Taking Care of a Handmade Rug
Handwoven rugs are both beautiful and unique as well as more costly. They bring a lot of enjoyment to their owners and guests but not without a little added effort. Having a handwoven rug is definetly more work than some plain old machine made carpet. With natural materials come some added risks. Here we will cover these and inform you the best methods for taking care of your investment.
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Things To Avoid
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Moisture
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Extreme Hot or Cold Temps
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Pests
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Chemicals
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Paints
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Grease
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Pet Urine
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Heavy Furniture
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Sharp objects
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Reasons
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Moisture can increase chances of mildew growth, causing rot.
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Hot and Cold temps can cause moisture and or damage to the foundation.
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Pests can cause added wear and tear to the rug's foundation and pile.
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Chemicals can cause colors to fade and or damage wool, cotton and silk.
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Paints are extremely difficult to remove from a rug.
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Grease is difficult to remove from a rug without making it worse.
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Pet Urine adds oders that aren't good for the rug and are difficult to remove.
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Heavy Furniture adds worn spots to a rug with time.
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Sharp objects may sear away the pile or even tear the foundation.
How to Vacuum a handwoven rug
1. Flip the rug over so the pile ( walking surface ) is facing down.
2. Raise your vacuum's beater heads to the highest position to reduce wear and tear to the pile surface.
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3. Gently vacuum the ( back side ) of the rug. (May see dirt fly out from the edges of the rug).
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4. Avoid vacuuming the side edge ( selvage ) or the ends ( fringe ) as these areas are typically the first to become worn.