It is often time consuming and challenging to take care of your silk rugs compared to taking care of your rugs made from synthetic fiber or wool.
The main reason is that silk is a type of protein, pretty much similar to human hair that can get damaged very easily, unlike other fibers being used for rug making. In addition, these special rugs are handmade, and these have to be hand cleaned to protect and maintain their quality.
Location
It is suggested that you place rugs made from silk in places which don’t attract too much sunlight or traffic for carpets for bedroom. The light from the sun can cause fading on these rugs. Although many of the windows being used today are meant to filter the sun rays, you can also choose to install light filtering films on older window panes. If it is impossible not to place them in high traffic areas, make it a point to rotate them by 180 degrees every now and then for them to wear out evenly.
Stains
Even when you take all kinds of necessary precautions, there is still the possibility that your rug will be stained by spilled fluids or animal urine. Before you handle these stains, it is important to check if the rug is made from a combination of silk or wool, or if it of pure silk. A rug made from wool and silk is more durable and resistant to many types of stains. There is a simple way to help you confirm if your rug is made of a mixture or silk alone. Loosen and remove a thread from the back portion of the rug, and burn it. When burnt, silk transforms to a ball with the characteristic smell of burnt hair. On the other hand, other fibers when burnt smell more like paper of plastic, and these melt.
No to Dry Cleaning and Steam Cleaning
The process of dry cleaning and steam cleaning should be avoided when cleaning these rugs since such procedures can leave behind some granular residue that can cause color fading on the rugs. You can free the rug from dirt by sharing it softly. You can also vacuum these rugs with no rotary attachment or brush. The abrasives being used for cleaning surfaces can damage the silk fibers.
Protect from Moths
Affordable Persian rugs and expensive Chinese and Indian rugs made from silk often contain vegetable-based dye as coloring agent, and this is often delicate. Any part of your rug which stays in dark places for long periods of time could attract moths. You can keep them at bay is to use moth proofing agents or zinc fluorosilicate.
