Our Top 5 DO'S and DON'TS on Persian carpets

Owning a Persian carpet is a dream come true for many. Purchasing your prized Persian carpet is but the first step in a long, loving relationship that will hopefully be passed on to your descendants. Knowing how to care for it is the next important step. Ghorbany Carpets have many years’ experience in cleaning, repairing and restoring Persian carpets and here are our TOP 5 DO’s and DON’TS to ensure that your Persian carpet retains as much of its glory as possible throughout the years:

1. DON’T vacuum your Persian carpet too often – vacuum cleaners pull on the carpet and as a result often damage the fringes, sides and pile of the carpet. Even though the fringes and sides can be replaced, it is better to keep the original ones for as long as possible.

DO vacuum only once a week but rather opt for brushing your carpet.

2. DON’T place your Persian carpet in a dark and damp space (i.e. under cupboards, heavy tables and dark rooms) – that is a breeding ground for fish moths and since Persian carpets are made 100% with organic materials it gets infested quickly. Once fish moths made a nest in your carpet they damage the structure which is most times irreparable.

DO place your Persian carpet in light, well aired areas or air the carpet outside in the sun regularly (at least once a month) if the only option is to keep it in a dark space.

3. DON’T place your Persian carpet in an area where direct sunlight will shine on it for long hours daily – the sun will fade the dyes over time. Even though we can repair the faded carpet (in most instances), prevention is better than cure.

DO place your Persian carpets in light, well-aired areas or change the direction of the carpet regularly if your only option is to keep it in a sunny area.

4. DON’T wash your Persian carpet yourself – commercial soaps are very strong and take out the natural oil of the wool which makes it dry and brittle. This will cause the pile to break off and the dyes to fade over time, reducing the value of your Persian carpet.

DO wash your Persian carpet every 2 – 3 years with a reputable Persian carpet cleaner (PS. dry cleaners and commercial wall-to-wall carpet cleaners are not trained Persian carpet cleaners. Damage caused by dry cleaning or commercial washing of Persian carpets is most often irreparable).

5. DON’T store your Persian carpet without mothballs or some form of fish moth repellent! Persian carpets are made from 100% organic materials and is a feast for fish moths if stored incorrectly.

DO store your carpet rolled up or folded with mothballs or other fish moth repellent and air it in the sun at least once a month until it can be placed in its new spot.

At Ghorbany carpets we clean each carpet according to the make and age with experts from Iran overseeing this procedure for each carpet. Give us a call for your rug appointment or contact any of our 4 showrooms for advice!