Posted on May 15, 2021 by Behnam Rugs

Moth Damaged Rugs: Repair Options

Moths are destructive pests that can do untold damage to fine rugs. Clothes moths are the type of moth most likely to consume the fibers of your rug. Spring is the season when clothes moths are most active, although central heating makes moths a year-round problem. If you want to know how to prevent moth infestations, read this blog.

Moths especially love dark, undisturbed areas to lay eggs on organic fibers their larvae can later eat. Keep an eye open for signs of a moth infestation, such as moths flying in your home, dead moths on the ground, or silken tubes that look like grains of rice. When you vacuum your rugs, make sure to clean areas underneath furniture and look for damage and eggs.

When preventative measures aren’t taken, moths can eat through large areas of your rugs before you notice the damage. Moth damage causes divots, threadbare patches, and holes. If your rug has sustained moth damage, you’re probably wondering what you should do to save your rug.

Step 1

Immediately vacuum the front and back of the rug as best you can. Do not use the beater brush extension as this can damage the rug.

Step 2

Make arrangements for deep rug washing. Deep rug washing is different from regular rug cleaning and addresses the issue with special shampoo, conditioning treatment, and moth removal.

Step 3

Evaluate the damage. There may be tiny holes, large moth-eaten areas, or binding damage. The type of damage determines the type of repairs your rug needs. In general, moth damage is confined to the edges of the rug, since the borders are most likely to sit under furniture which provides a dark and desirable space for moths to lay their eggs. When damage is sustained to the middle or inner body of the rug, this is often because a coffee table was set there.

Step 4

Schedule repairs.

After deep rug washing and moth sanitization, the rug master will evaluate the damage to your rug. In some cases, the damage is confined to the back of the rug and is not visible on the front. If the surface of the rug still looks good, deep rug washing and moth removal may be all the rug needs. If the damage is to the front of the rug, patching, reweaving, resizing, binding repair, shearing, or a combination of services will be needed.

Patching

Patching is the more affordable repair option for rugs that need holes fixed. A donor rug in a similar pattern and color palette is selected. We size and cut as many pieces from the donor rug as needed to conceal any and all holes. The patch is blended to match the original rug and installed securely.

Reweaving

The most expensive repair option is reweaving. When the rug owner wants a perfect match and the rug has large areas of damage, reweaving is recommended. Reweaving is advisable when the rug is highly valuable and the repairs are not more costly than the total value of the rug.

To repair a rug in this manner, a weaver will tie thousands of knots that match the weaving style of the original rug. This method is labor-intensive and takes a lot of time. The weaver matches both the colors and pattern of the original work. In cases where extensive reweaving is required, Behnam Rugs exports the damaged rug to a country like Turkey or Iran, where expert-affiliated weavers reweave and restore the value of the rug.

Resizing

Moth damage typically begins at the borders of your rug. The moths start at the binding and eat their way through the edges into the body of the rug. The damaged areas can be cut and removed from the rug and a new binding sewn around the edges. The resizing process results in a slightly smaller rug but typically these repairs look natural and the general appearance of the rug doesn’t change.

Binding Repair

Rugs with moth damage often need binding repair. The binding may need to be completely redone, or there may be a small area that can be fixed on its own. The binding protects the edges of the rug and keeps it from unraveling. When moth activity is caught early on, binding repair may be all the rug needs.

Shearing

If the rug suffers from uneven pile, shearing the rug removes the damaged area and eliminates the uneven look. The rug will look more antique or aged afterward, but not moth-eaten.

These repair options are not limited to moth-damaged rugs. Heavy vacuuming with the beater brush, pets, furniture, and general use can all result in the need for repair.

Step 5

Clean and sanitize the space before placing the restored rug in your home to ensure no further moth infestations.

We recommend using these moth traps to protect your rugs. Moth traps work by emitting pheromones that attract clothes moths. The moths enter the traps and get stuck in the glue. Date your trap before placing it near your rug. Count the number of trapped moths every few days. Ideally, the number of dead moths in the trap will decrease to zero within a few weeks. Update your traps to ensure the pheromones are still active before concluding that your moth problem is gone.

Final Thoughts

Without regular professional rug cleaning, wool rugs become dry and dirty. Dry, dirty wool is much more appetizing to moths and increases the chances of moth infestations and damage. Some wool rugs are dyed with a repellent treatment that protects against moths for the lifetime of the rug.

However, we do not recommend applying moth repellent treatments to your rugs yourself, as the safety of these chemicals has not been verified and poses a risk to pets and humans. If you feel the need to use repellent treatment, thoroughly read the warning label and advisory for the safety of your pets and small children.

The best defense against moths is regular cleaning at home, and professional rug cleaning every three to five years. Call the experts at 972-733-0400 to schedule repairs or cleaning.