Tag: large area rug

The Dirty Persian Rug Test

Posted on by D F

Feel like your Oriental rugs or Persian rugs are dirty? Having a hard time remembering what color it was when you first bought it? Chances are, it’s filthy, either that, or you’re losing your mind. Most hand knotted Oriental or Persian rugs require a yearly cleaning, depending on a couple of factors. Performing the dirty Persian rug test is one way to tell.

Try one of the following methods to see if your rug needs a cleaning:

  1. Moisten a white towel and gently rub back and forth; if the towel is soiled, it’s time for a cleaning!
  2. Pick up the corner of your rug and give it a swift kick; if a little cloud of dust emerges, it’s time for a cleaning!
  3. Lift up a corner of your rug so that the backside is facing you; fold the corner down and over so you can get a good look of the crevices your vacuum can’t reach. If you see debris, dust, or fibers, it’s time for a cleaning!

In terms of self-cleaning, the process is a bit more complicated. If your task is to clean a large area rug, stop and call a professional. The smaller the rug, the easier it is to clean, and the less likely you’ll be to ruin the entire rug. Now cleaning a rug is similar to washing your hair. But before you start anything, test a small patch to check for color runs! Firstly, remove any debris with a quick vacuum job, lather your rug with shampoo and water, rinse thoroughly with water, squeeze excess water out, and lay flat to dry.

To maintain a clean rug, avoid wearing shoes inside the house or try vacuuming once a month to get rid of dust and fibers. Stick with these few tips and you’ll be more likely to see your rug’s true colors.

Noisy Neighbors? Tell ‘Em To Get a Rug

Posted on by D F

My upstairs noisy neighbors had always been incredibly loud. Unnaturally noisy, even — I often wondered what exactly they’re doing up there. My theory is a heavy rotation of hoedown lessons and mini-relay races, but my boyfriend is pretty sure they just didn’t have any rugs on their floors, and that if I didn’t have any, my downstairs neighbors would probably be complaining about me — and my stilettos — too.

I decided to take matter into my own hands. Well, sort of. At first I thought about writing an anonymous note, but since I live alone they’d probably figure out pretty quickly who wrote, “Either get some rugs or move the Stomp practices elsewhere.” I also considered getting a hold of their e-mail addresses and signing them up for the 1-800 Get a Rug newsletter, but I figured they’d assume it was spam and delete it without reading.

Finally I decided to just buy a large area rug myself and play it off like I was getting rid of it. 1-800 Get a Rug’s area rugs are inexpensive enough that it was worth the investment if it meant quiet. Plus I had 10 days to return it if my plan backfired. I popped up to the neighbors’ and told them I had a nice big oriental rug I didn’t want anymore, and they said they’d be happy to take it off my hands. It’s been blissfully quiet ever since.