Using the age old adage, ‘old
is gold’, might be just a little cliché but in the case of carpets, it is aptly
appropriate. Some museums and art collections, house rugs that predate most
modern day religions. Even more impressive is that these works of art have
retained much of their attractiveness, even after a couple of thousand years.
With that in mind, you might be tempted into purchasing an antique rug. I am
not suggesting you try to get your hands on a rug that has a manufacturing date
with the letters B.C in it. There are plenty of antique carpet stores in
Toronto that will give you a fair price on a piece which is 75 to a 100 years
old. Antique rugs require special attention, so it is important to be well
versed in carpet cleaning.
Basic Spills: According to North York carpet cleaning professionals,
older Persian rugs are made up of lanolin-rich wool, which has natural stain
repelling capabilities. The wool has naturally occurring proteins that stop
seepage into the core of the fibre. It is the first line of defence, kind of
like the bodies white blood cells. So most spills can be cleaned by using a
paper towel to blot up the liquid. If a stain does pop up, this is one of the
rare occasions you can use shampoo. Since wool is similar to human hair,
shampoo makes for an effective cleaning agent. You can also use colourless
detergent and plain white vinegar to treat stains. When cleaning the rug you
have to be careful, you are dealing with a product that has a few miles on it.
Since the fibre is older, try to resist the temptation to scrub, it will result
in irreversible discolouration. Always try to blot the stain and make use of a
non-electric carpet sweeper. A deadly nemesis of modern day carpets is red
wine, the elderly members of the carpet family are more resilient to the
alignment. Wine spills can be removed with just paper towels.
Tumbling: Try not to clean an antique rug
too frequently. Antique rugs should almost never be vacuumed, sweep the carpet
with a brush a couple of times a week. Let the rug’s natural defences take care
of itself. Something you would want to do every five to six years is hire a
professional cleaner to tumble the carpet. A tumbler is not to be mistaken with
the bat mobile from Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. According to the North York carpet cleaning gurus, a carpet
tumbler is a large clothes drier that has slower revolutions. It gently
removes, dust and dirt from the roots of the carpet without leaving behind
abrasions. Mississauga carpet Cleaners claim that most professionals have this
machine in their repertoire.
Sunlight: Older carpets are impervious to
bouts of extreme sunlight. That being said as they age, they become more prone
to fading. Use a clear plastic film on your windows, it will not change the
colour of the glass or reduce the lighting in your room. What it will do is
reduce the amount of UV exposure on the surface of the carpet. Rotate the
carpet a couple of times a year to even out the gradual softening effect of
sunlight and the wear and tear of foot traffic.
Moths: Moths are deadly to older rugs
and the remedy has nothing to do with the carpet. Moths like cold, damp and
dark environments, preferably with a bit of decomposition. Keep your room clean
and well ventilated and you will not have a moth problem period.
Other useful tips
include, brushing with a straw broom, keep the rug on a padded surface rather
than directly on the floor, do not place heavy furniture on the rug and keep
the room dry. Antique rugs do need special care; then again this is not an
investment of a lifetime but one that could possibly transcend generations. As
many North York carpet cleaning experts say, over time the carpet may
get worn but you can be certain it will never get old.
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