Precautions
Anti-slip protection adds stability and comfort to fine rugs but also prevents premature wear. Do not allow dust to accumulate, it shears the fibres: vacuum regularly in the direction of the pile. Raise the vacuum cleaner nozzle after each pass to avoid back and forth movements, which wear out the rug unnecessarily.
Some rugs may start to loosen at the beginning of their use. This is normal if it does not last. Time and regular vacuuming (every week) will reduce this inconvenience until it disappears after some weeks. If a few strands become loose, simply cut them off.
Moisture: avoid placing plants on the rug, as this may cause its deterioration. Caution: Viscose doesn’t react well to water, as it changes the structure of its fibres, its colour and may permanently alter its appearance.
Exposure to sunlight, and even moonlight, can accelerate fading. It is advisable to change the rug regularly.
Use a cloth dampened in a vinegar solution to freshen up the colour. The spray extraction machine is suitable for a more thorough cleaning. Be sure to lay the pile in its natural direction during the final pass before drying the rug.
Some qualities of wool rugs, such as Kilims, can be a haven for moths. Avoid keeping the rug in a closed area. Check and vacuum the underside of the furniture regularly.
Wrinkles resulting from unpacking or piles compressed by a table leg can be fixed if covered with a damp cloth then ironed.
If the edge of the rug curls up, dampen it, turn it over in the opposite direction and let it dry.
Video: Restoring the rug fringes
Humidity, sunlight and wrinkles
Moisture: avoid placing plants on the rug, as this may cause its deterioration. Caution: Viscose doesn’t react well to water, as it changes the structure of its fibres, its colour and may permanently alter its appearance.
Exposure to sunlight, and even moonlight, can accelerate fading. It is advisable to change the rug regularly. Use a cloth dampened in a vinegar solution to freshen up the colour. The spray extraction machine is suitable for a more thorough cleaning. Be sure to lay the pile in its natural direction during the final pass before drying the rug.
Wrinkles resulting from unpacking or piles compressed by a table leg can be fixed if covered with a damp cloth then ironed. If the edge of the rug curls up, dampen it, turn it over in the opposite direction and let it dry.
Prompt action is required for stains such as coffee, wine or urine: soak up the liquids with absorbent paper.
Do not rub the pile, as this may leave a mark. Make sure that the pile is brushed in its natural direction before drying. Anti-stain treatment will give you time to intervene and avoid irreversible damage. We always recommend using the services of a professional cleaner.
Some anti-stain treatments (note that these treatments are inappropriate for sensitive materials such as silk or viscose, or dyed natural fibres):
- Candle, butter, wax, grease, modelling paste: remove, place a cloth then apply a heated iron on it. If desired, complete the treatment by applying diluted ammonia.
- Soot: talcum powder or flour then vacuum. No water.
- Mud: let dry then vacuum.
- Edible oils, sweet drinks: flour, let dry then brush.
- Wine, coffee, beer, alcohol, fruit juice, ketchup: flour, leave to dry, brush then apply soapy water mixed with a little vinegar.
- Chewing gum: solidify with ice cubes then scrape off. Hot iron on absorbent paper.
- Chocolate, egg, latex paint, jam, honey, sugar, sweet foods, vomit: scrape, then apply soapy water mixed with a little vinegar
- Soy sauce, coloured pencils: baking soda
- Ink, markers, fruit, vegetables, greasy sauces, teas: white vinegar
- Excrement, urine: ammonia or slightly diluted vinegar
- Sauces, make-up: diluted ammonia
- Oil paint, lacquer, shoe polish, tar: white spirit then apply soapy water mixed with a little vinegar
- Lipstick: alcohol
- Nail polish: acetone
- Blood: diluted ammonia, and if possible, hydrogen peroxide.
Mites only attack animal fibres such as wool, silk and fur.
Unwashed rugs like some Kilims and less refined wools like Indian wool are popular. Similarly, rugs that have been washed to embellish their piles are preserved because the used products act as a repellent. The egg is small, measuring less than one millimetre, oval and white. 15 days later, it hatches into a beige larva of 2 to 3 millimetres. It grows rapidly in quiet, warm places where there is abundant food. Caterpillars are the ones that cause the damage by feeding. As they grow, they dig furrows and leave bald patches. It takes two months, if conditions are favourable, and up to two years if they are not, for the caterpillar to change into a butterfly. It leaves behind an empty cocoon, a small whitish tube, which it had occupied, as well as small granules; its excretions similar to grains of sand.
It is the male, light and white butterfly, which measures a centimetre long, that can be seen flying around, looking for a sexual partner. It dies within 15 days after reproducing. In their larval or butterfly form, moths avoid light and seek out dark, and mostly damp, corners. This is why they are most often found under furniture, in cellars or attics. The larvae do not survive in extremely hot and cold conditions.
Here are some ways to deal with moths. The simplest way is to vacuum regularly and react as soon as they appear. If there are moths, there are larvae somewhere. They must be found and removed before they proliferate.
Controlling moths:
- Moth trap: Sticky tablets impregnated with pheromones attract male moths.
- Fumigation: several small-sized containers are placed in affected rooms to release asphyxiating gases. Moth control should be repeated every two weeks for several months to kill the remaining moths.
Controlling moth larvae:
- Aerosols: Biological sprays are available as a preventive or curative measure.
- Heat: Slowly pass a steam cleaner (120°) over the infested surfaces.
Treatment for moth infestation:
- Check for larvae when you see a moth flying around.
- Find a steam cleaner and slowly treat both sides of the rug.
- Thoroughly vacuum the rug, inside and out.
- Spray both sides with moth repellent.
- Place traps or fumigate the room to kill the moths.
Essential oils to get rid of moths:
Moth repellent essential oils, natural and high effective! Mix true lavender, rosemary camphor and atlas cedar.
- For preventive purposes, apply a few drops of this mixture on cotton pads to be spread in the exposed areas.
- For curative purposes, add 15 drops to the water container of the high-temperature sprayer. Repel larvae and eggs by heat while spraying this repellent on the rug. Repeat 3 times at two-week intervals.
Mites are everywhere, even in the cleanest of homes.
They are called dust mites (or house dust mites). They have a short lifespan (two to three months) but reproduce quickly (300 eggs per month).
They enjoy humidity and warmth (26° to 32°) and prefer periods of the year when living rooms are heated and less ventilated. They feed on human or animal dander, dead skin, hair, nails. They live in the bedroom, mattresses and pillows, but also in armchairs, cushions and fabric rugs and carpets. The dust from their excrements and corpses is allergenic. The symptoms of dust mite allergy are often mistaken for those of the flu: runny nose, sore throat, irritated eyes, general fatigue. The number of dust mites can be reduced to a level below the trigger level to provide relief to people with allergies.
Dust mite control procedure:
- Regularly reduce the room humidity and temperature if it is possible. Ventilate the room.
- Use a powerful hoover with HEPA (Very High Efficiency) filter bags.
- Use a steam cleaner regularly. Dust mites do not survive high temperatures.
- Spread and work the baking soda (20g/m²) into the rug or spray it (saturated solution in warm water), then vacuum after one night.
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