TAKE a look down there, below your feet. There's your Oriental carpet, finely woven, perhaps 100 years old. It may be a treasured heirloom, or a valuable purchase worth tens, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yet you lay it on the floor and walk on it day in and day out. The children spill juice on it, the dog has accidents on it and the cats claw it when nobody is around.Luckily, said Antoinette Lombardi, co-owner of the Oriental Rug Gallery in Hawthorne, ''You can't kill a good Oriental rug.''Not that people haven't tried. ''People water their plants, something leaks and the rug rots,'' said Ms. Lombardi, a k a ''The Rug Lady,'' to her clients. ''Or perhaps a rug was stored in a damp basement where moths and mildew got to it. Someone brought us a rug that was partially eaten away by battery acid that leaked from a flashlight. Maybe the vacuum cleaner ate the fringe; maybe the dog ate the corner.''When it comes to cleaning, ''There are no miracles,'' she said, but added, ''the faster you attend to a stain, the more likely you'll be able to remove it.''

But cleaning a rug improperly causes problems. ''One of our customers had a $30,000 rug cleaned and put away,'' she said, ''and when he opened it, half of the rug was destroyed. We took the remaining half and made six smaller rugs from it.'' Hand washing is the most thorough method of cleaning antique rugs, contemporary handmade rugs and machine-made ''Belgium'' or Karastan-type rugs. ''Lanolin in the wool that is used to weave the rug is a key factor in its look and feel,'' explained Andrew Paoletti, owner of Paoletti Oriental Rugs in Ossining. ''You can't dry clean a handmade rug because the solvents dry it out.''Hand washing involves full immersion, wetting and shampooing both sides of the carpet (''You can't wash only the front,'' he said. ''That just moves the dirt around.'') and washing fringes separately so they won't turn gray.Because carpets require lots of water and become quite heavy when wet, and because dyes can bleed, Mr. Paoletti favors professional cleaning. ''Do-it-yourself rug washing can be a minefield,'' he said.

Hand washing, though, is not appropriate for all rugs. ''Silk rugs must be dry cleaned, since they can't get wet,'' said Greg Proudian of A. T. Proudian in New Rochelle. ''And very old rugs that are in a weakened condition should be steam cleaned, because hand shampooing is a pretty rugged procedure.''For spot removal, including challenges like gum, grease or tar, dry cleaning fluid is applied to small areas. ''If that doesn't work,'' Mr. Proudian said, ''we comb, trim and, as a last resort, we cut out the area and reweave.'' Cleaning costs vary as much as the rugs themselves, with steam cleaning the least expensive and the least effective, Mr. Paoletti said. ''You can steam clean a room for $20 to $40,'' he said, ''but it's a formula approach, and it only cleans the top of the carpet.''Hand shampooing is priced by the square foot, ranging from $1.50 to $8, but generally around $2. ''You're paying for the individualized care,'' Mr. Paoletti explained, ''for the dye tests, the temperature and pH control, the elbow pressure.''

Some cleaners charge a pick-up and delivery fee, including moving furniture, and others charge an unrolling fee, which can add up to an additional $30 or $40. pool cleaning north miami''If you're being charged 50 or 60 cents a square foot, it's not being washed by hand,'' Ms. Lombardi said.steam cleaning deals melbourneWhile Ms. Lombardi said that a handmade Oriental carpet is ''pretty indestructible,'' all the experts had suggestions for keeping them in prime condition.pool cleaning equipment cape town The No. 1 way to keep your rugs cleaner, Mr. Paoletti said, is to remove shoes before walking on it.electrolux vacuum cleaners best buy

All the experts said that proper padding is essential to prevent skidding and reduce wear.''best thing to use to clean vinyl sidingA good pad protects your rug,'' Ms. Lombardi said. carpet cleaning services milwaukee''It lets it breathe and lets the dust fall to the floor.''best way to clean carpet fringeMr. Paoletti suggested vacuuming both sides of the rug as often as possible, vacuuming in the direction of the pile. Ms. Lombardi recommends turning the entire rug upside down once a year, vacuuming the back, and then leaving it for a few days so the dust will fall out.Regardless of how meticulous a housekeeper is, however, even the best of Oriental carpets will eventually show their age. ''It's only to be expected,'' Mr. Proudian said.

''Think of all the fading and the wear and tear on a rug that's 100 years old. I mean, How would you look after 100 years?''User ReviewedHow to Clean Oriental Rugs Four Methods:Taking the Proper PrecautionsDoing a Quick CleaningPerforming a Deep CleaningUsing Alternative MethodsCommunity Q&A Oriental rugs are a common style of rug that originate from countries like Iran, China, and India. These rugs are known for their rich colors and unique designs and can be found in thousands of households across the world. Oriental rugs come in all shapes and varieties and are usually made from materials like wool or cotton, but can also be made from things like silk or synthetic material. Adding an oriental rug to your house can bring a room to life, but like most rugs, they are prone to getting dirty. Luckily, if you use the proper techniques to clean and care for your rug, you can keep your rug looking new for a long time. Check the rug's label. Lift the corners of your rug to reveal the rug's label.

Usually, on the label, it will have instructions on the safest way to clean your Oriental rug. Rugs can be made of silk, wool, cotton, or synthetic material and each requires a certain degree of finesse when cleaning. Cotton and wool rugs are generally more durable and easier to clean. If you have a silk rug, consider taking it to a professional instead of cleaning it yourself in the case of severe stains. Vaccum and tend to the carpet regularly. Vacuuming your rug at least once a week will lift recent debris and dirt from it and keep it smelling and looking new for a longer time. Vacuuming also prevents the wool fibers in your rug from becoming packed down. Do not frequently vacuum antique or silk oriental rugs as it can damage them and reduce their value. Keep your rug out of direct sunlight. Oriental rugs can be prone to sun damage, so keep it away from windows if you can. Keeping an oriental rug in the sun will cause the colors to fade over time.[4] If your rug has to be in direct sunlight, rotate it at least once a month.

While the colors are still likely to fade, at least they will fade evenly. Test to see if your carpet is colorfast. Some carpets are colorfast and won't bleed when wet, while others will. If the rug's label reads "dry clean only," then there's a good possibility your rug is not colorfast. If you want to test your rug, saturate a small corner of the carpet with room temperature water, then press on it with a clean white cloth. If there is dye on your rag, then your carpet is likely to bleed if you clean it yourself. In the case that your carpet is not colorfast do a light cleaning but avoid getting your carpet wet or using chemical cleaners on it. If you need to deep clean a carpet that is not colorfast, your best option would be to bring it in to be professionally cleaned. Move your furniture around occasionally. Heavy pieces of furniture that sit on top of your oriental rug can work down the fibers and damage your carpet over time. To prevent this, rearrange your furniture every six months.

This will even out the wear and tear on your rug and increase its longevity.Use a broom with straw bristles or a carpet sweeper to do the initial cleaning of your rug.[7] Sweep in one direction from end to end. Don't rub your broom back and forth because you could end up damaging it. Once you're done sweeping the entirety of the rug, repeat the cycle and go over it a second time. Electric carpet sweepers use static electricity to pick up dirt and are the safest method for quickly cleaning an antique oriental rug. Vaccum the rug on both sides. Lay out your rug in an empty area and vacuum over the rug slowly to remove excess abrasives, hair, and dirt that can damage your rug over time.[8] Repeat this process three or more times to get all the dirt and debris from the rug.[9] Avoid the rug's fringes because they can become stuck in the vacuum's sweeper.[10] Once you're done vacuuming, flip the rug over and repeat the process on the other side. When cleaning an expensive or antique rugs, make sure to use the carpet tool because a revolving brush can damage your rug and hurt its value.

Beat and shake your rug outside. If you can pick your rug up, you can take it outside and shake it to remove embedded dirt and other particles. If your rug is too big to shake, hang it on a clothesline and beat it with your hands. You should see the dust and dirt come off of the rug as you do this. Spot clean your rug. It's best to tend to spills as soon as they occur because if they dry it will be much harder for you to get the stain or smell out of your rug. As soon as the spill occurs blot up as much of the liquid as you can, with a paper towel or clean rag.[13] Once you've soaked up the spill, dampen a rag and use cold water to blot the stain again. Do not rub back and forth on the spill because you could end up rubbing the stain deeper into the carpet. Vaccum both sides of the rug. Bring your oriental rug outside so that you can lay it out on a flat surface. Sweep and clean the area before you begin to clean your rug.[14] Vaccum the rug until most of the dirt and debris is lifted from it, then flip it over to the other side and repeat the process.

After you vacuum, shake the rug to remove any additional dirt or debris. You can also use an electric sweeper if your vacuum is not effective. Use a garden hose and spray the rug with cold water. Soak the entirety of the carpet on one side then flip it over and spray the other side with water. You should only have to do this for a few minutes on each side for your oriental rug to become saturated with water. Fill a bucket with cold water and a mild liquid soap. You can use a mild liquid detergent or dish soap to clean your rug. Fill a bucket with one gallon of cold water and three tablespoons of your mild soap. Mix the solution together in your bucket. You can also use a mild shampoo for oriental rugs that are made from wool. Test your solution by cleaning a small part of the carpet. You can use a long haired brush or a non-shedding sponge to clean your carpet.[19] Dip your sponge or brush into your water and soap solution until it's saturated and lightly go over a small part of the rug.

Wait up to ten minutes to see if the cleaning solution has an adverse effect on it before proceeding to the next step. If the cleaning solution is changing your carpet's color or making the colors bleed, stop cleaning it and take it a professional. Clean the rest of your rug. Lather your rug in the direction of the nap, or so that the fibers lay down, opposed to sitting up.[20] Lather your carpet enough to create suds on the surface of the rug. Rinse your rug with your garden hose. Dry your oriental rug thoroughly. Wet rugs can build mildew over time and create a bad odor. Once you're done rinsing your rug, it's important that you allow it to dry before putting it back to where it belongs. Use a squeegee to squeeze the rest of the water out of your rug, then allow it to dry flat on the ground. Remember to flip your rug over so that both sides can dry. If drying is taking too long try pointing a fan on to quicken the process. Use talcum powder to remove unwanted odors.