Hand Cleaning at Home: Prepare a mixture of the following proportions; half a cup of carpet shampoo to four and a half cups of warm water and add one tablespoon of vinegar to prevent the colour from running. Lay the carpet with the pile up on a hard flat surface. Dip the brush in the liquid and apply it in gentle even vertical strokes. Vigorous brushing or scrubbing will not clean throughly and is likely to damage the carpet in its wet vulnerable state. Start in one corner, brushing up and down, with and against the pile with even overlapping movements. The amount of shampoo applied and the pressure of the brush should be as constant as possible over the entire carpet surface. Once the carpet is brushed vertically (length wise) then brush horizontally or from side to side across the pile, with the same gentle overlapping strokes. The pile should be throughly cleaned by now. Finally, brush gently in the direction of the pile as the carpet dries, so that the pile is lying in the right direction.

Drying:  Preferably use a room where there is a warm air current heating system. Do not drape the carpet, it must be allowed to dry flat, and don't walk, or place anything on it until it is completely dry. The warp, weft and pile of a completely dried carpet should feel soft and pliable. Remove the dried dirt and shampoo powder by gently brushing with a soft dry brushing.

Blotting and Stain Removing

When spills occur, dilute with plenty of water. Next, blot from the edge of the spill toward the center. Avoid rubbing the area. For solid spills, take a spoon and carefully scoop up the material. It is always best to attack the spill immediately. The following information will help you eliminate most stains. For further advice, contact us. We will be glad to help you.

Things to Avoid

Washing machines and spin dryers should never be used for any delicate hand-made item. With carpets the vibration, water temperature and harsh detergents will cause irrepairable damage; possible color-run from the hot water and the detergents and a cement-like wool once dry. It may even reduce the carpet to shreads. Again dry cleaners sometimes advertise themselves as carpet cleaners. Their services may be useful for machine-made carpets, but an Orientel Hand-made masterpiece should never be subjected to the strong chemicals that these firms use. The damage may become apparant only after several months and the damage is irrepairable.

Moth Damage

Wool carpets and kilims are subject to moth damage. The dark areas of the carpet should be inspected for signs of moth damage, which will result in a weakened foundation or in the knots eventually pulling out where the nap has been eaten away. New carpet and kilims are treated with insecticides before exportations and onces in a dealer's shop they are frequently moved about to avoid this problem.