Everything you need to keep a handmade rug alive
Wool, silk, cotton, and natural-fiber care — cleaning methods, stain response, and storage, written from forty-plus years of hands-on conservation work.
- Cleaning Guides
Iranian Carpet Cleaning: The Right Method for Hand-Knotted Persian Rugs
Cold-water hand washing, individual dye testing, controlled flat drying — the conservation method for Tabriz, Kashan, Heriz, Qashqai, Isfahan, and Sarouk.
Ghorban Ahmadi6 min readMay 29, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Can You Steam Clean a Persian Rug? A Conservator Answers
Wool shrinkage, dye migration, and foundation rot — why hot-water extraction is wrong for every Persian rug.
Ghorban Ahmadi8 min readMay 26, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Antique Chinese Rug Cleaning — Nichols, Peking, Art Deco
Nichols sculpted pile, Peking, Art Deco — dye-sensitive early synthetics and silk blends, hand-washed correctly.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 23, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
The Interior Designer's Guide to Rug Care on Luxury Installs
A working reference for designers and architects — pre-install prep, handling protocol, cleaning cadence by room.
Ghorban Ahmadi4 min readApril 23, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Kilim & Flatweave Cleaning and Repair
Anatolian, Persian, Caucasian, Afghan kilims — slit-weave reinforcement, selvedge reconstruction, cold-water hand washing.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 23, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Moroccan & Berber Rug Cleaning — Beni Ourain, Azilal, Boucherouite
Beni Ourain, Azilal, Boucherouite, and Atlas Mountain kilims — hand-washed, lanolin-preserving, dye-safe.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 23, 2026 - Stain Removal
Pet Urine in Oriental Rugs — Why It Comes Back
Pet urine is a chemistry problem, not a stain problem. Why DIY methods fail and why odor returns in humid weather.
Ghorban Ahmadi4 min readApril 23, 2026 - Storage & Prevention
Rug Pad Guide — What Works, and What Destroys Hardwood
Felt, rubber, felt+rubber, memory foam compared. What to use on hardwood, what destroys finishes, and correct sizing.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 23, 2026 - Storage & Prevention
Rug Storage in Chicago's Climate
Chicago humidity (60–80% summer, 20–30% winter) plus moths makes storage hostile. What works at home and when to use climate-controlled.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 23, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Can You Steam Clean Oriental Rugs?
The technical reason hot-water extraction damages handmade rugs — dye migration, foundation soak, fibre fatigue.
Ghorban Ahmadi4 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
What Eco-Friendly Rug Cleaning Actually Means
Most "green cleaning" is marketing. What conservation chemistry actually looks like and what to ask any cleaner.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
How a Museum Conservator Cleans a Rug
The full conservation-grade hand-washing process — dust extraction, dye-test, cold immersion, controlled drying.
Ghorban Ahmadi4 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
How Often Should You Have Your Rugs Professionally Cleaned?
12–18 months for most rooms, less for some, more for others. The real factors: traffic, fibre, pets, allergies.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - By Material
Jute Rugs: What You Can Clean Yourself
Jute cannot be wet-cleaned without risk of staining and rot. The dry-extraction methods that actually work.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - Storage & Prevention
How to Store Rugs Properly — and What Happens When You Don't
Moths, moisture, compression — all preventable. The right way to roll, wrap, label, and store a rug at home.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Shag Rug Cleaning: Why Standard Methods Damage High-Pile Rugs
Why high-pile shag rugs need a different process — pre-extraction, hand-washing, controlled drying for tall fibre.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - By Material
Silk Rug Cleaning: The Most Delicate Fibre We Work With
Silk is the most delicate fibre we work with. The pH-managed chemistry and dye-test protocol Qum and Hereke pieces require.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Turkish Rug Cleaning: What Makes Anatolian Rugs Different
Anatolian, Hereke, Konya, Kayseri, and kilim — what differentiates Turkish rugs from Persian rugs in cleaning approach.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Why Rug Doctor Machines Damage Handmade Rugs
We see this damage every week. Dye bleed, mould, pile distortion — the mechanical and chemical failure modes documented.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - By Material
Wool Rug Cleaning: What Wool Does That Synthetics Don't
Why wool needs cold water, lanolin-safe detergent, and controlled humidity — and what truck-mount machines do to it.
Ghorban Ahmadi4 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
How to Clean a Persian Rug at Home
Weekly maintenance, spot cleaning, stain-specific tips, and the mistakes that cause the most damage — from a museum-trained conservator.
Ghorban Ahmadi - By Material
How to Care for a Wool Rug
Why lanolin matters, safe cleaning methods, what damages wool, and when to call a professional.
Ghorban Ahmadi - By Material
How to Care for a Silk Rug
How to tell real silk from art silk, why silk is so delicate, what destroys it, and why silk needs a specialist.
Ghorban Ahmadi - By Material
How to Care for a Cotton Rug
Cleaning flatweaves and dhurries, why cotton shrinks and browns, and what only a professional should handle.
Ghorban Ahmadi - By Material
How to Care for Jute & Sisal Rugs
Why these plant-fiber rugs must stay dry, how to spot-clean safely, and what damage cannot be undone.
Ghorban Ahmadi - By Material
How to Care for a Synthetic Rug
Cleaning polypropylene, nylon, and polyester — what they tolerate, their limits, and when wool is the better long-term buy.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Cleaning Guides
How to Tell if a Rug Is Handmade — 5 Tests a Conservator Uses
The flip test, fringe test, irregularity test, edge test, and weight test — five checks that separate hand-knotted from machine-made, no tools required.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Cleaning Guides
Oriental Rug Cleaning Cost: Full Price Guide (2026)
What professional rug cleaning actually costs by construction and fiber, and why the cheapest quote is usually the most expensive rug you will ever own.
Ghorban Ahmadi