Kilims and rugs. How to care for and prevent damage.

Kilims and rugs.
How to care for and prevent damage.
To care for means to look after something you like or, why not... love.? It also means to protect something from damage. So, if you like or love your rug or kilim, this article will help you a lot by giving you tips, suggestions and good ideas to take care of this beloved object.
To start with, your hand made Oriental rug or your kilim can survive for decades depending on a number of factors. One determining factor is the quality of the rug you have, if it is a good quality one and you treat it with care, it will surely last a lot more than if your rug or kilim is of an inferior quality.
Moreover, there is large number of damages which typically affect rugs, by learning about them and taking the necessary measures to prevent them from happening you will ensure a long lasting life for your treasured rug.
The most common damages are the following ones:
• Water damage: It is one of the most frequent. People usually place potted plants over rugs. Once the plant is watered the pot leaks and the rug under the pot remains constantly wet. In a few weeks the foundation of the rug weakens in such a way that it can be easily broken into pieces. So, if you are going to place a potted plant avoid putting it directly over the rug, you can use a stool or some kind of support so as to keep the humidity of the plant away from the rug. Just in case the advice comes too late and you notice that the rug is already wet you should remove it as soon as possible, clean it and allow it to dry completely to avoid damages in the foundation. Another problem related to water is triggered by damp floors (often if the floor is made of cement). Maybe the floor seems to be dry, but just a bit of moisture can produce the proliferation of microorganisms which can spoil the foundation of the rug.
• Moth damage: These insects do not eat rugs, but their larvae consume the fibers and even the knots of the rugs. They prefer to live in areas under furniture, where it is not always vacuumed or in areas with little traffic. In order to avert this, vacuum the surface once a week and several times a year vacuum the back side, the pad and the floor. For areas which are difficult to reach with the vacuum cleaner spray a proper household insecticide for moths. Besides, do not rely on moth crystals, balls or flakes since they are not effective to kill moths, they just repel them.
• Dogs and cats damage: Puppies usually chew rugs. To avoid this sprinkle some moth flakes under the rug. Likewise, cats love sharpening their claws on rugs. Though it sounds a bit absurd, the best prevention is to try to control the cat's activities.
• Sun damage: The light of the sun can affect and diminish the colors of the rug. If this is your case, try to avoid direct exposure to sunlight or rotate the rug so as to make the color equal in its entire surface.
• Vacuum cleaner damage: Cleaning your rug using a vacuum cleaner is a positive practice but be cautious if your cleaner is equipped with a power brush since a raking effect can be caused on the surface. It is better to use just the plain vacuum nozzle.
• Chemical damage: Sometimes rug cleaners bleach the fringe before delivering it. Although the fringe looks nice after that, the process and the substance used weakens the fibers destroying them little by little. If you still want to have white fringes you could dilute the solution used for bleaching.
• Storage: If you are about to store your rug, make sure you clean it, spray it with some insecticide and wrap it in plastic before doing it.
Most kinds of damages are not difficult to repair, but prevention is better (cheaper and easier) than restoration. If you follow these hints as well as inspecting your rug often and cleaning it only when it is needed your rug will be part of your house for ages.
copyright 2006 by Bill Kernodle
http://www.RevelationImports.com
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