Handmade Rug Cleaning

Handmade rugs are treasures. Whether persian, oriental, braided or flat woven, each handmade rug was hand knotted or tufted, fiber by fiber, to make a beautiful work of art. A well cared for handmade rug can last for decades. If your rug is handmade, you want to care for it to be sure it lasts for years.

How To Clean A Handmade Rug

Eventually your handmade rug will need to be cleaned. Dirt, spills and pet stains can make your rug look dingy and old. Handmade rug cleaning may seem overwhelming but with our simple tips, keeping your handmade rug looking its best is easy.

Here are some of the best practices for cleaning your hand knotted rug:

Shake It Out

• Roll up your handmade rug and take it outside.
• Firmly hold the corners of the rug while you powerfully shake it. Continue shaking until dirt, debris and crumbs stop falling from the rug.
• If your rug is too large to shake by yourself, you can hang it over a railing, fence or clothesline. Then give the rug a good beating with a broomstick or other strong stick. Be sure to hit both sides of the rug.

Vacuum

• Vacuum your hand knotted rug thoroughly starting with the back of the rug. Vacuuming the back of the rug (with the beater brush engaged) helps to loosen dirt within the rug fibers.
• If you have a long fiber rug (¾”+), consider disabling the beater brush while vacuuming the top of the rug.
• Avoid vacuuming fringe and knots with the beater brush. Any long fibers can be vacuumed using the upholstery attachment.

Spot Clean

If your rug only has a few areas that need to be cleaned, then spot cleaning can do the trick.

• Remove and excess moisture or debris from the spot.
• Blot liquids (like urine or wine) with a clean towel.
• If the stain has dried, use the edge of a spoon to remove any solid debris.
• Mix together water with a small amount of mild detergent.
• Use a clean sponge to blot the spot with the detergent water. Be sure not to rub as this can drive the stain further into the fibers.
• Clean the sponge and repeat until the stain is gone. Then blot the spot several times with clean water until all the detergent is removed. Detergent left in the rug can actually attract dirt.

Deep Clean

• To deep clean your hand knotted rug, mix together water with a small amount of mild detergent.
• Using a clean sponge, dip in the water detergent mixture and scrub the rug. Start at the corner and work in a grid pattern to go over the entire rug. Clean your sponge frequently.
• Once you’ve scrubbed the entire rug, go over the rug again with clean water. This can be repeated as many times as needed to remove all the detergent. Soap left in the rug can attract dirt once the rug dries.

When using liquids to clean your rug, allow it to dry completely before putting it back in place on the rug pad. It’s best to hang the rug or elevate it in some way so that air can circulate until the rug is completely dry.

Power washing and or soaking your handmade rug is not recommended. If you still have stains after following the steps above, we recommend getting your handmade rug cleaned professionally.

Alternative Considerations

If you're looking for a lower maintenance rug we offer a wide selection of stylish, high-quality washable rugs. Perfect for busy households, these rugs can be easily cleaned, saving you time and effort. Explore our washable rug collection.