You may remember this post in which I shared Rex’s red marker attack on our rug, and how I hid the mark by just flipping that side of the rug under our couch. Well one rainy day this past week when we just needed to get out of the house and were stir crazy, we went to go see my friend Ali at his Moroccan rug store, Kechmara Designs. Besides checking out his latest selection from Morocco as possible options for baby girl’s nursery and giving Rex “magic carpet rides” throughout the building (he was in heaven!)… Ali gave me some nuggets of knowledge for protecting my rugs and keeping them looking their best.
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1. Rug Pads | Huge! My friend Ali is always on my case regarding this one as I still don’t have rug pads under all of the rugs in our house. Literally every time he sees me or comes over he gasps, “Alicia!!!”
2. Try to always vacuum in one direction. | A tip I didn’t know! I am careful with the cowhide rugs we have and only swiffer them (vacuum occasionally) in the direction of the hair but didn’t think about this with the other rugs in our house. Makes sense! And with thicker wool pile you want to really get in there with a handheld vac.
3. Always keep carpet cleaner around.
4. Ali’s biggest secret–Razor blade for shaving off colored marks | If you get colored marks or stains on your rug simply take a razor blade to gently shave the pile. Don’t be scared.
5. “Sunlight is always good for a rug” | Ali reminded me that everything in Morocco is natural, there is no true white and nothing is bleached or dyed. To get tough stains out or if you want to try to mute the color of your rug, wash it and hang it to dry outside in the heat of the summer. He says you’ll have to leave it outdoors for about a week to really notice a difference in the color. Putting a peanut butter or caramel colored rug (the natural wool hues) in the sunlight is how the Moroccans tone the colors down to an ivory.
* remember two things change the color of a rug–giving it those muted tones that we love in a vintage rug:: use (ie: walking on it for years) and sunlight.
6. When all else fails, give your rug a proper wash. | Take your rug to a cleaner you trust. (Ali recommends Ed here locally in Sacramento who will come and pick up the rug for you, wash it, and bring it back. # (916)531-0128)