If you spilled red wine on a silk blouse, you wouldn’t throw it in the washing machine with your gym clothes, right? You would take it to a specialist.
Yet, every month at Baluchi Rug Gallery, we see heartbreaking damage done to beautiful, investment-grade rugs because a well-meaning homeowner hired a standard carpet cleaning company to "steam clean" their handmade wool or silk masterpieces.
There is a massive difference between wall-to-wall synthetic carpeting and a hand-knotted Oriental rug. Treating them the same can lead to color bleeding, shrunken fibers, and stripped natural oils.
Here is why your handmade rug requires a different approach—and how we handle cleaning right here in Scottsdale.
1. The Problem with "Steam Cleaning"
- Most carpet cleaning services use hot water extraction (steam) directly in your home. While this works great for synthetic wall-to-wall carpet, it is dangerous for wool.
- Heat Damages Wool: High heat can strip the natural lanolin from wool fibers, making them brittle and dry.
- Trapped Moisture: Cleaning a rug on top of a wood or stone floor often traps moisture underneath. This can cause the rug’s foundation to rot (dry rot) or damage your hardwood floors.
- Color Bleeding: Vegetable dyes used in tribal and village rugs are not always colorfast when exposed to the high-pressure chemicals used in steam cleaning.
2. The "Dusting" Phase (The Step Everyone Skips)
Living in Arizona, we deal with fine desert dust constantly. In a handmade rug, this dust settles deep into the knots, acting like microscopic shards of glass that cut the fibers when you walk on them.
Water turns this dust into mud.
That is why we never wash a rug until it has been "dusted." At Baluchi Rug Gallery, we use specialized vibration equipment to shake loose pounds of impacted dirt before a single drop of water touches the rug. You would be shocked at how much dust comes out of a rug that looks "clean" to the naked eye.
3. The Traditional Submersion Wash
The only safe way to clean a hand-knotted rug is the way it has been done for centuries: full submersion.
We treat your rug like a spa guest. It is submerged in cool, soft water and washed with mild, wool-safe shampoos. We use soft brushes to agitate the dirt out of the pile gently. This process flushes out pet urine, deep-set stains, and allergens completely, rather than just cleaning the top surface.
4. Repair & Restoration: A Stitch in Time
While your rug is with us for a wash, it’s the perfect time to check the fringe and edges (selvedge). These are the first areas to unravel.
- The "Unraveling" Danger: If the fringe starts to pull away, the knots of the rug itself can begin to fall off. Securing the end cords is a small, inexpensive repair that prevents a major restoration bill later.
Bring Your Rug Back to Life
A handmade rug is built to last 50, 80, even 100 years—but only if it is maintained correctly. Don't risk your heirloom with a quick steam clean.
Ready for a refresh?
We offer professional hand-washing and repair services for all types of handmade rugs.
Call us at (480) 219-8095 or drop off your rug at our showroom at 7155 E 5th Ave, Scottsdale. We can assess the condition and give you a free estimate on the spot.