Silk Carpets

**Frank DiGi** · 05-19-2010, 04:36 PM

What is the best way to clean silk carpets? How do you tell if they are real or artificial silk?

**Jemmy** · 05-20-2010, 07:26 AM

**Jemmy** · 05-20-2010, 07:27 AM

Vendors in some markets have been known to pass off mercerized cotton as "100% real silk" with the price tag to go with it.

Though it's not foolproof, rubbing a rug with the palm can help determine if it is real silk. Silk will begin to feel warm, while other fabrics remain cool. The "burn test" is more accurate. A rug dealer may agree to let a potential buyer pull a loose thread from the back of the rug. When burned, if the thread smells like burning hair while the ash "balls up," it is genuine silk. Artificial fibers will melt or smell like burnt paper.

The only way to know for certain if a fabric is silk, however, is to perform a chemical test. While that's not likely to happen in an Asian marketplace, it may be worth considering for a rug you already own.

**Scott W** · 05-20-2010, 03:21 PM

A lot of carpet with rayon face yarns are sold as "art Silk" whihc means artificial silk.

Cotton or rayon are harder to distinguish from silk than just the ash melting becuase cotton and rayon won't melt. They burn similar to silk. But how fast they burn, color of lame, odor can be helpful. As stated above, a chemical test is more conclusive.

**Frank DiGi** · 05-21-2010, 10:45 PM

Thank you for the reply's .. What would be the correct way to clean these type of carpets??

**LisaWagner** · 05-23-2010, 01:44 AM

Real silk rugs - the quality ones - are very low pile, high knot count, and cool to the touch (like a silk scarf) - I use the back of my hand to detect coolness.

Generally the thicker the pile, the lower the quality of silk (wild silk instead of the more quality cultivated silk), or the odds it is a blend with rayon, or fully rayon or mercerized cotton.

Staple fibers in the field - looks like a cat clawed the field and pulled loose strands - are signs of inferior quality as well.

With a question like "what is the best way to clean silk rugs" is a loaded question. Just like with wool rugs - it depends on the quality of the piece, is it high quality fiber, dyes, construction, and are there any pre-existing conditions to be aware of.

Also... if the rug is $100,000 piece... do you even want to clean it? Especially since many states do not offer in-plant workmanship coverage to cover that rug during cleaning if something goes wrong, so replacement would be out of your pocket.

Washing is the best method - but if you cannot QUICKLY wash, because you have a wringer to immediately remove the water, then you can easily and likely bleed the silk rugs. This is why many rug cleaners will opt for dry-cleaning these pieces. We wet wash all of them, and it's one of our specialties. We just removed blood stains from a silk rug, the piece came out beautifully. But, it was a high quality piece... if it was rayon it would have been a different story.

Just as if you had a silk upholstered piece to clean - you need to be a fine fabric specialist to not get yourself in trouble. And the work should be done in-plant.

Silk rugs are no different - send it to someone with experience.

As far as determining because real and artificial - I hate the burn test. I always go for the chemical test with Chlorox. Silk dissolves/bubbles in Chlorox, and rayon/cotton does not. Then you don't have to pull out a big chunk to burn it, you can use a small amount.

Rayon tends to not have fringe tassels that are in fact the warps of the rug (it's fringe added after the fact). Machine woven rugs will tend to be rayon/viscose and not silk. Hand woven can be silk, mercerized cotton, or rayon. Rayon and cotton you clean the same way, but rayon is MUCH weaker, and will get worse looking after every cleaning.

Do NOT clean silk rugs unless you are an expert at silk upholstery and know testing and technique very well.

Lisa

**barbarashang** · 06-10-2010, 05:42 AM

About cleaning the silk carpet,you should find a cleaning company of well-deserved reputation .
There are several types of artificial silk .one kind is fiber ,that means rayon,its cost is very low ,another is silk and cotton ,you can not tell it from pure silk.sin they look same from the appearance .but the cost is a big difference .
In the world ,pure silk carpet is much valuable,many people keep silk carpet as a kind collection .

**Scott W** · 06-10-2010, 11:13 AM

Welcome, BArbara. Thanks for joining our discussion. Does your company manufacture carpets?

**Frank DiGi** · 06-10-2010, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by barbarashang

About cleaning the silk carpet,you should find a cleaning company of well-deserved reputation .
There are several types of artificial silk .one kind is fiber ,that means rayon,its cost is very low ,another is silk and cotton ,you can not tell it from pure silk.sin they look same from the appearance .but the cost is a big difference .
In the world ,pure silk carpet is much valuable,many people keep silk carpet as a kind collection .

I agree with you and Lisa 100% ! The home was very highend and I never seen a carpet like that nor was I going to touch it.. I did advise her to call someone who specializes cleaning this type of carpet.. Great info everyone thank you!