Ruthie here with Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care here in Prescott AZ and I love it when older, hand-knotted area rugs come into our shop. They’re such a joy to look at - each rug has its own story to tell and shows what kind of life it’s lived. One trait that shows up in just about every hand-knotted rug is white knots - whether they’re visible on the surface of the rug or hidden in the pile. What are white knots and where do they come from?
White knots are part of the construction of hand-knotted rugs. When the foundation of a rug is laid out, cotton warp (which run vertically) and weft (these run horizontally) threads are stretched over a loom. Weavers tie face fibers to these threads. It’s not uncommon for some of these threads to break during the weaving process, which requires the weaver to tie them back together. These repairs to the foundation fibers are what creates white knots.
Through time and use, the pile of the rug is worn down and the knots that were sandwiched between the rug’s face fibers become more visible. This is just a natural part of your hand knotted rug’s aging process and it adds a huge amount of character, beauty, and history to your rug! Some people even refer to these white knots as “rug freckles.”
These white knots can sometimes be masked by soil, so they don’t stand out much until after you have your rug professionally cleaned. This cleaning removes the soil that’s been built up over the years and suddenly the knots are much more visible.
You should NEVER cut out white knots! Doing so creates a hole in the foundation of your rug and thus leads to a domino effect of unravelling and loss of face fibers. Luckily, here at Arizona Oriental we offer repair options if your rug is in need of some T.L.C.. Give us a call if your rug needs a good, deep cleaning or some repairs!.
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 white knots in your 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). 04-15-2020
