Oriental carpets and rugs are naturally places where dirt build ups. Even when taking the utmost care, when your family and pets walk in and out of the house, chances are that they will track dirt, mud and grime over the oriental rug, let alone spill wine, juice or milk on it, because we all know that accidents can (and probably will) happen.

Cleaning your oriental carpets properly is vital to ensuring that they last longer, and of course, for assuring a clean, fresh look in your Miami home.

Now, it may look simple, but it’s easy to make a mistake when trying to clean any carpet, let alone oriental rugs. Here are 5 of the most common mistakes:

1. You use the wrong oriental rug cleaning solution

Each carpet requires a specific cleaning solution that suits its material. Wool fibers, the most commonly used material in oriental rugs, are strong and durable, however the die that is used to color them may very well be unstable, and ‘bleed’ during the cleaning process, if you don’t use the right carpet shampoo or carpet spray. Be aware of the fact that carpet shampoos are usually designed to be used on synthetic wall to wall carpets, and not on your precious oriental rug.

2. You don’t use enough water for oriental rug cleaning

A common mistake when non-professionals clean their oriental rugs and carpets is not using enough water. The wool fibers that make up your oriental rug are naturally stain resistant, so they require a great deal of water to enhance that power, and make sure that your valuable oriental carpet gets clean. Keep in mind that after using lots of water for your oriental rug cleaning, you also need to dry the oriental rug off thoroughly, so that no moisture remains, otherwise you run the risk of damaging the oriental rug or carpet further.

3. You don’t start cleaning your oriental rug straight away

How many times have you put off doing things for tomorrow, that should have been done today? Cleaning your oriental rug is no different. It is a major chore to tackle, and people tend to put it off for a few days, to the weekend, or the next time they don’t get home from work tired. And we all know that never happens. But, if you don’t start working on that wine stain as soon as possible, it will be much, much harder to remove, and the evidence will remain there for a very long time. Some, such as soda stains, can cause even worse damage, as they contain acids that eat away at your oriental rug fibers.

4. You use deodorizing powders for oriental rug cleaning

Deodorizing powders aren’t meant to be used to clean your dirty oriental rug or removes stains from the carpet. They are strictly intended to remove odors, and for even that to be effective, they should be part of a process, not the whole thing. Not only that, but your common household vacuum cleaner can’t pick up the powder. Use them a few times, and you’ll see the buildup in your oriental rug, making it even more dirty over time.

5. You don’t call professional oriental rug cleaners

Cleaning oriental rugs are not a do-it-yourself project. The effort involved, understanding the materials the rug is made of, and learning which oriental rug cleaning solutions should be used to combat the stains and dirt are not something that should be undertaken lightly. making mistakes in the cleaning process can be very costly, and you can end up damaging your oriental rug in a very serious way. We highly recommend that you hire the help of an oriental rug cleaning professional to properly clean your rugs.