:

The age, origin, and condition of an antique rug influence its strength and therefore, its ability to be safely washed. Antiques are often quite delicate. Rugs 50 to 70 years old should be washed every 8 to 10 years, while older rugs, including ones as old as 100 years or more should be washed every 12 to 15 years.

Depending on the condition of the rug, it may not be able to withstand the full hand washing process. In these cases, a surface wash is done instead. The rug is not saturated with water and is instead given the rug cleaning equivalent of a sponge bath. If the antique has color touch-ups, washing will generally remove these dyes. We do not recommend using antique rugs with color touch-ups on the floor, as there is no way to confirm they are skin and pet-safe. Floor hanging is advised instead.

Cotton Rugs:

Most cotton rugs are flat weaves such as Dhurries, Kilims, needlepoint, and chainstitch rugs. It is rare for rugs that have piles to be woven of cotton. Mercerized cotton is a finer, longer, and shinier fiber that is often used in cotton rugs because it holds color better than normal cotton. Cotton rugs don’t have the same longevity as wool or silk rugs because they wear out fast. Foot traffic ages cotton rugs quickly, and color fading happens easily as well.

In addition, cotton rugs will experience shrinkage after the first washing due to water exposure, even without the use of heat. We suggest washing your cotton rugs on the basis of use, traffic, and wear. For example, a rug in a bathroom or kitchen will experience use and wear multiple times a day, whereas a rug in a formal dining room may only experience weekly one-time use. Rugs that are walked on every day will need more frequent cleaning, however, rugs that don’t experience daily use are still exposed to the dust and allergens that enter your home in the air. We suggest cleaning every 4 to 7 years.

Viscose Rugs:

Viscose rugs have a short lifespan and do not handle washing well. The irony is they show dirt quickly. The life expectancy of a viscose silk rug is about 15 years at best. Call the experts at Behnam Rugs to determine when your viscose rug needs washing. Our blog tells you how best to care for viscose rugs.

Nylon Rugs:

Nylon rugs handle washing better than some other synthetics like viscose. They can last 40 to 50 years with proper care. Vacuuming and environmental factors cause disintegration in nylon rugs, making the fibers fuzzy and thinner with time. We recommend cleaning nylon rugs before they begin to look dingy, as this implies that a large amount of dirt has migrated to the bottom of the pile where it can cause damage and be difficult to remove.

Animal Hide Rugs:

Like wool rugs, hides can be washed every four to five years. Animal hide becomes dry and breakable around 30 to 40 years of age. The hair will also begin falling out around that time. This is a natural part of the aging process that shouldn’t be affected by proper handwashing methods.

How Foot Traffic Affects Washing Frequency:

Heavy Traffic– if a rug experiences heavy foot traffic it will need to be washed more often. Traffic grinds dirt into the rug. In addition, if you have pets walking on the rug, their hair and dander will be added. These particulates are sharp, and traffic moves the fibers of the rug, in effect sawing the fibers back and forth against the dirt. This cuts the fibers, eventually causing threadbare areas where the foundation is exposed.

Lack of Traffic- Even if a rug does not get walked on often, it is still exposed to the dust, dirt, air pollutants, and allergens that enter your home. If you live in a dry, low humidity area like Arizona or Colorado, dust and sand enter your house more often thanks to the occupants of your home, including pets.

Dirt and sand hide in the nap of your rug, eventually forming a crust at the base of the foundation. This crust cuts through the fibers of your rug and causes it to become thinner and threadbare over time. These sharp and damaging particulates need to be removed by professionals who will dust your rug both before and after washing. Hypoallergenic dusting breaks up the crust and brings the particulates to the surface for removal.

In Conclusion

Use your judgment to decide when your rug needs professional hand washing. Inspect your rug. You will be able to tell when it is not clean. Some rugs get washed every year, or more frequently because the amount of dirt exposure is quite high. Other rugs are neglected and not washed for decades.

Regular professional hand washing conditions the fibers and keeps them flexible and healthy. In general, get them washed every 5 to 8 years at a minimum depending on use. While it is always up to you, please do not wait many years past 5. Call 972-733-0400 to schedule professional hand washing.