Holiday First Aid for Your Oriental Rug

The holidays are a busy time for most of us, and for many a big part of that busy season is an increase in the number of people visiting your home as well as the addition of all of those great Christmas decorations. The holidays can be a hazardous time for your carpets though, especially your much loved Oriental rug, as spills and accidents, some of them rather unique to the season, are far more likely to occur.

The key to preventing permanent damage may very well be a rug cleaners and observe them on how to clean a rug, but you will also need to perform a little 'first aid' at home as soon after the accident(s) occur as possible. Here are a few tips for dealing with some of the most common 'seasonal stains' - specifically candlewax and Christmas tree sap - right away the right way.


Candlewax 

Scented, brightly colored candles are a great addition to seasonal decor but spilled candlewax on your Oriental rug can be a very scary sight. Before you panic though, with some quick action it does not mean disaster.

The first thing you need to do is let the wax cool and harden. Prevent people and pets from going near the spilled wax though, as treading on it is only going to make things worse.

When the wax is cool, take a blunt butter knife and VERY CAREFULLY remove as much of the wax as you can. Having done that find a plain - no inks of any kind -  brown bag (like the ones you get at the grocery store)  and cut out strips that are large enough to cover the wax stain. At the same time turn your iron on to keep to a medium setting and find a clean, thick towel.

Once the iron is ready place a piece of the brown paper over the wax stain and cover it with the towel. Run the iron carefully over both the towel and paper. This causes the wax to melt again, but this time it will cling to the paper and lifted safely from the Oriental rug. Repeat with new strips until the wax appears to be gone. If residue remains after a few hours you may want to book that professional cleaning appointment.


Christmas Tree Sap 

A real Christmas tree is a wonderful thing to behold, but the sap can be pesky stuff. If it is spilled onto your Oriental rug, be very careful about how you go about trying to remove it. The only thing you should do is blot the area (no scrubbing) with a cloth dampened with a mild soapy water solution, and then blot that away with a new cloth and plain water.

We have seen some strange advice involving mayonnaise on the Internet, as well as suggestions about using alcohol and even dry cleaning solvents as well. None of this is very sage wisdom though, as all of those substances may cause more harm than good. If the sap stain is still there after the water treatment consult a professional Oriental rug cleaner.


For Other Spills 

To be as safe as possible, while still minimizing the damage of accidental spills to your Oriental rug for all other spills (wine, beer, gravy etc.) stick to the mild detergent 'bath' as described above. Most Oriental rugs contain natural dyes that are sensitive to harsh chemical cleaners and these can therefore cause permanent damage where the stain would have been a temporary blip that a professional Oriental rug cleaning could have solved easily because of their special care for oriental rugs.

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