Hi folks! Ruthie here with Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care once again and today I wanted to take a minute to talk about designer area rugs. What exactly do I mean when I say “buy it today, live with it tomorrow?” Simply to help those of my clients who fall head-over-heels for fancy designer rugs be a little more aware of what they’re purchasing!
Some designer rugs have multiple fibers in their weaving - from wool and cotton to synthetics. Some of these synthetic fibers don’t have any business being in area rugs because there isn’t really a proper way to clean them.
For example: long, delicate strands of ribbon woven side-by-side with wool. Or even felt circles looped or tucked under a large stitch that is so loose, these circles can be easily pulled out of the rug. There are also rugs out there with notoriously low cleaning performance like jute and mercerized cotton.
We have also had shag rugs brought into our shop with fibers that are so plush, you could probably lose a Pomeranian in the rug! Okay, I’m kidding about that, of course, but these rugs hold EVERYTHING they can get theri little fibers on - food, coins, bobby pins, Barbie shoes...you name it!
Designer area rugs are certainly beautiful and unique and each hold their own individual charm to them. However, many of these are very delicate and may have low performance. This means that, before long, they start to look terrible and require cleaning. Unfortunately for the owners of these rugs, low performance fibers don’t typically respond to cleaning efforts very well. See, the manufacturers are more concerned with catching the consumer’s eye rather than making something that will hold up to cleaning and life on the floor!
When it’s time to clean these rugs, it can be quite a challenge as these rugs don’t fit into any standard cleaning practices. They either can’t withstand the proper agitation needed for a proper cleaning or the fiber may not be strong enough to withstand the use of cleaning solutions. Here at Arizona Oriental, we clean to the weakest link - this means that we can only clean to the needs of the delicate fibers that are mixed in with a sturdier fiber. However, this also sometimes means that we aren’t able to get the whole rug as clean as if it were just a single fiber.
So, before going out and spending lots of money on a designer rug, know what you’re getting into! Some manufacturers make rugs knowing full well that the rug will only last a year or two - not decades like rugs should last! This is okay and I understand the attraction of designer rugs, but I also think it’s important that the consumer know what they’re getting into as well!
Till next time, enjoy your beautiful art for your floor and remember a clean rug is a rug that can last you a lifetime!
Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care serves Prescott, Prescott Valley, Sedona, Flagstaff, and much of the Northern Arizona areas. We meet the highest standards in professional cleaning of area rugs with rug wash specialists having earned the highest training, including certification as WOOLSAFE FIBRE CARE SPECIALISTS through the WOOLSAFE ORGANISATION. Such extraordinary certification ensures our client’s area rugs receive the highest quality care.
Give us a call for more information about cleaning and caring for designer area rugs at 928-445-1718, visit our website at www.ArizonaOriental.com, or stop by Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at our rug washing facility at 565 EZ Street, Prescott, AZ 86301 (pick-up and delivery also available). 03-07-2019
