Hand-woven carpets made from natural fibers such as wool or silk provide a tasty snack for moths, and a cherished Oriental or Persian rug can be destroyed in a matter of weeks once moths make a feast of it.  Weekly, we receive area rugs from clients around the United States with moth intrusion.  The damage in some of the rugs can be repaired while others are a lost cause.  Wool and silk contain keratin, a fibrous protein that the worm-like larvae of the moth can digest. Moths, especially the Casemaking and Webbing clothes moth, are the worst enemies of any fine rug, especially older and antique rugs. How Did Moths Make Their Way into My Home? You might think that your house is moth-free and your rugs are safe and [...]

As leading industry experts in wool and silk area rug appraisals, cleaning, and repair, Oriental Rug Salon is often a knowledgebase for interior designers, rug retailers, insurance companies, and rug collectors. We're frequently asked for opinions about rug values, identification of area rugs, and the proper care and maintenance cycle for a good rug cleaning.  We also provide area rug appraisals in person and online and help clients negotiate the value of an area rug before purchase, often saving them thousands off of the price of a rug they're interested in at a retailer. Hand-How knotted Area Rugs Versus Machine-made Rugs  What is a hand-woven rug and how are they made?  Click here for a video explanation. Hand-knotted rugs are extremely beautiful, and there are many reasons why buying a [...]

Daily, Oriental Rug Salon receives calls from panicking rug owners on how to deal with pet urine on their wool or silk area rug.  It seems that “Fido” has had an accident on a cherished area rug, and the owners know that if something is not done quickly, the wool or silk fibers may begin to discolor, develop a nauseous odor, or if left untreated, cause dry rot. Wool is naturally resilient, water-repellent, naturally fire retardant, and dirt-resistant, but urine can alter the fibers and the rug dyes if allowed to sit. If the day comes that your usually well-trained dog has an accident on your cherished wool or silk area rug, rapid response is half the battle. Having a “mess kit” of towels and cleaning supplies ready is essential. [...]

Oriental or Persian wool or silk area rugs that have been taken care of will last for generations while maintaining their beauty and value.  Although wool and silk are an extremely durable rug making material, they are not indestructible. Normal wear and tear, household chemicals, improper cleaning, and indoor heating and air conditioning can take a toll. Following these guidelines can help ensure that your cherished area rug looks its best. Use The Correct padding Using the wrong padding or worse, no underlay at all—can damage your cherished wool or silk area rug. When a rug is placed directly on an uncarpeted surface, it gets squeezed between the floor and your feet (or anything you put on top of it), which can damage the rugs fibers. The type of underlay [...]

How We Appraise Oriental And Persian Area Rugs Online Oriental and Persian area rugs have been a worldwide favorite among collectors, interior designers, and homeowners for decades. They are appreciated and enjoyed by royalty and laypeople alike as art and items of beauty, elevated luxury, and status. Daily Oriental Rug Salon receives online rug appraisal requests from clients around the United States curious about the value or history of a rug they inherited, purchased abroad, or from a rug reseller or flea market.  Some clients need appraisals for donation or insurance purposes, while others are curious about their rug's value, history or would like to offer for sale and want top dollar. Appraisal reports by Oriental Rug Salon provide information such as a description of the area rug and historical [...]

Last week we conducted a seminar for a group of insurance adjusters, restoration companies, and interior designers on the proper way to clean Oriental and Persian area rugs.  We discussed the impersonal approach, which is automated batch washing, and the method that has been around for centuries known as handwashing. Most high production rug cleaning companies use the automated batch wash method, which consists of an industrial washtub designed to “clean” many rugs simultaneously.  Production houses also prefer this method because it does not require a certified or experienced technician since all they’re doing is loading a tub and then hitting the start button. At Oriental Rug Salon, we are against the batch washing method based on the following reasons: The approach is impersonal, and no one is controlling what [...]

Live Christmas trees are beautiful. They look good, and they smell even better! However, where you place your live tree in the home should be a thoroughly thought-out process. And here is WHY? Most people like to place their Christmas tree in the living room where the family gathers.  Many of us who own wool or silk area rugs also want to put our cherished Oriental or Persian in the living room so that we can enjoy it year-round. Placing our Christmas tree and area rug in the same room are fantastic ideas; placing our live tree on top of the area rug is a disaster waiting to happen, and here is why.  It is hard to crawl under the tree, and it's even harder to see exactly how high [...]

Oriental Rug Salon performs hundreds of Oriental, Persian, Turkish, and every other kind of wool and silk area rug and textile online appraisals annually. There are many reasons why someone would request an appraisal, such as: For insurance purposes Our of curiosity or to learn the history, age, and approximate value of their area rug Perhaps they’re interested in selling or purchasing a rug and would like to know its value They may have inherited an area rug and want to learn its value and history The ending of a marriage or death may necessitate the division of property For estate planning purposes Or for the management of assets Our appraisals are performed by experts who specialize in Oriental, Persian, Turkish, and all other wool and silk textiles.  Our appraisal [...]

When presenting lectures to various professional organizations, we are often asked, "how does a rug owner know who to choose when caring for their cherished area rug?" First off, the rug owner needs to know the processes the rug cleaning company uses to clean area rugs. Many high production rug cleaning plants use mechanical equipment similar to a large washtub.  They dump up to a dozen rugs at a time into this tank and a large paddle agitates the rugs.  They use this process because they can wash many rugs at a time and it doesn't take much skill or salary to pay someone to hit the "start button."  Another problem with this process is that their client's rug is being washed with many others that could contain pet urine, [...]

There is nothing like the feeling of a plush rug under your feet or the beauty of an Oriental or Persian rug as the focal point in a room.  Your rug is where you or maybe even your children or grandchildren play videogames, enjoy your pets or watch TV. But without regular cleaning, your cherished area rug will quickly turn into an incubator for unwanted guests in your home. Dirty rugs are germ breeding farms, allowing bacteria, insects, and even viruses to find a place to multiply. And many of these can be very stubborn to remove. Due to the inherent nature of natural and synthetic fibers found in wall to wall and wool or silk area rugs, it can be hard to avoid exposure to germs. To protect those [...]