Carpet and Rug Maintenance Methods

Carpet Maintenance

There are questions that one usually ask thousand times. Let’s see how to go about it.

How to store carpets for long periods
The best would be to roll up your carpet well, to preserve it without it going out of shape. The carpet must be really clean, but as it will be nearly impossible to achieve this at home you may need professional help.

What is right, better folded or rolled?

To save space or for other reasons, sometimes the carpet is folded and left in the same position for a long time.  It is a big mistake that can cost you much especially if it is a Persian carpet or an antique carpet or one with a normal coat. When storing the carpet folded, it will make ugly folds. Apart from the folds, if you have antique carpets they can get damaged within the structure, they can weaken and cut badly. If they are new and have enough coat, this gets crushed and becomes ugly looking. So always roll the carpet up and never fold it for long periods.

Air the Bagged Carpet

We advise you to open the bag every six months, check and air the carpet for a few hours. This helps the bagged carpet breath fresh air that will prevent from growing bugs within them.

Fluff on the carpet you just bought?
Do not panic if the carpet you just bought has fluff on it. It happens with new once as it was just shaved: natural that at it will lose some fluff in the beginning. If the carpet is of good quality it will disappear in a short time. If it is not a good quality one it will continue to lose fluff forever. The carpets made of recycled wool waste give this result, but if you have one of these you should have spent very little (maybe)

Loose thread? Do not pull it!

Take the carpet to trusted carpet seller.
Do not let the carpet lay always in the same position otherwise, it will wear in the same areas. Change its position over the entire surface by turning the carpet once or twice a year.

Dents on the carpet’s surface caused by the furniture

Put a small circle of felt under the legs of tables or furniture. A sheet of plywood in the case of marble or stone. If you have armchairs, tables, etc. with very small legs try to increase the support base by putting under them a sturdy object which increases the surface, as can be, for example, a steel or brass round/square stopper depending on the shape of the foot.

How to avoid dents in the carpet

Do not leave an armchair or a coffee table, etc exactly in the same spot. It will be sufficient to move them a few centimeters every now and then and the carpet will soon recover..

For dent in the carpet: Do this simple thing

Get the iron and a brush and you iron it with steam while combing it in the fleece’s direction without letting the iron touch the carpet. Basically, you just have to use the steam. Some carpets can be really ironed, but not all, so you should proceed in stages: first steam only then just placing it on the carpet while combing.

If the carpet slides and it is moving continually

You obviously need to put under it a non-slip fabric. If the carpet does not slide, then everything is all right, but if it slides it can be very dangerous and could cause injuries.  There are various kinds of non-slip fabrics on the market, usually latex, rubber etc. The rubber ones have a bad flaw: they leave a mark on the floor that does not go away.  Gb-rugs have always offered an exclusive non-slip solution,  made to your requirements, which you can also buy online and which does not leave any marks on the floors.  This not only will protect the carpets from wear but will also avoid bad falls.

Furniture placed on the carpet

Do not shift the carpet with furniture over it. It may tear!!!! NEVER DO THIS.

Wax on the floor!

Do not wax excessively the floor under the carpet. Too much wax may ruin the carpet and get it dirty quicker.

Protecting the carpet from mud, Cats, and dogs

Place a doormat at the entrance and an everyday carpet in the hall.
Beware that they do not ruin your carpet with their nails! Not only that, you have to be careful they don’t pee on them: urine stains burns the wool and breaks up the colors and the smell is remarkable and very difficult to remove; the carpet hardens especially if it goes on for some time.

How to remove dirt

Use a good vacuum cleaner pulling from the center to the outside, so do not pull the carpet. Remember to keep the filter in good condition and adjust the suction. Sometimes you can also use the carpet beater but only with new carpets which are sturdy and solid. The operation should be done according to the intensity of use, but normally should be done at least twice a week. The best rule is this:  vacuum frequently and lightly. Some people recommend the sorghum broom but in our opinion, it is useless: you just move the dirt across the surface.

The corners double over

Iron the carpet with steam, the wrong way round putting on it a piece of cotton, as you would do with your clothes, with a light sprinkling of starch and with steam; dry it well and if necessary repeat the operation.

The corners double under

Turn it over and do the same operation that we explained above for the corners. Sometimes plastic bands are applied to the edges to ensure that the carpet does not turn and often they are already in place at the time of purchase; this system, however, creates a problem: the thickness of the band creates a slight thickness which wears the fabric where this is applied. We recommend removing these bands to avoid excessive wear along the edges and iron them if there was a need.

For the “do-it-yourself” cleaning

Every three months, depending on the position of the carpet, you can refresh it with water and white vinegar using a laundry brush or cloth following the hair direction. This job is best done on a sunny day.