If you take a few effective precautions, you can protect your precious Oriental rug from premature wear and other common issues. In fact, one good step is enough to save the rug from various problems like pet stains, water damage, moth damage, pet chews, chemical damage and uneven wear – for ages.
Below are some of the most common Oriental rug problems and their solutions.
Water Damage:
Today, most varieties of Oriental rugs have cotton warp and weft. So, if the rug is wet for a long time, it can damage the whole cotton foundation.
These kinds of issues mainly arise when potted plants are placed just near the rug. As the plants are watered on a daily basis, it can lead to pot leaks. Consequently, the cotton foundation can be weakened or even rotted.
Apart from this, daily water spills and floods also play a colossal role in ruining your Oriental rugs.
Moth Damage
Moths do not eat your rugs, but each female can lay thousands of eggs. As a matter of fact, the eggs hatch into larvae that heavily rely on wool, fur and fibers. The number of larvae can increase significantly in dark and undisturbed spaces where there is not much traffic and is not vacuumed regularly.
How to prevent moth damage?
– Vacuum the entire surface of your rug at least twice a week
– Don’t rely on moth balls, crystals (naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene) and flakes to remove moth from you rugs. They are not that effective and their odor can be really unpleasant, which cannot be removed from the rug easily
– Any surface the vacuum cannot reach, like rug hung on the wall or the one under furniture can be sprayed with a safe household insecticide.
Pet chews
Your dog tends to chew rugs because of tooth growth. One best way to avoid the issue is to control the pet by keeping it a bit far from the rug. For this, you can sprinkle an ounce of moth flakes under the rug along the edges – this can help the dog keep his distance.
Chemical Damage
You might have been relying pretty much on some chemical rug cleaners. But, these can weaken or damage the natural fiber over time. So, instead of chlorine based bleach, you can use a dilute bleach solution. It not just cleans your rugs but also has no side effects.