Antique Rugs Care & Preservation

An antique Persian rug or carpet, as with any valuable art object, needs periodic care to assure lasting beauty and value. By taking a few simple precautions, your older carpet, whether it’s a 70-year-old vintage rug or an antique carpet at one hundred years old or more, can be preserved in good floor condition into the next generation.

The finest older Persian carpets utilized lanolin-rich wool which has amazing stain repellent properties. If a spill is dealt with immediately, often it can be easily blotted up before staining occurs. Use a moist, clean cloth to blot from the edges toward the center of the spill. If soap is needed, use hair shampoo, as the protein of wool is similar to human hair. Do not scrub, as this will embed the stain more deeply into the wool. Then elevate the damp area on a short stool or box for quick air drying. Avoid allowing your carpet to sit damp for an extended period of time, as this could possibly rot the cotton foundation.

We strongly advise against using home remedies for stain removal, as they can cause irreversible dye run and discoloration, and chemicals should never be used. If the above method is not effective, consult a professional oriental carpet cleaner for spot cleaning.