Rug Care & Maintenance
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| INITIAL CARE: | Vacuum both the top and bottom sides of your rug.
Use a rug pad specific to the type of surface on which you will be placing your rug. This will help protect your floor or wall-to-wall carpeting and will extend the life of your rug. |
| DAILY/WEEKLY: | Vacuum the top side. Handmade rugs will have some natural shedding of excess fibers.
(or AS NEEDED) Carved rugs will have more excess fibers. DO NOT use a beater bar vacuum. Set the head of the vacuum at the highest setting so you will not be 'pulling' out any fibers.
Blot spills and stains immediately. |
| ANNUALLY: | Vacuum both top and bottom sides of your rug.
Rotate rugs to ensure even wear and prevent fading.
Replace worn rug pads. |
| LONG-TERM: | Professionally clean a good quality rug every 3-5 years.
Hot water extraction machines are NOT recommended. |
Rug-Specific Care
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| HAND-KNOTTED: | Vacuum on a regular basis with the pile level set on high. Be careful not to let the vacuum 'eat' the fringes. |
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TUFTED: | Vacuum on a regular basis with the pile level set on high. |
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HOOKED: | Vacuum regularly with an upholstery attachment. DO NOT use a rotary vacuum with a beater bar. If long ends appear above the top edge of the rug, DO NOT pull them. This is not a defect and is called 'sprouting'. It is a common occurrence with hand-hooked rugs. Use scissors to carefully cut the sprouted ends to be even with the rest of the rug. |
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BAMBOO: | Blot spills immediately. Wipe with a damp cloth. Do not saturate with water as it may damage the backing. |
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JUTE & SISAL: | For indoor use only. Keep away from excessive moisture. Blot spills immediately using a clean towel until most of the moisture is absorbed. Do not steam clean or use any method of cleaning that involved water saturation. Professional cleaning only. |
Stain/Damage Cleaning
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FLOOD DAMAGE: | First blot excess water. Lay flat and then dry by air using a fan or low temperature hair dryer. Vacuum. Professionally clean good quality rugs. |
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SPILLS: | First blot excess liquid. Clean with a white cloth using a dry cleaning fluid or a simple solution of 1 Tsp. mild detergent such as Woolite, 1 Tsp. white vinegar and 1 Quart warm water. Extract excess liquid with a wet/dry vacuum. |
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STAINS: | Since different stains require different cleaning treatments, it is important to identify the cause and nature of the stain. Below is a list of common stains and how they are best removed. Always test your cleaning solution on a portion of the rug not seen. |
| Recommended Stain-Specific Cleaning Treatment KAS recommends only the use of Woolite as a mild detergent for the cleaning of all rugs. The cleaning process should involve applying the Woolite with a soft bristle brush, rinsing lightly with water (not saturated), extracting with a vacuum, and the rug should then be dried by air or a low-temperature hair dryer. |
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Acid-based | Mild detergent & white vinegar |
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Alcohol | Mild detergent & white vinegar or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Bleach | Mild detergent & white vinegar |
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Blood | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Starch paste |
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Butter | Dry cleaning fluid |
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Charcoal | Vacuum and then warm water and mild detergent |
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Chewing Gum | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Chocolate | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Coffee | Glycerine, or Dry cleaning fluid and then warm water and mild detergent |
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Cosmetics | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Crayon | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid, or scrape and vacuum |
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Furniture polish | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Glue | Alcohol |
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Grass | Methylated spirits, or Turpentine |
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Gravy | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Grease | Dry cleaning fluid, or scrape and vacuum |
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Ice cream | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Ink | Turpentine, or Dry cleaning fluid then warm water and detergent |
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Medicine (liquid) | Call a professional rug cleaner. |
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Metal polish | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Mildew | Call a professional rug cleaner. |
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Milk | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Mud | Mild detergent & white vinegar |
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Mustard | Mild detergent & white vinegar |
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Nail polish | Nail polish remover (non-acetone) |
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Oils or oily spills | Dry cleaning fluid |
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Paint | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Perfume | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Permanent marker/ink | Call a professional rug cleaner. |
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Salad dressing | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Sauces | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Shoe polish | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid, or scrape and vacuum |
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Soot | Vacuum, and then Dry cleaning fluid |
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Tea | Mild detergent & white vinegar |
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Urine (pet) | Call a professional rug cleaner. |
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Vomit | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
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Wax | Cleaning fluid, or scrape and vacuum |
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Wine | Mild detergent & white vinegar, or Dry cleaning fluid |
The preceding information is only a recommendation. KAS does not guarantee that the above recommendations will work, and they should be used as a guideline only. KAS is not responsible for any damage done to the rug or the surface underneath the rug.
