Rug Care

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Rug Care FAQ's

Just like everything else today, rugs need special care to prolong their beauty and provide years of use. Regular cleaning and adequate treatments will help extend the life of your rug.

KAS recommends only the use of Woolite as a mild detergent for the cleaning of all rugs. The cleaning process should involve applying the Woolite with a soft bristle brush, rinsing lightly with water (not saturated), extracting with a vacuum, and the rug should then be dried by air or a low-temperature hair dryer.

Rug Care & Maintenance

INITIAL CARE
Vacuum both the top and bottom sides of your rug. Use a rug pad specific to the type of surface on which you will be placing your rug. This will help protect your floor or wall-to-wall carpeting and will extend the life of your rug.
DAILY/WEEKLY
Vacuum the top side. Handmade rugs will have some natural shedding of excess fibers. (or AS NEEDED) Carved rugs will have more excess fibers. DO NOT use a beater bar vacuum. Set the head of the vacuum at the highest setting so you will not be ‘pulling’ out any fibers. Blot spills and stains immediately.
ANNUALLY
Vacuum both top and bottom sides of your rug. Rotate rugs to ensure even wear and prevent fading. Replace worn rug pads.
LONG-TERM
Professionally clean a good quality rug every 3-5 years. Hot water extraction machines are NOT recommended.

Rug-Specific Care

HAND-KNOTTED
Vacuum on a regular basis with the pile level set on high. Be careful not to let the vacuum ‘eat’ the fringes.
TUFTED
Vacuum on a regular basis with the pile level set on high.
HOOKED
Vacuum regularly with an upholstery attachment. DO NOT use a rotary vacuum with a beater bar. If long ends appear above the top edge of the rug, DO NOT pull them. This is not a defect and is called ‘sprouting’. It is a common occurrence with hand-hooked rugs. Use scissors to carefully cut the sprouted ends to be even with the rest of the rug.
BAMBOO
Blot spills immediately. Wipe with a damp cloth. Do not saturate with water as it may damage the backing.
JUTE & SISAL
For indoor use only. Keep away from excessive moisture. Blot spills immediately using a clean towel until most of the moisture is absorbed. Do not steam clean or use any method of cleaning that involved water saturation. Professional cleaning only.

Stain/Damage Cleaning

FLOOD DAMAGE
First blot excess water. Lay flat and then dry by air using a fan or low temperature hair dryer. Vacuum. Professionally clean good quality rugs.
SPILLS
First blot excess liquid. Clean with a white cloth using a dry cleaning fluid or a simple solution of 1 Tsp. mild detergent such as Woolite, 1 Tsp. white vinegar and 1 Quart warm water. Extract excess liquid with a wet/dry vacuum.
STAINS
Since different stains require different cleaning treatments, it is important to identify the cause and nature of the stain. Below is a list of common stains and how they are best removed. Always test your cleaning solution on a portion of the rug not seen.

Recommended Stain-Specific Cleaning Treatment

Acid-based

Mild detergent & white vinegar

Alcohol

Mild detergent & white vinegar or Dry cleaning fluid

Bleach

Mild detergent & white vinegar

Blood

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Starch paste

Butter

Dry cleaning fluid

Charcoal

Vacuum and then warm water and mild detergent

Chewing Gum

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid

Chocolate

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid

Coffee

Glycerine, or Dry cleaning fluid and then warm water and mild detergent

Cosmetics

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid

Crayon

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid, or scrape and vacuum

Furniture polish

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid

Glue

Alcohol

Grass

Methylated spirits, or Turpentine

Gravy

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid

Grease

Dry cleaning fluid, or scrape and vacuum

Ice cream

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid

Ink

Turpentine, or Dry cleaning fluid then warm water and detergent

Medicine (liquid)

Call a professional rug cleaner.

Metal polish

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid

Mildew

Call a professional rug cleaner.

Milk

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid

Mud

Mild detergent & white vinegar

Mustard

Mild detergent & white vinegar

Nail polish

Nail polish remover (non-acetone)

Oils or oily spills

Dry cleaning fluid

Paint

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid

Perfume

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid

Permanent marker/ink

Call a professional rug cleaner.

Salad dressing

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid

Sauces

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid

Shoe polish

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid, or scrape and vacuum

Soot

Vacuum, and then Dry cleaning fluid

Tea

Mild detergent & white vinegar

Urine (pet)

Call a professional rug cleaner.

Vomit

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid

Wax

Cleaning fluid, or scrape and vacuum

Wine

Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid