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Cleaniness is the first and major step towards the preservation of a
hand-made carpet and it is the best care of to damage. There are no hard
or fast rules to stipulate when and how often to clean a carpet since
every had-made carpet is different and every hosehold exposes a carpet to
different amounts of wear and dirt. There are many professional books on
the care and cleaning of carpets that one may consult if one is interested
in doing a professional cleaning. However, the following advice and
information are basic general instructions that the average home owner may
exercise in the care and cleaning of an Oriented carpet. The best
recommendation is regular brushing with an old fashioned handbroom with
natural bristles or the use of an electric carpet sweeper. Remember that
it is just as important to brush the underlay of the carpet and floor
beneath. One caution, the regular use of a vacuum cleaner will eventually
start to loosen the knots andpull the fibers out of the pile, also never
use the revolving brush attachment on a carpet for it will actually pull
the fibers apart. The nozzle attachment is the best and may be used once a
month.
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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 bruh should be as constant as
possible over the entire carpet surface. Once the carpet is brushed
vertically (lengthvise) 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.
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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
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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 irreparable damage; posibble colour-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 irreparable.
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.
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