Getting ready to move and don’t know if you’ll be using your area rug at the new house? Need a little change in décor and considering putting down another rug but not willing to let go of the rug that is down now? These and many other reasons are why people have a need to either temporarily or long term store their area rugs.

I’m Ruthie at Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care and I have a few tips (and no-nos) to share with my readers today to help keep your rugs safe while being stored. First, don’t make the mistake of just rolling it up and shoving it under your bed or in a closet. Why?  Because I can guarantee that moths are on the lookout for just this scenario. Moths are looking for two things when finding a place to lay their eggs, which will hatch into wool eating maniacs. They need a food source (WOOL!)  and they need a dark, quiet, undisturbed home.  In other words they need your wool rug to be under your bed or in your closet, totally unprotected!

Here is how we at Arizona Oriental can assist you in preserving your rugs for the times you need to store them.  First have us clean your rugs, removing soil, spills, etc. Many spills are protein based and protein is a food source that moths will be looking for.  So don’t give them an even more attractive reason to nibble on your rug. Secondly, have us moth treat your rugs. Moth treating is odorless and invisible, but believe me, the moths get the message that you do not want them near your rugs. The special, wool (and silk) safe treatment adds a very distasteful layer to the rug fibers which will send the moths off in another direction. Third proactive thing to do is wrap the rug in a breathable wrap. This allows the wool to breathe while keeping critters out. NEVER, EVER wrap rugs in plastic because wool holds moisture which when sealed in plastic and can’t breathe can create big problems for your rug foundation and face fibers.

All of the above services are readily available here at Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care. My Ruggies and I are always happy to assist you with the proper care for your rugs. 

One last thing, never fold a rug for extended periods of time. Rugs should be rolled. I’ve seen folded rugs that came out of the attic with very severe damage to both the face fibers (kinda like when we sleep to long on one side of our face) that may not be correctable. Additionally the folds tend to stretch out the rug’s foundation, rippling the rug to the point that it will never lay flat again.    

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 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 the area rugs of our client’s receive the utmost in care.

Call us for additional information or assistance with properly preparing fine area rugs for storage at 928-445-1718, visit our website at www.ArizonaOriental.com, or stop by Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at our rug washing facility at 565 EZ Street, Prescott, AZ 86301 (pick-up and delivery also available).