Oushak Rugs

Care and Maintenance of Oushak Rugs

Are you considering buying an Oushak rug? Or have you recently purchased one? If so, then you already know a few things about the history and significance of Oushak rugs. Because these are high-quality pieces with a sense of history, the care and maintenance of Oushak rugs are not to be taken lightly. After all, it’s important to preserve the rug’s beauty without causing significant wear and tear on it. 

Let’s look at the five ways you can care for and maintain your Oushak rug.

1. Cleaning Frequency

We’ll start by discussing the cleaning frequency. How often should you clean an Oushak rug? Generally speaking, you’ll want to perform a deep cleaning yearly. If you have excessive foot traffic due to children or pets, then you may want to clean it every six months.

However, there are other, less intensive cleaning methods you can perform as needed. We recommend using the following techniques once a month, or whenever you notice excess dirt or stains.

2. Dirt and Debris Removal

Unless your rug is exceptionally fragile, one of those methods is to hang your rug outside. Then, use a beater tool to loosen any dirt or debris that’s embedded within the rug’s pile. Once that’s done, vacuum the rug while making sure you avoid the fringes. Use your hose to go over it section by section.

If your rug is smaller, another option is to simply shake it out, though you may still want to run a vacuum over it afterward.

3. Spot Cleaning

Another important aspect of the care and maintenance of Oushak rugs is spot-cleaning. Never, ever use harsh chemical cleaners on it. This can damage the vegetable-dyed fibers, cause premature aging, and wear of the high-quality materials within the rug.

Instead, use a few drops of mild soap in a bucket of water to systematically spot-clean any stains or soiling. Be careful of how hard you push into the rug; you don’t want to over-agitate it.

Next, use another clean bucket of water to soak up the suds. Finally, let it air dry in the warm air outside.

4. Rug Rotation

Since Oushak rugs don’t have a built-in back the way modern, machine-made rugs do, the pattern shows perfectly on both sides. That means you can keep the pattern bright and beautiful for much longer by regularly flipping it to show the other side. It’s similar to how you take care of your tires; every few thousand miles, your mechanic recommends that you rotate your tires to prevent wear and tear.

5. Professional Rug-Cleaning

One final consideration for taking care of your new Oushak rug: from time to time, you’ll want to have it professionally cleaned. First, use the vacuuming method listed above. Then, take it to a dry cleaner who knows the difference between the different categories of rugs. They’ll use a special dry cleaning process that will help to preserve the life of your Oushak rug.

Call Rug Source for more rug maintenance recommendations!

Whether you’re cleaning an Oushak rug or any other style, the team at Rug Source is here to help. Not only can our team assist you in finding the perfect rug for your home, we can also go over care and maintenance best practices with you. If you’d like to chat with a member of our sales team, give us a call at 980-422-4080, browse our online inventory, or send us a message requesting more information here.