Rugstore North East Blog

Spring is a great time for rug cleaning. The sunshine and warmer weather make it easier to drag area rugs out doors and being able to leave the doors open aides in drying. Throw rugs and area rugs can be impossible to keep clean. It seems as though everyone including the animals head right for these rugs and the result is every kind of stain imaginable, and these rugs probably took a real beating during the holidays or if you live in an area where the winter months are especially muddy and wet.



When it comes time for rug cleaning, throw all of the smaller rugs into one load and add some colorfast bleach. You may have to run two smaller loads, depending on how many rugs you own, but the smaller, the better, as dirt doesn't dissolve fast with this type of material. Throw rugs are usually made of lightweight material and can be bundled into the washer, area rugs are typically larger and will need some hand work to get clean.



Area rug cleaning is a little more in depth, as they are typically hard to vacuum. Here's where your mother's idea of elbow grease comes in. Get a hard bristle brush and some mild detergent, and brush the area rugs against the grain. This will especially serve to remove any pet hair, and if you lightly wet it with the detergent first, the pet hair should stick to the brush and come up easily. Follow with a good vacuum if you can, keeping one corner firmly anchored to the floor with your foot. Remember to loosen gum by freezing it with an ice cube, and then scraping it up with a knife.

If it's a sunny day, air out your area rugs by throwing them over a fence or just laying them across the grass in an area where the kids won't be running over them.



For grease or oil stains, use simple cornstarch for your rug cleaning needs. Coffee stains will come out using a mixture of 20% peroxide and a few drops of ammonia. If your little darlings have spilled milk, ammonia is good for this job as well. Its football season, so if there is beer spilled on the area rugs, use vinegar to remove the stale smell. (Football season can also lead to blood stains, so remember to keep some ammonia around just in case of this type of stain!)

If area rugs just need a good airing out, hand them from a sturdy clothesline or over a fence and beat them with a broom. There used to be neat rug beaters available made from the same type of tree branches used to make switches, and if you can find one in an antique store they are the absolute best for beating dust from smaller rugs which can't be laundered any other way.



If your area and throw rugs are made from wool and dry clean only, cornstarch is yet again your best bet, as rug cleaning costs can get high for woolen rugs. There are, however, some great commercial products for removing stains and freshening dry clean only area carpeting which use dry chemicals to remove the more stubborn stains which home remedies may not help.



If you need a professional rug cleaning company to take care of your precious rugs, please visit http://www.anyclean.co.uk.

All rugs and carpets require specific care in order to keep their appearance and lengthen their lifespan.

There is minor but important differences in caring for machine made and handmade rugs, if done properly you can add considerable life to your rug.

General Rug Maintenance

Prevention is better than a cure as the saying goes, so we have compiled a list of ways in which you can prevent your rugs ever getting damaged:

· Avoid your rug (and floors) getting dirty by protecting entrances to your home with dedicated barrier mats.

 

· Consider a "no shoes " policy in your home. This will also protect hard flooring and carpeted areas. (In many countries this is the norm)

 

· If possible rotate your rug periodically to distribute the areas of heavy traffic.

 

· Never place rugs on damp or wet floors

 

· We also recommend the use of a rug underlay to prevent colour transfer onto existing floor coverings and hard floors, rucking problems and tripping hazards on hard flooring.

 

Some rugs have manufacturers care labels attached when purchased so you should always read and follow the supplier's guidelines and recommendations.

Vacuuming and Brushing your Rugs

Regularly vacuuming your rug is fundamental in prolonging the life and preventing premature wear.

Hand tufted and hand knotted Rugs

With these rugs suction-only type of vacuum should be used. You should never use a beater bar on the surface of these types of rugs.

If you are using an upright vacuum with a beater action ensure the brushes are on the highest setting and just skimming the surface of the rug.

Shaggy Rugs

For shaggy rugs shake the rug to loosen any grit or loose fibres and by using tools on the lowest setting it will help to minimise the excessive shedding usually associated with these types of rugs, especially the felted wool fibres.

Machine Made Rugs

These types of rugs with a cut pile should be vacuumed with cleaners that have beater bars. This will keep the pile upright and loosen any grit in the base of the pile.

Periodically, the rug should be turned pile down and the back of the rug should be vacuumed with an upright cleaner. The beater bar set low to loosen any grit in the pile. The rug should then be turned the correct way and vacuumed as above.

Natural Fibre, Sisal and loop Pile Rugs

For these rugs a 'suction only' type of vacuum should be used. It is important to never use a beater bar on the surface of these types of rugs.

Fringes can be straightened out by hand with a comb or soft brush or with the use of the vacuum tools using a single motion away from the rug.

Spills and Cleaning Tips

Firstly, you should never rub the surface pile of a rug. The correct way to approach a spillage or mark is to blot the area with a clean, absorbent cloth or white paper towel. Try not to make the spillage area larger.

Secondly, you should scrape up any excess spillage with a blunt knife or spatula.

Before using any cleaning products on your rug, you should always 'spot test' the rug to ensure the solution you are using will not damage or bleach the fibres of the rug. Washing up liquid, abrasive cleaners or caustic solutions (including some carpet cleaning products) contain bleaching agents and these can damage the pile of your rug, so it's important to find the correct cleaning solution.

We have used Woolclean products and various solutions used for washing woollen clothes such as sturgene and pre wash sprays successfully and find they give good results and do not harm the fibres.

Always brush the pile so the affected area is the same direction as the rest of the rug ( A normal comb is very good for this as it separates the tufts and helps prevent a matted appearance ).

If you are not confident in tackling a spill seek professional advice.

RugStore NE (http://www.rugstorene.co.uk/) offer a large selection of rugs, including oriental rugs, modern rugs and Persian rugs, from all over the world.

There are some beautifully executed Persian rugs and Oriental rugs made in workshops noted for their skill and expertise, however, at the opposite end of the spectrum bonded child labour is still a big problem in the rug and carpet making industry.



In 2006 the International Labour Organisation announced that there was 28 million fewer child labourers than there was 4 years previous.  This article will explain what bonded child labour is and how we can help to bring this statistic down further.



What is Bonded Child Labour?

 

There are three types of bonded child labour that exist in India, Pakistan and Nepal.

The first is when a child inherits a debt carried by his or her parents.



The second is when a parent uses their child or children as collateral for a loan



Thirdly a child worker can enter into bondage to their employer by requesting an advance on future wages they expect to earn.



The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that 218 million children worldwide, from 5 to 17 years old, are engaged in some kind of labour, with 126 million children engaged in the worst forms of child labour.  The largest number are employed in the Farming and Agriculture Industry

 

Are all Oriental Hand knotted Rugs made with Bonded Child Labour?

 

Not all Rug producing countries have problems with Child labour; in some instances children are positively encouraged to learn the art of rug making and hand knotting from a very early age.



The fundamental difference with this situation is that the children are taught by family members in the home environment.



The beautiful rugs of the Turkomen, Qashgai, lori and numerous other Pastoral nomadic Tribes living in Iran, Iraq, and along the border regions of Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and across to Azerbaijan are fine examples of Traditional Tribal Rug making that does not involve the use of any form of Bonded Labour.



There is some beautifully executed fine Persian rugs and carpets made in workshops noted for their skill and expertise.  Inexperienced children could not possibly make these rugs.



India, Pakistan, and Nepal are the countries where bonded child labour is a real problem in the rug making and carpet manufacturing industry.



Organisations such as UNICEF, FREE THE CHILDREN AND OXFAM, to name but a few of the excellent agencies working in these countries, are helping to bring peoples attention to this evil traffic in child suffering.  A number of labelling systems have been introduced in these countries to help free these unfortunate children .



Although we have always worked closely with our suppliers and ensured they have sound ethical policies relating to Bonded Child Labour, The North East Rugstore has taken this a step  further and has  become one of a small number of Rug Companies who are Retail Partners with RUGMARK .



Who are Rugmark?



RugMark is a global, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing a better life for thousands of children working illegally in the rug industry across South Asia.



So far, RugMark has rescued over 3,000 children from working the looms, and prevented thousands more from entering the factories. Those rescued from working are reunited with their families, or taken to live at a RugMark-sponsored rehabilitation centre.



By buying rugs and carpets bearing the RugMark label, you can be sure under-age children working illegally did not make them.



Find out more about Rugmark at  http://www.rugstorene.co.uk/

 

How can I avoid buying a rug made using  Bonded Child Labour ?



In some countries the labelling system does not apply, therefore the customer must rely on the integrity of the person selling the rug.



The best way to avoid a rug made with bonded labour is to buy a good quality rug.



The rug producer using cheap, flat looking wool, garish dirty looking colours (dyes) is more likely to use the cheapest labour which is unskilled or inexperienced children to make them.



One of the myths of the rug industry, and a comment we receive time and again, is that consumers believe that finely knotted rugs are made by children because only they have the little fingers that can tie such tiny knots.



This statement could not be further from the truth. Only a master weaver with years of experience can produce works of art that show symmetry of design an understanding of harmonizing  and balancing colours , even tension across the rug  and a pride in the execution of there art.



It won't cost that much more money, if any extra at all, to buy a handmade rug or carpet made by a skilled adult weaver who has taken years to learn their art and is supporting his or her family by earning a descent wage for their labour and skill.



Follow this link to see examples of Traditional Persian Qashgai rugs 

 

In 2006, the International Labour Organization published ta repor called 'The End of Child Labour: Within Reach'. There was one very special fact noted in this report: "today, there are 28 million fewer child labourers than there were four years ago!" This means that the work you are doing, we are all doing, to stop child labour, is truly creating positive change. But there is still much more to be done.





RugStore NE offer a large section of Persian rugs, Oriental rugs and traditional rugs from all over the world.  The North East Rugstore has become one of a small number of Rug Companies who are Retail Partners with RUGMARK, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing a better life for thousands of children working illegally in the rug industry across South Asia.