How To Deep Clean Oriental Rugs

Professional rug cleaners can be expensive. I have a couple of cats, and one of them always seems to run for one of my oriental rugs in particular when she’s feeling under the weather. Why, I’ll never know!

My budget can’t afford to have a professional come out every time something happens, so I’ve learned a lot about caring for and cleaning my own rugs.

Let me start by saying that deep cleaning an oriental rug is not something you should do just because the calendar says it’s time. Regular vacuuming and good routine care are the first line of defense. Deep cleaning is needed when the rug has accumulated soil that regular vacuuming can’t remove.

And there is an important difference between freshening up a rug at home and completely washing a rug.

Some rugs can be carefully cleaned at home. Others, particularly valuable, antique, silk, damaged, or color-sensitive rugs, are much better left to a professional.

So before you grab the garden hose, let’s talk about the safest way to approach deep cleaning an oriental rug.

Deep Cleaning Oriental Rugs Yourself

Sometimes, but it depends on the rug.

The fiber, construction, dyes, age, condition, backing, and previous repairs all affect how the rug should be cleaned.

A sturdy, newer, colorfast rug may be a reasonable candidate for careful DIY cleaning. A valuable antique hand-knotted rug is a different story.

Professional rug cleaners are trained to identify different rug fibers and constructions and select appropriate cleaning methods. IICRC’s Rug Cleaning Technician certification specifically covers rug identification and appropriate cleaning techniques.

If you aren’t sure what kind of rug you have, don’t guess.

What Is Your Oriental Rug Made Of?

The material the rug is made from is one of the most important things to know before deep cleaning it.

Oriental rugs may be made from wool, silk, cotton, synthetic fibers, viscose/rayon, or blends.

Wool Oriental Rugs

Wool is common in oriental rugs and is durable, but that doesn’t mean you can clean every wool rug the same way.

Wool can be affected by excessive moisture, unsuitable cleaning chemicals, and aggressive brushing or agitation.

If you are considering cleaning a wool rug yourself, use a cleaning product specifically approved for wool and follow its directions carefully.

Silk Oriental Rugs

Silk rugs are much more delicate.

I would not recommend DIY deep cleaning for a valuable silk oriental rug. Water, cleaning solutions, agitation, and drying can all create problems with delicate silk rugs.

I wouldn’t even mess with a badly stained or valuable silk rug myself.

Cotton Oriental Rugs

Some oriental rugs use cotton in the foundation or other parts of their construction, and some rugs marketed as silk may actually be made from other fibers.

Don’t assume that a rug’s appearance tells you exactly what it is made from.

Viscose, Rayon, and Other Regenerated Fibers

This is another reason I don’t recommend blindly using a wet-cleaning method on an unknown oriental rug.

Regenerated fibers such as viscose can be particularly sensitive to moisture and may develop distortion or water marking. If you’re not sure what your rug contains, professional cleaning is the safer choice.

When Should You Deep Clean Oriental Rugs?

Deep cleaning should be done when the rug actually needs it, rather than automatically on a strict schedule.

Consider deep cleaning when:

• Regular vacuuming no longer removes the dull, dirty appearance.
• Dirt has become embedded in the pile.
• The rug has accumulated significant household soil.
• There are odors that routine cleaning hasn’t resolved.
• The rug needs more than occasional spot cleaning.

Don’t deep clean an oriental rug simply because you think it has been a certain number of months or years.

How often a rug needs more thorough cleaning depends on traffic, pets, children, location, color, and how well it is maintained between cleanings.

Before Deep Cleaning Oriental Rugs

Before you clean anything, inspect the rug carefully.

Look for:

• The fiber or care label.
• Loose or damaged fibers.
• Areas where the foundation or backing is visible.
• Loose fringe.
• Previous repairs.
• Water damage.
• Fading or discoloration.
• Areas where the dyes appear unstable.
• Existing stains.
• Damage from pets or moisture.

If the rug has significant damage, don’t deep clean it yourself.

Also check the care instructions if the rug has a label.

Always follow the manufacturer’s care instructions when they are available.

Test the Rug Before Cleaning

Testing is one of the most important steps.

Before applying any cleaning solution, test it in a small, inconspicuous area.

Check for:

• Color bleeding.
• Color change.
• Changes in the texture or pile.
• Any other visible damage.

Don’t assume that because a cleaning product is safe for wool or carpets generally, it is automatically safe for your particular oriental rug. Pretest both cleaning products and the cleaning technique before wet cleaning.

How to Deep Clean Oriental Rugs at Home?

If your rug is appropriate for DIY cleaning, I recommend a low-moisture approach rather than soaking the entire rug.

This isn’t the same thing as a full professional restorative cleaning. It is a way to freshen and clean an appropriate rug while minimizing the amount of water and cleaning solution used.

Step 1: Vacuum Thoroughly

Vacuum the rug thoroughly before cleaning.

Remove as much dry dirt and grit as possible first.

Don’t skip this step. Dry soil is much easier to remove with a vacuum than after it has been mixed with water and cleaning solution.

Use a vacuuming method appropriate for the rug. For delicate rugs, suction-only cleaning is generally the safer choice.

Step 2: Inspect the Rug Again

Once you’ve vacuumed, look over the entire rug.

This is when you’ll notice stains, pet accidents, damaged areas, or sections that need special attention.

Don’t assume the entire rug needs to be soaked just because one area is dirty.

Treat individual stains separately using the stain-removal method in our other article.

Step 3: Choose a Wool Safe or Rug Safe Cleaning Product

If your rug is appropriate for DIY cleaning, use a product specifically formulated for the rug’s fiber.

Don’t substitute ordinary dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, bleach, ammonia, or a strong household cleaner.

Some liquids and other cleaning agents are not intended for carpet because they can leave sticky residues and contribute to rapid re-soiling.

Step 4: Use as Little Moisture as Possible

Follow the cleaning product’s directions and apply only the amount needed.

Don’t flood the rug.

Work in small sections and avoid soaking the backing.

Over-wetting can increase drying time and may contribute to discoloration or other problems.

Step 5: Work Gently

If the cleaning product calls for gentle agitation, use only the amount recommended by the product instructions.

Don’t aggressively scrub the pile with a stiff brush.

Too much mechanical action can damage some rug constructions and fibers.

Step 6: Remove the Cleaning Solution

If your chosen cleaning method requires extraction or rinsing, follow the product and equipment instructions carefully.

The goal is to remove the cleaning solution without saturating the rug.

For a delicate or valuable oriental rug, this is one of the reasons professional cleaning is preferable. Professional rug cleaning involves controlling the cleaning chemistry, moisture, equipment, and drying process.

Step 7: Dry the Rug Completely

Drying is extremely important.

Lay the rug flat if the manufacturer recommends flat drying and provide plenty of air circulation.

A fan can help move air around the rug and speed drying.

Don’t use high heat to force the rug to dry.

The rug needs to be completely dry before it is put back into normal use.

If a rug remains damp for an extended period, moisture can contribute to odor, mildew, and other damage.

Why I Don’t Recommend Washing Every Oriental Rug With a Garden Hose

You may have seen instructions telling you to take an oriental rug outside, soak it with a garden hose, scrub it with dish soap, and then squeegee it dry.

I used to recommend a version of that method myself.

After looking more closely at current rug-care guidance, I would no longer recommend it as a general method for oriental rugs.

The problem isn’t that water is automatically bad. The problem is that you don’t always know what is happening underneath the pile.

A heavily saturated rug can take a long time to dry. Water can reach the foundation and backing, dyes can migrate, and some fibers and constructions are much more sensitive to moisture than others.

What About a Portable Carpet Cleaner?

A portable extraction machine can be useful for some carpets and rugs, but I wouldn’t automatically use one on an oriental rug.

The machine may put more moisture into the rug than you realize.

If the rug’s manufacturer specifically approves the method and you know the rug is suitable for low-moisture or extraction cleaning, follow those instructions carefully.

Otherwise, I would not experiment with a carpet-cleaning machine on an antique, valuable, silk, delicate, or unknown rug.

When Should You Have Your Oriental Rug Professionally Cleaned?

Professional cleaning is the better choice when:

• The rug is antique.
• The rug is expensive or highly sentimental.
• The rug is made from silk.
• The fiber is unknown.
• The rug has unstable dyes.
• The rug has previous water damage.
• The backing or foundation is damaged.
• The fringe is damaged.
• The rug has significant pet damage.
• The rug is heavily soiled.
• The rug needs a full restorative wet cleaning.
• You’ve tried cleaning it and something went wrong.

I know professional rug cleaning can be expensive. But if the rug is valuable, paying for proper cleaning can be much less expensive than repairing a rug that has been damaged by an inappropriate DIY cleaning method.

When choosing a professional, look for someone with specific experience cleaning area rugs and natural fibers rather than assuming any carpet cleaner has the same expertise.

Deep Cleaning Isn’t the Same as Removing a Stain

A whole-rug deep cleaning and stain removal are two different jobs.

If you’ve spilled something on your rug, don’t automatically deep clean the entire rug.

For a fresh spill, start by removing any solid material and blotting up the liquid. A small spot may only need careful spot cleaning.

For detailed instructions, see:

Removing Spills and Stains from Oriental Rugs

That article covers what to do when something is actually spilled on the rug and how to approach stain removal.

Keep Your Oriental Rug Clean Between Deep Cleanings

The easiest way to reduce the need for deep cleaning is to keep dirt from accumulating in the first place.

• Vacuum regularly.
• Use mats at entrances.
• Remove muddy or wet shoes.
• Deal with spills quickly.
• Keep pets from tracking moisture and dirt onto the rug.
• Protect the rug from prolonged direct sunlight.
• Rotate the rug periodically to even out wear.
• Keep plants and containers from leaking onto the rug.
• Don’t allow dry dirt and grit to build up.

Regular vacuuming is particularly important because dry soil and grit can become abrasive when repeatedly walked on.

Deep Cleaning Oriental Rugs

Deep cleaning an oriental rug doesn’t always mean soaking it from one end to the other.

In fact, for many rugs, the safest DIY approach is to remove as much dry soil as possible, use a suitable low-moisture cleaning method, and give the rug plenty of time to dry.

If your rug is valuable, antique, silk, damaged, or heavily soiled, professional cleaning is worth considering.

And if you do have a rug that’s appropriate for careful DIY cleaning, take your time. Test first, use the gentlest method that will do the job, don’t over-wet it, and give it plenty of time to dry.

Then you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your clean oriental rug without wondering whether the cleaning process did more harm than good.

Area Rugs