Buying an Orinetal rug is an investment. After all, you want a high-quality rug and not something cheap. This means you’ll want your investment to last a long time, hopefully for many years to come. How long can you expect your Oriental rug to last? What affects how long yours will stay in good shape? We’re so glad you asked these questions, because we are here to answer them!

How Long Does an Oriental Rug Last?

We have great news for you. When we say that an Oriental rug will keep it’s value for your lifetime, and possibly even longer, we mean it. With regular care and maintenance, an authentic Oriental rug can last more than 100 years. The secret to their durability is in the materials that are used and the way that they are handmade. The highest-quality Oriental rugs can last for generations, even if they are placed in high-traffic areas of your home. 

Is There Any Way to Make it Last Longer?

There are a few ways to ensure your Oriental rug will last for as long as possible. The first happens before you actually buy the rug. You want to make sure you buy as high-quality a rug as possible. This can be done by looking at the wool quality, Knots Per Square Inch (KPSI), and whether or not it was handmade. Authentic Persian rugs have earned the reputation of being the highest quality Oriental rug due to the fact that they have perfected weaving techniques used in Iran. In fact, Persian rugs had been around for more than 2,500 years. Over this time, they’ve gotten pretty good at it- to say the least.

Once you have your Oriental rug at home, you’ll want to make sure you take care of it. Dirt is the worst enemy of fine Oriental rugs! Beyond being careful with your rug at parties or when storing and moving it, you also need to pay special attention to how often it needs to be cleaned. We recommend vacuuming your rug at least weekly. Blot up spills with clear, cold water as quickly as possible. Try your best to keep your rug clean and clear of damage, but we all know that life happens. That is why we also recommend having your rug professionally washed every two years. If you keep up with regular cleaning, you can expect your Oriental rug to last for many, many years to come.

Here at Serafian’s, we don’t just sell Oriental rugs. We take pride in also educating our shoppers. Here’s what you need to know so you can feel a peace of mind that you’re buying a high quality Oriental rug in Albuquerque. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to us and ask!

You want the best rug for your home, which means buying an Oriental rug. Are you finished after this purchase? Actually, no. Once you find the perfect rug, you’re going to want to look for an Oriental rug pad to go underneath it.

While an Oriental rug pad may seem like an after-thought, it is absolutely essential for protecting both your floors and the rug you love. When it comes to valuable Oriental rugs, a high-quality rug pad is an absolute must!

You Need an Oriental Rug Pad

Placing an Oriental rug pad under your new rug is strongly recommended for several reasons. The most important reason is that it helps to increase the life of your rug by protecting it from wear and tear. When you have a fine area rug in your home, you want to protect your investment. After all, something that is handmade and high-quality isn’t going to be cheap.

How does it work? An Oriental rug pad that is placed under your rug acts as a buffer. It cushions the impact between the sole of your foot above it and the hard floor underneath it. Due to the fact that this pad is absorbing most of the impact of your steps, the rug does not get worn out as easily. While this is very useful for all types of rugs, it is especially important for Oriental rugs because of the way that these rugs are constructed.

Genuine Oriental rugs, like those sold here at Serafian’s, are always woven by hand. That means the back of these rugs will always feature a series of knots that are hand tied by the expert artisan weaver. When an Oriental rug is placed directly on the floor, the knots tend to get rubbed against the floor every time somebody walks over the rug. The friction of the knots against the floor will eventually open the knot, and the weave will get loosened. Over a period of time, several years, the rug is likely to lose its even, tightly knotted look and its compact structure. If not repaired by professionals, it will begin to look shapeless and uneven. That would be devastating! An Oriental rug pad avoids this.

That’s not the only reason a pad is a good thing to buy. A rug pad placed under the rug also adds comfort to you and your family by providing a softer surface to walk on. When shopping for an Oriental rug pad, you have three main options: a foam pad, a thick underpad, and a pad made specifically for wooden floors. 

Come to Serafian’s for all of Your Oriental Rug Needs

Those in New Mexico have the experts at Serafian’s for all of their Oriental rug needs and questions. Don’t hesitate to reach out and ask us anything else you’re wondering about!

When you have a fine area rug in your home, you want to protect your investment. After all, something that is handmade and high-quality isn’t going to be cheap. Beyond being careful with your rug at parties or when storing and moving it, you also need to pay special attention to how it needs to be cleaned. The last thing you want is to accidentally ruin your beautiful Oriental rug!

Can You Clean an Oriental Rug with Water?

Yes, you can clean an Oriental rug with water, if you’re very careful and it’s only a little bit of water. Water may seem like a harmless substance, yet it can do a lot of damage to a delicate rug. Before you run off and pour water on your rug, let us explain a little further.

As careful as you are, accidents are a part of life. Spills and stains are an inevitable accident. You should clean spills immediately, as drinks like coffee and wine can permanently dye the rug. Blot up the spill with a fresh towel, and use a little clear cold water to dilute the stain. Keep rinsing (not too much water) and blotting until the stain is gone. If someone spills milk on the carpet, it is probably a good idea to have the rug professionally cleaned, as the milk can sour and leave an unpleasant odor. Many liquids can all leave permanent stains, so get to them as quickly as possible. If you have a “wet/dry” vacuum you can use it to suck out excess water from the rug.

From mold, to color bleeding, and even a weakened, thinned foundation, water can thoroughly spoil the quality of your prized Oriental rug if the damage is not taken care of as soon as possible. This is why you’ll want to use only a little water. If the stain requires more than a small bit of blotting, this cleaning is beyond your expertise and you’ll need to take it in for professional care. At Serafian’s, we utilize specially built equipment that replicates traditional methods of cleaning fine oriental rugs while utilizing the most modern technology available. Our total immersion process removes the maximum amount of dirt and contaminants, returning your expensive rugs to their highest level of beauty while gently preventing any damage.

Professional Oriental Rug Cleaning in New Mexico

Your Oriental rug is certainly something you’ll want to care for in the best way possible. You need to know how to care for it, but how? Can you blot it with water? Can you vacuum it? Serafian’s is here to answer all of your questions, plus provide the services you need! While regular vacuuming and quickly cleaning spills are important for maintaining fine area rugs, these methods are only sufficient for keeping the surface of your carpet clean. What you’re looking for is professional rug cleaning, done by our industry experts. 

You don’t want to buy a new rug that is just any old rug. You want a great new rug, and that’s what we want for you! That is why we put together a list of things you can look for so you know you are buying a high-quality area rug, one of the best of the best. After all, that is what you deserve! 

Find and Buy High-Quality Area Rugs in New Mexico

Your personal taste, as far as the colors and patterns you like, is important. We want you to find a high-quality area rug that is beautiful to you, and made to last for generations. Some people love the lighter look of this White Sands rug while others prefer the deeper, bolder colors of a Southwestern hand-woven rug. There’s no wrong choice, as long as it’s a high-quality rug. Here’s what you should be looking for: 

#1 Look at the Knots Per Square Inch (KPSI)

The number of knots within a rug determines the density, durability, and clarity of pattern. Knot counts in rugs can vary from as low as 40 per square inch to as high as 1200. Think of knots as pixels on a screen. It’s actually pretty simple; the more knots, the higher the quality of the rug. Less knots means a looser weave. This also means the rug will not be able to withstand and uphold against foot-traffic and aging without visible damage.

#2 Pay Careful Attention to the Details

The amount of time and labor spent on creating a handmade oriental rug varies greatly. The more detail put into a rug, the higher-quality it is. A sharp pattern means more time and hand-labor was taken to build a clear and precise design. 

#3 Check for Premium Wool

Just like a cake or a car, the materials made to create it have a huge impact on the final quality. We have found that the best carpet wools in the world come from Iran, which is why Iranian rugs have always been the most sought after rugs in the world. The Iranian sheep, Karakul sheep, are raised to be sheared and so are fed an optimal diet to yield softer and stronger wool. Countries known for fabulous rugs, like Iran, India, Pakistan, and China, will use and import fine Persian wool to improve their final product. 

#4 Be Choosy About Colors and Dyes

The bold colors are what make a rug so beautiful! There are many kinds of dyes used to take wool from it’s natural shades of white and brown to vibrant and rich shades. When purchasing a rug, you want to be sure the dyes used to create blues, greens, pinks, yellows, and reds are either organic vegetable dyes or derived from high grade pigments. 

Shop for High-Quality Area Rugs at Serafian’s

There are many things to consider when investing in an oriental rug, and it’s not always a simple task to choose the best carpet for you. No matter which patterns, colors, or size you are looking for, you are sure to find the perfect oriental rug for you at Serafian’s. 

An oriental rug is not just any rug. These are exceptionally made by experts, with the world’s best materials. By design, oriental carpets are made to last for generations. Of course, this will only happen if you care for it properly. Without a little TLC, a foreign luxury car will wind up on the side of the road eventually. The same mindset applies to your rug! If you take a few simple steps, you can make your rug last a long time- and look beautiful throughout its life. One way to do this is to have your oriental rug professionally cleaned from time to time. 

Have Your Rug Professionally Cleaned at Serafian’s

While regular vacuuming and quickly cleaning spills are important for maintaining fine area rugs, these methods are only sufficient for keeping the surface of your carpet clean. This isn’t a replacement for the professional rug cleaning that an oriental rug like this requires. Chemical cleaners can damage the delicate fibers that make up a rug. Even steam cleaning often fails to remove deep particles and penetrated stains. Professional deep cleaning is the only guaranteed method to remove the dirt and other abrasive particles that eventually wear down and destroy these precious and woven rugs.

Here in New Mexico, this service can and should be done at Serafian’s! We utilize specially-built equipment that replicates traditional methods of cleaning fine oriental rugs while taking advantage of the best modern technology available. Our total immersion process removes the maximum amount of dirt and contaminants. This gently returns your expensive rugs to their highest level of beauty, while also preventing any damage.

How Much is New Mexico Rug Cleaning?

It’s important to note that in order to have a good estimate for the cost you should expect, you’ll need to tell our team a few things about your rug first. You will be charged a fee based on the area, or square footage, of your rug. As a quick example, let’s say you have an eight foot by ten foot rug. This is 80 square feet. If your rug cleaner charges five dollars per square foot, the total cost would be $300. Some rugs will be more expensive to have cleaned than others. You can expect to pay from $4 per square foot up to $10 per square foot for the finest rugs.

We offer free estimates on our rug repair and rug cleaning services! Contact us now and tell us a little more about your rug, especially the size. We will even come pick it up for you and deliver it back when we’re finished. It’s just one more way we show how dedicated we are to our customers!

An oriental rug is not only beautiful, but it represents quite a big investment. It’s not uncommon for these rugs to cost several hundred dollars, and perhaps even more. This is something you want to treat with great care. 

There are instances in life where you will want to store an oriental rug. Maybe you have a party planned and don’t want anyone accidentally spilling on the rug. A friend could be bringing a dog over and you don’t want a urine stain on your rug. Perhaps you are moving and the rug needs to be transported and wait in storage for a little while. Whatever the reason to store an oriental rug for a little while, you want to make sure you do it correctly.

You’ve come to the right place for information! We don’t just sell the best oriental rugs in New Mexico, we take great pride in educating our shoppers as well. Today, we are going to discuss the best ways to store an oriental rug so it is not damaged. 

How to Store an Oriental Rug

Step #1 Get your rug washed before storing away

This step will ensure that your rug is free from moths, moth eggs, dust, and dirt before storage. You don’t want to hand wash it yourself. Instead, have your rug professionally cleaned here at Serafian’s. Our cleaning methods ensure that every inch of the rug is properly cleaned using methods and tools that are gentle, yet effective.

Step #2 Roll it in paper

It’s time to wrap your rug. Ensure the rug is completely dry, then roll it like a tube and wrap it in special paper. This paper is specially created for this purpose. This paper is chemical and ink free so there are minimum chances of damaging the rug.

Step #3 Seal the wrapping

You will want to seal the wrapping with plenty of tapes so that all seams are well covered. This acts as protection against moisture, as well as nasty little bugs and moths that you don’t want anywhere near your rug.

Step #4 Find a cool and dry storage place

Your rug is ready to be stored, and the only thing left to do is find the right location to do so. Attics and garages in New Mexico tend to get very hot in summer. For this reason, they are not a good place to store your rug. You want a room or storage facility with pretty consistent temperatures. Once you find a good room, lift the rug off of the floor in order to prevent moisture from the floor from seeping in.

Oriental rugs are precious. Rugs should be cared for and stored as carefully as possible. When you look at these four steps, you see that it’s not very difficult to store an oriental rug. As simple as they are, it is important that you pay careful attention to all of the above rules or else you could end up accidentally causinging damage to your rug while it is in storage.

If you have any other questions about oriental rug care or storage, we’re happy to answer them!