What should you know about the care and maintenance of your valuable Oriental rugs? Haven't you ever wondered which are the safe and effective stain removal products or cleaning methods for your prized Oriental rugs? Or how often the rugs should be professionally cleaned? Should you attempt a do-it-yourself, consumer cleaning method or leave this job to the rug experts?

Honest answers are available from trusted rug cleaning experts. We are here to help you. We can answer your questions, allay any undue concerns and do a first class professional cleaning for you.

Have you ever been told never to clean or even vacuum your Oriental rug; or never to use water for spot removal or cleaning of any rug? Or have you heard some "gospel" from the retailer, maybe an old wives’ tale about how to supposedly care for and maintain your beautiful Oriental rug? Or that cleaning will remove all of the wool fibers’ lanolin and natural lubricants or somehow damage the rug? In fact, long before you ever saw the rug, the original lanolin and natural fiber residues were removed. This occurs during wool fiber processing such as scouring, and again during dyeing of the pile fiber and yarns.

Did you know that regular professional cleaning can prolong the life and appearance of a valuable rug? Proper cleaning will remove most embedded soils and stains, helping to return the rug to its prior luster, color and design clarity through an improvement in overall appearance and useful life of the rug.

And were you aware that a proper rug pad or cushion can add measurably to the safety, appearance and long life of your prized Oriental rugs? And that specially designed rug cushions are available to prevent rugs from slipping and sliding over your hard floors? And that special cushions are also available to minimize rug sliding and wrinkling when laid over wall-to-wall carpet? The appearance of the surface or top of your rug is aided tremendously by the pad underneath your rug.

What happens when your rug fringe begins to ravel and fray, especially as a result of periodic vacuuming? Can it be repaired or made to look better? Yes, the rug ends and fringes can be restored or repaired, or a new fringe can be sewn onto the top of the original fringe, thus improving the rug's appearance while preserving its original integrity.

You've paid handsomely for a beautiful Oriental rug in silk pile, but is the pile fiber really silk? And is it all silk? Fibers such as rayon, acetate, mercerized cotton or others, and so called "art silk" can be made to resemble silk, but are not silk at all. Sometimes they use a less expensive or inferior substitute to make the pile and the real fiber content may be obscured. How can you tell or confirm that your expensive Oriental rug is really silk? Or you may be considering the purchase of a "silk" rug and want assurance that you are really getting real silk. Then it's wise to first seek the advice of an expert so that you're getting value and honesty with your rug purchase.

Has your rug begun to feel harsh, or make a slight cracking or snapping sound when you pick it up to move it, or when you fold it over? It might indicate the presence of "dry rot" in the cotton backing yarns. This slow degradation can eventually cause serious weakness in the rug's foundation, or splitting and tearing of the rug when moved, lifted or cleaned. Your rug expert can tell if the rug has indications of latent dry rot and advise accordingly.

The pet had an "accident" on the Oriental rug and what should you do, how can you find help? Does club soda really work on this or any other stain, and do home remedies make it worse? Even minor spillage or pet accidents, when subject to inexpert spot removal or the use of harsh and inappropriate chemicals, may turn a common stain into a permanent discoloration, unless you're relying on the expertise of an Oriental rug cleaning professional.

An Oriental rug has a label that says "dry clean only." Why is it there, what does it mean and how or why would somebody dry clean an Oriental rug? Although so called "dry" rug cleaning is a safe way to clean most rugs, it may not always get the rug as clean as other methods, such as the more customary wet cleaning. And the term does not mean dry cleaning as you know it when applied to renovation of one's clothing. Sometimes the reference to dry cleaning on a rug label is inappropriately used or deceptive. What are my choices, then, of the best methods to clean different types of Oriental rugs and rug fibers? In most cases, a professional wet cleaning is the preferred and safe method by which to clean Oriental and area rugs. But there are times—such as with silk rugs or those that might not be fully washfast, and thus at risk for dye bleeding—that modified or other specialty methods of cleaning might be considered. Trust us to know the best method to clean your particular Oriental rug.