silk and wool oriental rug cleaning help

**66supersport** · 04-23-2010, 08:40 PM

Well, I have a good friend that wants me to clean their carpets in their house, and they also would like to know if I can do anything with their silk/wool oriental rug...........well I am confident as far as the carpet cleaning goes, but I would like some advice on the rug. It does look like it has some coffee stains, and they want me to clean it if I can, I would like to clean it, but I do not want to mess it up, so I would like some advice on what I should do. This is a favor and no charge, well I do get to hunt on their land, so it is a barter, lol. Any advice would be appreciated, would like to stand up to the challenge and get it looking better.

**Gnu** · 04-24-2010, 12:23 AM

are you certain its silk and wool?? if so dont touch it. show a pic of the area and check out robs post about the same thing. with wool only. try rubbing alcohol then extract first. it should clean it up like crazy and wont ruin the natural fibers. dont use water on it for sure. shrinkage and color bleeding. and you better cap a buck for me or send me some venison or buffalo jerky. And yes I have used the process before on rugs that are worth more than an average 2 story 6 bedroom. We have alot of colonial bed and brakfasts and musium grade carpets and tapestries No body else will let anyone else touch but me.

One of the orintal rugs are 37 foot by 62? all hand tufted incredibly gorgeous omg. its only appraised at 1.3 mill.. and over 130 years old. I would kill to be allowed to take a pic of it. azure blues, deep emarald greens, onyx blacks, I could go on..

**LisaWagner** · 04-24-2010, 03:34 AM

If it is a woven rug (you can see the design on the back) - and it's wool and silk - do your friend a favor and take it to a rug plant.

Some of the biggest temptations of fate are when you do that job as a "favor" ... and if it is truly an oriental rug (hand woven) - you need to treat it as the investment it is.

And if you try to remove those coffee stains, I will personally come out there any bonk you over the head with a mallet. Don't let Stain Magic or Coffee Mate or the like come anywhere near that wool rug.

Lisa

P.S. Pat - a tufted rug would not be a true oriental rug, and would not be over 100 years old. Do you mean woven? Can you see the design on the back? It takes a 9x12 Pakistan rug 3 weavers, 6 days a week (10 hours a day), a 14 months to weave. Can't imagine the years it took to weave that huge rug - if it's woven it was YEARS.

**66supersport** · 04-24-2010, 09:47 AM

this one is tufted, cant see design on back. Well, I guess I should stay away?

**66supersport** · 04-24-2010, 09:49 AM

it says silk and wool on the back

**Gnu** · 04-25-2010, 12:56 AM

I was told it did take a few years. and all the dyes are organic made. I am not much on knowledge with old rugs to be honest. I just know I have to carry ALOT!!! of coverage before I am permitted to clean it. The extra coverage is so expensive I just get a binder for the entire day. and just for the one day is about $200.
They did have an issue with a past cc.er used a peroxide to get out a gold "stain" turned out to be part of the design. They Had a Professional hired from Karastan to fix it using organic dyes. The area has an unusual fell to it. almost spongy? the best to describe it.

**LisaWagner** · 04-25-2010, 02:00 AM

Hi Pat - there is no such thing as organic dyes. And if it feels spongy, I have no idea the type of fibers used. Maybe a felted piece... that size though, maybe also an Edward Fields rug - wouldn't be woven then, or a true oriental.

Don't know... and it makes no sense Karastan would be repairing it. This story gets weirder and weirder...

I'm at a loss...
Lisa

P.S. BOBBY - if it is tufted, it is likely RAYON (artificial silk) instead of the real deal. If you go to my blog www.TheRugChick.com and type in VISCOSE - you can read about rayon/viscose there. Get a photo, and I can post some suggestions for you. Tufted rugs are not oriental rugs - we can see if it's worth you taking a stab at it.