Silk rugs have a very long history of decorating our houses and captivating the imagination of mankind. They provide an unmatchable beauty and are worth every penny. Unfortunate things can happen to anyone, and in this post, you will find out how to clean a silk rug if a spill has occurred.
Can I Clean a Silk Rug at Home?
There is very little information on the Internet about how to clean a silk rug at home, and what tools can be used. Initially, you need to check out how well the product is painted. If the paint is of really high quality, then you can refresh the rug with a baby shampoo or a mild soda solution. It is absolutely necessary to take the rug to a professional dry cleaner once a year.
If you have stains from the red wine or black tea, we don’t recommend risking cleaning the silk rug yourself. Call the professional cleaners immediately, and trust them with the cleaning. While you wait for them to come, blot the rug mildly with a clean cloth of a napkin.
Silk rugs, if properly cared for, can last a long time. However, silk does not tolerate friction at all. Its fibers get scratched, tousled, and gradually frayed. Do not rub the silk rug with brushes, rags, sponges, or sweep it with a hard broom, etc. With such care, the material will first lose its silky shine, and will literally rub itself to the holes.
Step by Step Silk Rug Cleaning
There are a few ways to clean a rug at home:
- Diluted vinegar and club soda.
- Baby soap or shampoo.
- Snow.
Cleaning silk rug with vinegar and club soda
To remove light fresh stains, many rug owners recommend a weak solution of vinegar in water, with which, using a clean white rag, you can gently wipe the stain in the direction of the rug pile. At the same time, before cleaning, it is necessary to remove solid particles of debris from the rug. After the cleaning, let it dry naturally, the faint smell of vinegar disappears over time. Before you start cleaning a stain on a silk rug, check the color quality by testing this solution on a small and inconspicuous area of the rug.
If you have red, green, and blue colors as the dominant shades, we do not recommend cleaning such rugs yourself, since the dyes in these colors are most easily washed off the rug.
Step-by-step guide
Step 1: As soon as a spill has happened, blot it using a dry rag to absorb the liquid. If you have a solid spill, just remove it mildly from the rug using a knife.
Step 2: Pour some club soda on the affected area and dry the area using a dry cloth and blotting technique.
Step 3: Prepare a vinegar cleaning solution. The concentration should be selected individually – you cannot just guess the composition of fibers and dyes and predict how the rug will behave after processing. First try mixing 1:10 vinegar with water, and remember that too acidic solution can discolor the fibers. The main thing to remember is that the vinegar should be ordinary, transparent, and the water should be lukewarm.
Step 4: Test out the action of the solution on a small area of the product, somewhere less noticeable.
Step 5: Take a soft sponge, moisten with the vinegar solution and squeeze well. Sponge the rug using blotting strokes. Don’t rub the rug. After cleaning a small piece of the rug, wash the sponge in the solution, squeeze it again and continue cleaning in a new spot. Treat the most dirty areas a few times.
Step 6: Take a dry soft cloth and blot dry the cleaned rug. Instead of using a fabric, you can also use a soft natural suede. Wipe the rug in the direction of the piles to remove excess moisture.
Step 7: Dry the rug.
Cleaning the rug with baby soap or shampoo
Remember, silk rugs are delicate and cannot be cleaned with household chemicals. All kinds of over-the-counter rug cleaning powders and shampoos are designed for synthetic materials. As a last resort, they can be used for the semi-wool rug, but not for the silk one.
Some silk products can be cleaned with a baby soap or with a pH neutral shampoo (alkaline products with a pH higher than 7.5 will destroy silk fibers). It’s also important to consider the pattern on the rug since the soap fluffs up the pile very much, and small elements of the ornament can get mixed and less visible. As a result, the overall ornament gets slightly blurred.
If your rug does not have any small ornaments, you can try this method:
Step 1: Dissolve the shampoo or soap in lukewarm water.
Step 2: Treat the rug with soapy water in the same way as described for cleaning with vinegar and club soda.
Step 3: Wipe off the excess moisture with a dry cloth.
Step 4: Take a clean, cool water and sponge the rug again. Rinse it often in water to remove the soap from the rug as much as possible.
Step 5: Blot off the moisture once again with a dry cloth.
Step 6: Dry the rug.
Daily cleaning of silk rugs is the basis of the care. Vacuuming can lead to pilling, fiber damage, and fibers being pulled out from the structure.
Cleaning with the snow
In winter, on frosty days when there is a lot of fluffy clean snow outside, you can use it to clean your rug. Just lay it face down on the clean snow and gently beat the dust and sand out of it. Then move the rug to another area with the clean snow again and repeat the process. Repeated this process until the snow under the rug is no longer dirty. After this cleaning, dry your rug naturally in your home before placing it on the floor or hanging it on the wall.
How to Remove Odors from Silk Rugs
Apart from the stains, there’s often a need to get rid of the bad odors. You can sometimes not notice them for a long time, but your guests may notice. This is especially important for houses with kids and pets. To remove the unwanted smells from the rug, follow the simple steps below and one of the two procedures.
Procedure 1
You will need: vinegar, water, a spray bottle, and a dry cloth.
Using water and vinegar is an effective method to remove the germs and odors from the rug.
- Mix equal the parts of vinegar and water in the spray bottle, it will make it easier to apply the mixture.
- Slightly mist the area being treated with the water and vinegar solution.
- Wipe this area with a clean dry cloth and then leave the rug to dry.
After such cleaning, the rug may smell of vinegar for some time, however, it will all go away after a few hours of airing.
Procedure 2
You will need: baking soda, vacuum cleaner.
- Apply some baking soda on the affected area of the rug (for example, where your pet lies the most).
- Leave the baking soda on the rug to absorb completely for around 1 hour.
- Vacuum clean the rug with a brushless suction head.
How to Make a Silk Rug Last Longer
Do’s
- If you need to store a silk rug for some time, it’s better to roll it up and lay it horizontally, never put other things and objects on top of it. Unroll, shake it out, and vacuum the rug every 1-2 months. Before you roll it up again, ventilate the canvas. If the storage room has a concrete floor, place wooden planks under the rug.
- If your pet or a small child “went to the toilet” on a silk rug, it is necessary to order the dry cleaning as soon as possible, do not risk removing the urine from the silk rug on your own.
- To avoid the uneven wear on the product, turn it for 180 degrees every few months.
- Use the rug pads. We cannot stress it enough, good rug pads can prolong the life of the rug and make the cleaning easier. They prevent abrasion and sliding of the rug on the floor. The thinner is the rug, the more stable should be a rug pad.
- For emergencies like spills and stains, it is recommended to have a stain remover always available in the house. Make sure to test the cleaner on an inconspicuous section of the rug before use.
Dont’s
- It is not recommended to place a silk rug in rooms with very high foot traffic, high humidity, as well as in the places where the rug will be illuminated by the direct sun’s rays or the light will fall on the rug unevenly. For example, if half of the rug is under a sofa, bed, or other furniture because this will cause the dyes in the rug fibers to fade over time.
- To avoid damaging the rug pile, try not to place sharp furniture legs on it.
- Remember, if a thread sticks out of your handmade silk rug, you must never pull it out. Just cut it off carefully with the scissors.
- Can you wash a silk rug? Of course not, especially at home! If the rug gets wet in any way, it’s necessary to dry it only in a natural way. We do not recommend using various heaters, hairdryers, or putting the rug on a warm (hot) radiator. It is advisable to ventilate the room where the rug is being dried so that there is a constant circulation of air.
It’s also a good idea to have the guests take off their shoes before entering the room with a silk rug rather than clean the dirt afterward.
Professional Dry Cleaning
Dry cleaning will be an excellent solution to the problem of contamination of silk rugs. It is performed at home or with pick-up, the only difference is the cost and timing. It is important to remember that the dry cleaning offered for silk rugs must be carried out by professionals who will fully comply with the technology and guarantee an optimal result.
Dry cleaning of your silk rug should be trusted only to a professional company that has experience and many positive reviews. Before starting work, specialists must conduct a complete inspection of the product, identify problem areas. It is crucial to sign a contract with the cleaning company, which indicates the responsibility of the parties. This is especially necessary if we are talking about the expensive handmade silk rugs.
Such a deep and thorough cleaning is required only once a year. By maintaining the rug regularly and keeping it in good condition, cleaning is often unnecessary. Indeed, silk rug fibers are tightly tangled and do not allow dust and debris to the base of the rug. That is why they can be easily removed from the surface.
Production of the silk rugs is a real art, and in some countries, the secrets of this craft are passed from generation to generation.
Origins of the Silk Rug Production
The fiber of the silk rugs is created from the material harvested from the insects called silkworms. Silkworm eggs are very small, 500 pieces weight no more than 5 grams. Caterpillars hatch from the cocoon on the 10-12th day. The required amount for the production of 1 kg of silk is about 6 thousand silkworms. To transform, silkworms consume mulberry leaves day and night without stopping. The developmental cycle from larva to adult, which reproduces silk of caterpillar, is about a month. All this time, it is necessary to accurately follow the established feeding system. This is the reason why silk rugs are so luxurious and costly.
The first silk rugs appeared in China in the 4th century BC. as decorations of the emperors’ chambers. Despite the fact that 2200 years ago the “silk secret” was also discovered in Persia, and then in Europe, Chinese rugs did not decrease in price, but, on the contrary, are still in high demand. For silk to serve as a material for a rug, the thread must be slightly thicker than regularly. This can be achieved through a special diet of oak leaves, on which silkworms are planted. Rugs made from such fibers are considered elite.
Other researchers say India was the origin of the silk rugs. This is still a rather controversial issue, but there is no reason to doubt that silk has been highly valued and appreciated for more than 3000 years.
Silk fibers are very durable but require a special treatment. Using hot water and abrasive rug shampoo can destroy the fibers, that’s why you have to make a good preparation and learn how to clean the rug professionally. By following the tips listed below, you will save the rug from unnecessary damage and remove the stains of any difficulty.
What Are the Advantages of Silk Rugs?
The benefits of silk fiber are undeniable. In addition to the fact that silk has amazing strength, it can be successfully combined with other materials used in weaving craft. Moreover, rugs produced from the silk have a special structure and a glossy silky surface.
- Silk thread rugs are strong, wear-resistant, and durable.
- The pile in silk rugs is very soft and pleasant to the touch.
- Silk rugs do not cause allergic reactions and skin irritation, completely natural and safe for the health of children and adults.
- Handmade silk rugs have the highest density and are valued the most of all rugs, making them a good investment.
- Silk rugs keep their shape perfectly.
- Such rugs do not burn and are not static.
- Silk shimmers nicely in the light, so if you look at a silk rug from different angles, it will shimmer in different ways.
- Both classic and modern rugs are made from silk, so everyone can find the ideal option for their interior.
- Silk rugs are thin and light.
This material is so durable, that in ancient times, body armor was made from this fabric! Indeed, a silk rug is a very long-lasting thing, with proper care, it can retain its good looks for centuries. However, even a minor mistake of the owners can irrevocably ruin a new product.
Disadvantages of Silk Rugs
- High price compared to other rugs.
- Silk rugs have a low thermal insulation, so in cold regions, for example, woolen rugs are in more demand.
- Although silk rugs are strong and durable, they require special care. Only dry cleaning is recommended at home.
- It is not advisable to lay a silk rug on the floor in areas that are constantly exposed to direct sunlight, as over time the rug may begin to fade in the sun.
The art of silk rugs weaving allows artisans to recreate beautiful paintings to decorate the interior. Rugs woven of silk can become a precious thing that will be inherited and will not lose its original beauty for many decades.
Silk fringes are quite common on the rugs, and they also require special care. Remember, the fringe should be a continuation of the base of the product, and not sewn to the edge of the rug, since this may mean that the rug is actually fake.
If you’re still just considering buying a silk rug, choose a silk and wool and blend instead, it will have the durability of the wool rug but the softness of a silk rug. Moreover, wool is water-resistant, so spills are less likely to destroy a silk-wool blend rug.
Where to Buy a Silk Rug?
If you want to buy a classic silk rug, it is better to buy an Arabian one – this is the most traditional option, and there is no doubt about the quality of Arabian rugs. You can also pay attention to the Chinese rugs – silk production in this country is very proficient since ancient times. Rugs from Iran and Turkey, as well as some European manufacturers, also have high standards of quality and appearance.
You shouldn’t save on the care, don’t skip a regular dry cleaning at home, and trust only proven professional dry cleaners, then your rugs will serve for many decades.
If you are interested in buying the silk rugs, you can choose one of our magnificent rugs online in stores like Amazon.
A huge selection of natural silk products and many color variations give a great opportunity to furnish the room the way you want. Decorating your room with a silk rug is a great chance to make your interior more lively, respectable and at the same time cozy.
In conclusion, silk rugs are a perfect choice for everyone, they are lavish, lustrous, and alluring. For centuries, these traditional floor decorations have been a popular sign of wealth. But luxurious furnishings such as silk rugs require special care. When purchasing an expensive item, you should familiarize yourself with the recommendations on how to clean a silk rug. Otherwise, this chic flooring can lose its beauty.