Official Tufenkian Carpet Outlet
Questions? 800-928-6671

Carepet Care and Cleaning

Cleaning Instructions of wool rugs
(More about wool rugs)

The unusually high lanolin content in Tufenkian Carpets’ unbleached, unscoured wool rugs acts as a natural soil and stain inhibitor. Since resin stain inhibitors are then added at the finishing wash to our Setana and Shakti qualities, an independent testing laboratory performing a soil and stain resistance battery on 15 staining agents found that except for Cherry Kool-Aide (which left a “barely perceptible” image after cleaning), results showed complete removal of 14 other common staining agents. While Lama quality rugs retain the high lanolin content found in Setana and Shakti qualities, Lama does not have the resin finish applied, therefore additional stain resistance agents may be considered as an option.

To maintain the beauty of Tufenkian Carpets hand-made area rugs, we recommend the following:

1. Vacuum frequently.
2. When any spills occur, blot the liquid as soon as possible. The idea is to lift the soil or liquid; not push it into the pile of the area rug.
3. When there is a noticeable spot or residue, apply a modest amount of carbonated water and blot the liquid.
4. If a spot remains, use small amount of mild liquid soap; apply a modest amount of carbonated water and blot with a lifting motion. Repeat if needed.
5. If a spot still remains, contact your local certified hand-made carpet cleaning and repair company.

Spotting Tips
Due to the uniqueness of our rugs and carpets, and the degree of expertise with which these spotting instructions may be used, Tufenkian assumes no responsibility related to the use of this information. All responsibility rests with the user.

Blot, never scrub spots on a rug. Scrubbing can damage the nap on a carpet. Test all spotting products in an inconspicuous area first and look for color change. If the color bleeds or you are unsure how to proceed, consult a professional.

Remove as much of the spill as possible before adding spotting products. Work from the outer edges of a spot to the center. Never saturate a spotting area with a liquid. Only spot with small amounts of cleaning products. Drying small areas can be accomplished with a hair dryer with the heat setting off.

Recipes for Spotting Instructions:

Vinegar solution: 1-2 tablespoons to a cup of cold water
Ammonia solution: 1-3 teaspoons to a cup of cold water
Dry cleaning solvent: Use straight out of the bottle (Available at most grocery stores.)
Mild detergent solution: 2-6 drops to a cup of cold water
Recommended detergent: Renaissance Oriental Rug Spotter, Bio-Clean all purpose cleaner, Planet Detergent, Seventh Generation

Spotting Guide

Beer - Use mild detergent followed by rinsing with vinegar solution, rinse with water

Blood - Blot with ammonia solution followed by vinegar solution, rinse with water

Candle wax - scrape excess off, cover area with paper and iron on low setting, then spot with dry solvent.

Chocolate - spot with dry cleaning solvent and let dry, apply mild detergent, rise with water.

Coffee - Blot with mild detergent and rinse with water.

Egg - Spot with mild detergent, rinse with water

Fingernail polish - Blot with dry cleaning solvent

Fruit juices, jam & jelly - Blot with mild detergent, rinse with water

Grease - Spot with dry cleaning solvent, spot with mild detergent, rinse with water

Gum - Scrape off excess and apply dry cleaning solvent, apply mild detergent if needed and rinse with water.

Ink - Spot with dry cleaning solvent, spot with mild detergent, rinse with water

Milk - Spot with mild detergent, rinse with vinegar solution, rinse with water, spot with dry cleaning solvent if needed

Paint - Apply dry cleaning solvent followed by mild detergent, rinse with water

Soft drinks - Spot with mild detergent, rinse with water

Soot - Spot with mild detergent, rinse with water, if not removed, spot with dry cleaning fluid

Tea - Spot with mild detergent, rinse with water

Urine - Spot with mild detergent, rinse with vinegar solution, and rinse with water, repeat process if needed

Vomit - Spot with mild detergent, vinegar solution, rinse with water

Wine - Fresh wine spills use white wine to spot followed by mild detergent and rinse with water.

Caring for your rug

Washing
We recommend Tufenkian Rugs be hand washed every three to six years depending on the amount of foot traffic. Our rugs should not be steam cleaned. Heat strong detergents, and spotting chemicals used in steam cleaning can cause damage resulting in color run and a decreased life span of your textile.

Padding
Carpet pads extend the life of your oriental rug by cushioning foot traffic. Pads also provide slip protection and work as a barrier for liquid spills thereby preserving hard wood floors.

Vacuuming
Weekly vacuuming is recommended to lessen the build-up of dirt particles that harm carpet fibers. When using a beater bar style vacuum avoid vacuuming fringes. Suction only vacuums lessen the possibility of fringe damage, but do not remove soil as thoroughly.

Storage
Before storing it is best to have oriental carpets cleaned first. Average house soil consists of sand, clay, carbon, starches, proteins, oils, mud, fungus, and pollen. Over time soils can react with each other and dyes resulting in detrimental effects. A dirty rug is also more susceptible to pest infestations such as moths, carpet beetles, and mold. Rugs should be cleaned and wrapped in a heavy breathable product such as paper or Tyvek with all exposed seams taped. Rugs should NOT be stored in direct contact with concrete floors or walls.

Pest Infestations
The best prevention is regular vacuuming and inspection. Pests prefer areas that are dark and undisturbed. It’s important to periodically check all woolen goods in your home and launder them in a timely manner. In many infestations oriental rugs are not the cause. Clean all items from secondary sources before placing them in your home.