Rugs in Daily Life

Handknotted rugs and carpets have elicited many emotions over the centuries.     They can represent a culture, tribe, geographic area and or natural surroundings.     Carpets also represent part of the emotive need to create and leaves ones legacy to the future.     We see this exhibited in rugs used in everyday life like kelims to partition living areas, textiles for clothing, tapestries for religious or cultural purposes.

As time progressed, carpets became part of the functional space in European homes and estates.     The English and German's have always been aggressive consumers of rugs and carpets.    Traders then companies established workshops in Persia for organized production to meet the needs of their market.    Firms like Ziegler became famous for their carpets---even today these 19th century rugs are highly sought after.

American families today still cherish handknotted "oriental" rugs.     The breadth of choices is vastly different from my youth---this is a boon for consumers---but also can be confusing.     Years ago the choices were thick simple pile rugs from China, geometric Afghani rugs in red, tribal rugs from Turkey and the Caucaus region and of course Persian rugs.     Today a multitude of weaves, colors, patterns and styles have emerged---all rugs that can enrich our home decor and everyday life.     I hope you become a devotee of area rugs and see how they can improve your home too.

Tufted Rugs

Tufted Rugs have become the predominant area rug people see when shopping for carpets.    They are easy to make, generally cheaply priced and widely available.     Using a nylon backing, workers gun tuft yarn to make the pattern, latex is spread on the back and heated to cure and adhere the pile together.     This is both a cheap and fast means of production.     However, there are some considerations....

These rugs are not made to last.     Over several years, latex dries and breaks down leaving dust and the possibility of yarn pulling away.     These rugs can be cleaned, but often loose shape and texture---this is not a flaw by the cleaning process, but a result of the manufacturing of the rug.

We no longer actively stock these carpets as they do not meet our customers expectations for a high quality artisan created carpet.

Area Rug Cleaning

Area Rug Cleaning

We receive daily calls and emails seeking proper care and cleaning of their area rugs.     We realize that these are cherished possessions and that proper care is important.    Here are some tips to follow:

Frequency for Full Cleaning
We suggest that your fine area carpets should be fully washed every 3-5 years depending on use and traffic.    It is not beneficial to wait longer as dirt becomes embedded and can prematurely wear your pile.

Vacuuming
We use upright Hoovers and have for over fifty years.    They are reliable, easy to use and can be refurbished should they break.     That being stated, any reliable upright should do the job---its up to you to vacuum on a weekly basis!     Also--please do not mow the fringe into the vacuum; this will wear out your fringe and create expensive repairs.

How we Wash:
We clean area rugs the old way---immersion in water, full cleaning/scrubbing on the back to loosen ingrained dirt and soil.    Then a double wash on the front.    Finally, we rinse, hang dry and then hand treat fringes.

Please note that even with diligent care and attentive cleaners, colors can and do run, rugs can shrink or elongate and stains do not always come out!     We do our best for you---but issues such as these are often beyond our control.