“I have a small hand-hooked rug that I would like to have cleaned. I am afraid to take it to just any cleaner because it is irreplaceable. It was made by my mother and it is wool. Where can I take it to have it cleaned properly? It has never been used but has just been rolled up all these years. I would like to eventually have it framed, but I would like to have it cleaned first.”

Why risk cleaning if the rug has never been used? Just vacuum it gently, using an upholstery attachment. Or cover the end of the vacuum wand with a piece of plastic window screen or nylon mesh to protect the wool pile.

If the rug is visibly soiled, you might be able to remove the spots by working the bubbles from a product such as Woolite into the pile with a soft brush (such as a baby’s hairbrush), but test this process on the back of the rug first to make sure the colors don’t bleed. Use only the bubbles, not the liquid. Another time-tested home cleaning method is sprinkling the carpet with snow crystals and then quickly brushing them off.

For professional cleaning, look for a company that advertises expertise in dealing with hand-hooked rugs. Capital Rug Cleaning in Severna Park (443-883-5825) picks up and delivers in Prince George’s County.

Although immersion cleaning of hand-hooked rugs is risky because colors can run and the wool pile can keep the burlap backing from drying before mold sets in, Capitol’s owner, Shekeeb Wardak, said he’s never had a problem. He consults with his father, Hamid, who has decades of experience in cleaning rugs, and if Hamid suspects colors in a particular rug might run, Shekeeb works very quickly to minimize its exposure to water. “You can see the color in the water, but it doesn’t show up in the rug,” he said. The company is also set up to extract water and ensure quick drying.

Article by Jeanne Huber / JAN 23, 2013
Source: Original Article