Oriental Rug Cleaning

The term ‘oriental rug’ is very broad; although a high percentage of the rugs that fit this category bare unique features that allow us to distinguish their origins, ultimately, the term describes a hand-knotted rug whose origins are unknown. So, as there are many types of ‘oriental rugs’ which are usually distinguished according to their region or country of origin, we are able to provide each one with a bespoke cleaning process.

The main types of rugs that you’ll find under this umbrella term are:

Persian Rugs – These are rugs that are made in Iran. They originate from a place known as Persia, hence the name that they stand by today. These are defined as the most beautiful hand-knotted rugs from their soft, blended colours producing elegant leaf, flower and bird prints. 

Chinese Rugs – These rugs, as you guessed it, are made in China. They are beautiful hand-crafted rugs that are usually made with wool and are often very dense. To be able to distinguish a Chinese Rug, look out for blues, pastels, floral patterns or religious symbols of the Western Pacific region. 

Afghan Rugs – These rugs are always made with coarse wool that is usually deep red. Their designs are very distinctive; with dark blue and black patterns and a gul design that is very commonly placed on them, too- a motif of octagonal or angular shape usually repeated to form an overall pattern. 

Indian Rugs – Rugs that are made in India usually replicate designs of Persian, Chinese and Aubusson rugs. It is easy to distinguish an Indian Rug from the rest, however, because the quality of their weaves isn’t as high as the originals. Nonetheless, their designs still encompass delightful plants and animals. 

Pakistani Rugs – Again, this is another country that has copied designs from other regions. The most popular Pakistani rug design called the Bokhara design was replicated from the old Turkoman Tribe- and it was the first-ever made in Pakistan! These rugs are woven on a cotton foundation with an asymmetric knot. 

Tibetan and Nepalese Rugs – These countries produce their rugs with a very distinctive pile due to the way that they wrap the yarn around a rod when making the rug. Thus, this technique leaving visible rows in the pile of the rug. In contemporary times, these rugs are often sculpted after they are removed from the weave. 

Turkish Rugs – Rugs that are made in Turkey are usually made with a wool pile and wool foundations. They use bright, bold colours, and they typically have rectangular, geometric patterns and floral patterns placed in rows in their designs. You can’t miss a Turkish Rug! 

Caucasian Rugs – These are very vibrant-looking rugs that come from the Caucasus Mountains between Europe and Asia. With reds, blues, yellows and other bright colours, these rugs are definitely eye-catching. These are entirely made out of wool, from the knotted pile to the warp and wefts, too. 

Moroccan Rugs – These rugs have been woven for centuries in Morocco. They are very distinctive in that their pile is thick and shaggy on a cotton foundation. They tend to bear the added detail of fringing and have either simple or bold designs on them. The simple being a neutral colour palette of ivory and browns, creating a simple pattern, and the more daring designs incorporating brighter colours into the mix.

Prayer Rugs – These are, as stated in their name, primarily used for prayers of several religions. These are made in Islamic regions of Asia, and always withhold a pointed or arch-shaped pattern which represents the prayer niche of the mosque. Muslims face Mecca (their holy city) while they pray, so the rug’s design is pointed towards it.