This guide is intended to help you choose the right material for your rug, taking into account your requirements. We also include advice for the optimum care and maintenance to keep your rug in its best condition possible.
Rug Manufacturing Techniques Explained
Hand Knotted
- The most prestigious and oldest technique in manufacturing a rug and is an intricate way of weaving by hand on a loom.
- This method is labour intensive and requires the weaver to insert knots into the rug and tie each one by hand around the warp and weft of the rug.
- Very durable and will last longer than a hand tufted rug.
- Due to the intricate make-up process and length of time taken to make a hand knotted rug, these are often an investment piece. We would always recommend contacting a professional rug cleaner in order to retain the life of your rug. We recommend putting your vacuum on the lowest setting.
Hand Tufted
- These are made using a tufting ‘gun’. A hand operated tool punches strands of yarn into a stretched canvas. The design of the rug is stencilled onto the canvas and the weaver fills in the pattern with the responding colour fibres. These yarns are sealed with a latex glue and the rug is finished with a cloth back for a neat apperance.
- Some natural shedding will occur with first usage but will stop over time.
- Not suitable for rooms with underfloor heating due to the latex backing.
- Medium durability.
- Hand tufted rugs often have a higher pile than other rugs so may require a stronger suction when vacuuming.
Hand Woven / Hand Loomed
- A precise manual weaving technique that can produce shaggy, flat-weave or piled rugs.
- Vertical warp threads are interested with horizontal weft threads. To create the pile, the fibre is wrapped around a special rod during the weaving process and then cut to ensure equal pile height.
General Rug Maintenance
Looking after your rug will prolong its life and appearance. We recommend leaving your rug to settle for 24 hours upon delivery. The rug should flatten and any creases should come out. Please ensure you retain the packaging in case of any problems with the rug settling into its environment. Wool rugs will shed fibres. This is totally normal and will settle down over time.
We recommend your rug is vacuumed as required using a suction strength suitable to the composition of your rug. Regular vacuuming will prolong the life of your rug, but excessive vacuuming can agitate the pile causing increased shedding, so clean in moderation as required. Vacuums with rotating brushes are not recommended for rugs as they can damage the edges of the rug. Never place a rug on a damp floor. Delicate rugs should be regularly brushed rather than vacuumed.
If you spot any long threads or uneven tufts on the pile surface, these can be carefully trimmed with a pair of sharp scissors.
It is imperative to deal with any spills / stains immediately. With the exception of Viscose rugs, blot spills with a clean, dry absorbent white cloth. Never rub the surface pile of the rug. Once the rug has dried, brush the pile so that the affected area is the same direction as the rest of the rug. Viscose rugs cannot be treated with any detergents or water. Simply blot the stain and seek professional advice if required to further treat the stain.
If possible, rotate your rug so that it evens out the areas of heavy traffic. If your rug is exposed to the sun, we recommend considering putting a blind at the window to reduce any material colour fading from the sun. Outdoor rugs are typically UV resistant so could be worth considering for south facing rooms with direct sunlight onto the rug.
Some rugs have manufacturing care and maintenance labels attached so always check for these or any paperwork with the delivery of your rug. It is always advised to follow the manufacturer’s advice.
Shop our full rug collection here. You can also filter by materials to find the right rug for your requirements.
Please get in touch if we can offer any advice with your purchase. Please email sales@thehomeofinteriors.co.uk or call us on 01590 615775.
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