Silk area rug cleaning in Manhattan is considerably more difficult and time-consuming than cleaning a similar size area rug made of a synthetic material. Silk is similar to human hair; it is a protein and can easily be damaged. Silk rugs need unique care and individual hand cleaning.
When placing a silk rug in your home, attempt to place it in a low traffic area and away from the direct rays of the sun. Over time, the colors in the rug can fade if it is subjected to harsh sunlight. If you must have your rug where it is subjected to sunlight, then have the window covered with a UV filtering material similar to that used when tinting car windows. To keep the wear pattern even, rotate the rug 18o degrees about twice a year.
Prior to starting the area rug cleaning in Manhattan, it must be established if the rug is unadulterated silk or if it is a silk-wool blend. If it is a blend, it will be more stain resistant and durable. If the area rug contains wool, water will bead on the surface because the lanolin makes it water resistant. A true test it to turn the rug over and remove a thread from the back. Burn this thread, if the smell is similar to burning hair, then the rug is pure silk, however, if it smells like paper or plastic burning, it is a blend.
Before area rug cleaning in Manhattan is attempted, it is important to determine the color fastness of the dyes that were used during its weaving. Using water based liquid soap, wash a small area and then rinse to see if any color bleeds. If no color is visible then the stain can be blotted out with a clean white cloth soaked in an even mixture of vinegar and water or club soda. Once the stain is removed, flush the area with clean water to remove any trace of the material that caused the stain. Once rinsed, hang the rug for air drying.
Silk area rug cleaning in Manhattan should never be by dry cleaning or steam cleaning methods. Both of these methods will leave a residue behind and cause premature fading of the colors. The recommended way to clean common dirt is by vacuuming with a non-brush attachment, or conversely, the rug can be shaken gently to cause any surface dirt to detach itself. Abrasive methods must not be used as it is quite easy to damage the silk fibers.
Antique Persian rugs often used vegetable dyes as the coloring agents, these dyes are very delicate and great care must be taken to see that they do not bleed and run during the cleaning process.
