You’ve bought your dream Moroccan rug and have it home. But, now what? Of course you can “oooh and aaaaah” over it for ages but are you worried about the upkeep and how long your new rug baby is going to last?
Fear not! I have some tips that will help you make sure you know how to take care of rugs (Moroccan or not) and keep them in great shape long after you buy them.
Vacuum or Beat it Regularly
When you have a rug on your floor it’s going to get wear and tear from being walked on. Even if you are very careful when it comes to dirt and dust, it will still build up a lot quicker than you probably think. Making sure to vacuum it regularly (when possible) and/or pull it up and shake it out is one way that you can help make it last longer.
Vacuums on rugs can be a scary thing. If you’re in the market for a new machine and want something that will work well with your rug, check out this post on vacuums for hand knotted rugs.
By doing this you make sure the fibers of the rug aren’t packed down for long periods (and permanently, eventually). You also remove any residual dust and dirt that has been built up. If you don’t do this regularly it will just pack into the rug and become very difficult to clean eventually.
Think of your rug like your skin; protect it from the elements and consider where you place it
t might seem like a weird comparison but it does fit in this example. We all know that exposing our skin to too much sun can have a bad effect. It ages and changes the color. Rugs are just like skin, sunlight will prematurely age them and cause them to change color.
Really think about where you will put your rug and take this into consideration. You also may want to think about other furniture. For example if you have a chunk of your rug tucked under a couch, and the other portion exposed to sunlight you’ll want to regularly shift the rug so that the exposed part doesn’t change color while the hidden part stays the original shade.
Air it Out
This is a really simple tip that can help long term. Simply air out your rug. You will want to do this when the weather is right, Heat can be good especially if your home is usually a bit humid as it will help get out any dampness.
Generally speaking however simply getting it out of the house and into open air is a good practice to have. If you can air it out in a place where it can hang mostly exposed – like on a clothesline – even better. You want as much air circulation as possible.
Of course it’s a lot easier to do this with smaller rugs than larger rugs but anything is better than nothing.
Have Your Rug Professionally Cleaned
You’ve done all that you can as far as upkeep but every now and then you really do need to call the professionals. I have my big rugs cleaned once a year due to heavy use and also because it’s fairly easy and inexpensive to do so in Morocco.
It’s recommended to have them professionally cleaned every 3-5 years but you make the decision based on how much use your rugs are seeing. When you have them cleaned you will want to take care to find a professional rug cleaner with experience cleaning Moroccan rugs. Don’t just assume anyone knows what they are doing. Cleaning a rug like this is different than cleaning a carpet or a standard rug.
Yes, this is going to cost you money and possibly a fair bit depending on the size of your rug and complexity of the cleaning however if you know in advance it’s something to budget and plan for.
These simple tips can help you ensure your rug lives a long, beautiful life!