Rug Restoration for Your Rugs, All rugs are meant to fly over the axis of time, just like Jasmine and Aladdin’s rug. Although rugs can’t fly, they’re all magical. That’s because no matter how damaged, stained and disappointing they might look now, a proper Rug Restoration revitalizes their first-day value. ?

In this blog post from Khazai Rug Cleaning and Repair, I, Sophia Khazai, want to discuss the most common problem that rug owners are constantly dealing with. Then I’ll give you a couple of useful tips to prevent damage, followed by a guide on how a rug restoration service fixes damage once it happens.

Most Common Problems With Area Rugs

Prevention is better than cure. So I highly recommend you follow my tips to keep your valuable area rug healthy. 

But once the damages happen, it doesn’t mean your area rug’s life is over! To a damaged yet precious rug, professional rug restoration is the only way to come back to life.

Here I have listed the main issues that I see in damaged area rugs that are brought to my rug store in Louisville, KY. Then I’ll tell you how to prevent that damage and how Rug Restoration takes care of it as if it never happened.

Rug Moth Damage

Moths are the most common uninvited and undesirable guests on your rugs. They don’t exactly look at your rugs as fantastic artworks like people do. 

Instead, they mistake it with a never-ending party that provides them with food, warmth, and a safe place to lay eggs. These eggs eat off the natural fibers of your area rug that usually consist of wool, cotton, and silk.

This unwanted feast results in tiny holes all over the rug’s surface, a weak pile, and a very unpleasant odor.

Moth damage in rugs is more common in regions with hot and humid climates like my hometown Louisville, KY!

How To Prevent Moth Damage In Rugs?

• Vacuum Regularly:

Vacuum your rugs with a mild air suction at least twice a week. The laid eggs are almost invisible once they haven’t hatched yet, so you won’t notice their presence. Vacuuming pulls out the laid moth eggs from the rug and finishes the feast before it even gets started!

• Be Careful With Food Spills:

The adult moths don’t eat the rug fibers, but their larvae do. Food spills, especially foods with high glucose, act as a magnet, attracting adult moths to come and use your area rug as their incubator.

So be cautious around food spills on your rug and clean them off right away once they happen.

• Rug Rotation:

Rotating your area rugs at least once a year significantly helps to prevent moth damage and wear. Especially when some parts of the area rug is under the furniture, that area receives no foot traffic or light, which makes it a perfect place for the moths to live and lay their eggs. Rug rotation also balances the amount of wear caused by foot traffic and gives a consistent look to your area rugs.

• Professional Rug Cleaning:

You won’t be able to notice moths in your area rugs until the damage has been done, but a rug expert can!

Rug cleaning companies inspect all stained rugs thoroughly each time before starting the cleaning process. The reason is to find any possible defects and customize the most fitting rug cleaning solution based on that rug’s conditions.

In the inspection section of the rug cleaning process, they can detect moths’ presence in the rug and root it out with toxic-free solutions instead of harsh chemical pesticides.

How Does Rug Restoration Fix Moth Damage in Area Rugs?

First, the damaged rug gets badgered to get the larvae out of it. After that, an expert starts reweaving to fix the eaten parts of the rug.

This part is very, very crucial because any mistake will ruin the whole process. The rug reweaving must be done with exactly the same dyes and material as the rug to give it a consistent and complete look.

Rug Mildew & Mold Damage

Mold and mildew are microorganisms that can grow in any environment made of organic substances that are dark, warm, moisturized.

They give an unbearable stink to the rug and weaken the rug fibers that gradually unravel the whole rug.

Also, Mold and mildew damage is a pretty common issue with rugs in humid climates and areas in the house that are exposed to moisture like the kitchen rug, outdoor rug, or bathroom rug.

DIY Youtube hacks and in-home methods aren’t effective on mold and mildew damage. You’d better ask a professional for a proper rug restoration service.

How To Prevent Mold and Mildew Damage In Rugs?

Keep your area rugs dry and away from any source of dampness, and you’ll never see mold or mildew in your valuable rug.

Choose synthetic machine-made rugs for the areas of your home that are constantly exposed to water, such as the laundry room, bathroom, or outdoor areas.

Avoid putting vases on your natural-fiber area rugs. That’s because one way or another, the water will leak and reach the rug.

Be cautious about food spills, especially drinks. Dry out the liquid bulk by firmly blotting it with paper towels until the paper towel you’re using is dry.

Pet urine can also cause mildew damage in area rugs. You can’t remove all the moisture just with a paper towel or terry cloth, and the residual dampness will attract mold and mildew.

If you’re living in a humid climate, you should keep the door and windows usually closed when there’s a natural fiber area rug in the room.

Avoid deep cleaning the rug at home. The rug might fit into your bathtub or backyard, but that doesn’t mean you should clean it at home. Sun-drying won’t get the dampness out of a wet rug, so the depth remains moisturized while only the surface is dry.

One essential part of professional rug restoration is the water extraction with special equipment to make sure no mold and mildew occur.

How Does Rug Restoration Fix Mold and Mildew Damage in Area Rugs?

If you get a professional rug restoration for your rug, the process starts with rooting out the mold and mildew.

A special solution must be used to kill off the microorganisms without burning the rug fibers and causing color distortion.

After removing them, a rug weaving expert replaces the lost parts of the rug with matching dyes and material. A rug after a high-quality rug restoration looks as if nothing had ever happened to it!

Rug Fringe Restoration

Unlike in machine-made rugs, fringe is not only a decorative touch on oriental rugs. It’s an essential part of the rug that strengthens the whole body as well as gives it a complete and satisfying look.

Harsh vacuuming, foot traffic, pets, and improper chemical cleaners damage and loosen the rug fringe.

The most common mistake by oriental rug owners is using bleach on the fringes to whiten them. That might whiten the fringe but burns the fiber so severely. That’s why fringe repair and grooming is the final touch of the oriental rug restoration process.

How To Prevent Fringe Damage In Rugs?

Be gentle while vacuuming. Using high air suction might tear the tassels and damage the fringe.

Make sure the detergent you’re using is harmless to the rug. Here I have listed all the harmful commercial cleaners that damage area rugs. 

How Does Rug Restoration Fix Rug Fringe Damage in Area Rugs?

On the machine-made rugs, the fringe is a decorative item and not attached to the rug’s body. So rug fringe restoration on these rugs is simply overcasting a new set of fringe.

But in oriental rug restoration, it means that a rug expert removes the loosened fringes and inserts a new loom on the rug, and weaves a new fringe with the same material and color.

Antique Rug Restoration

Usually, a handmade rug with more than 100 years of age is what experts call an antique rug. 

Antique rugs have significantly high value in the market, and some of them have broken records in art auctions like Sotheby’s, selling at $33 million!!! ???

That is to say, when you get an oriental rug or Persian rug for your home, you’re actually investing your money in it rather than spending it because these rugs keep gaining more value instead of losing it like other home decor items.

How To Prevent Damage In Antique Rugs?

The most common problem with antique rugs is worn-out piles and color run or fading.

Antique rugs are quite delicate but durable. They need utmost care, and you need to place them in places with controlled air conditioning and lower foot traffic.

Never clean antique rugs at home with DIY YouTube hacks or give them to carpet cleaners. Don’t risk thousands of dollars because you’ll ruin the rug that way.

Antique rug cleaning and repair requires a qualified rug expert with years of experience and knowledge because it’s very tricky and sensitive work to treat an antique rug. 

How Does Antique Rug Restoration Work?

Antique rug restoration is kind of a package deal that includes cleaning the rug entirely without damaging its delicate construction.

It needs a knowledgeable rug expert to inspect the rug and customize a rug cleaning solution that is the right one based on its age, dyes, and material.

In the inspection process, our team detects any defect and damage to the rug and then repairs it to make sure this hand-knotted investment will keep its true value.

Where To Find The Top-Level Rug Restoration in Louisville, KY

Our Rug Repair team and we offer the highest quality Rug Restoration in Louisville, KY, and its surrounding areas.

 Blessed with fifth-generation expertise, we know how to repair each rug with customized techniques and the best possible materials and dyes.

We also offer contactless Free Pickup & Delivery for your rugs that promises to be faithful to Covid-19 protocols and deliver your rug in less than 72 hours. 

If your valuable rugs need to be restored to their first-day look and value, please give us a call today and let us help make that happen!