Maintaining handmade carpets at home is an important issue that some housewives, especially newlyweds, are concerned about. In this article from Kolahdouzan Carpet website, we intend to talk to you about this topic. This is important because if you properly and correctly follow the principles of maintaining handmade carpets, you can increase their value day by day. To properly maintain handmade carpets, you first need to know what factors and reasons cause damage to them so that you can use specialized solutions to address these issues. These factors include:
- Non-living or environmental factors such as: dust, light, heat, humidity, improper physical pressure, and environmental pollution.
- Living factors like mice and insects such as: moths, crickets, termites, cockroaches, and carpet beetles.
Maintaining a Rolled Handmade Carpet
Maintaining a rolled handmade carpet is important to us because we believe the best way to store a carpet when it is not in use is to roll it. However, there are points about rolling handmade carpets that, if not followed, can cause damage to your carpet. We will review these points below:
- The first point to consider before rolling the carpet is that if your carpet is damaged for any reason, you must repair the worn and damaged parts. Ignoring this can lead to more deterioration and higher repair costs.
- Be sure to use moth repellents like tobacco or naphthalene before folding and rolling the handmade carpet and place them inside the rug.
- For rolling handmade carpets, especially large ones, it's better to get help from two or three people. Otherwise, the carpet may not be rolled evenly and the ends may not align, causing the protruding edges to fold and get damaged over time.
- If your handmade carpet is very valuable, it’s better to spread a clean and disinfected cotton or linen cloth over the carpet before rolling it to prevent dust and other pollutants from entering. Then tie the rug with rope to further minimize dust and pollutant entry.
- The final note about storing rolled handmade carpets is to ensure that the storage place is free of moisture, insects, pests, sunlight, and dust. Also, remember that this environment should have proper air ventilation.
Preventing Carpet Moth Infestation
Preventing moth infestation in carpets is one of the most important steps in maintaining handmade carpets. One of the most dangerous and damaging insects to your handmade carpet is the moth. To prevent moth infestation, you first need to know more about this insect.
The moth is a small yellowish butterfly with a body length of 9 to 12 millimeters. It reproduces twice a year; once in late spring and early summer, and again in late autumn and early winter. This insect lays around 100 eggs each time and prefers humid areas for reproduction. Moths damage handmade carpets because they are highly attracted to the protein in wool. Once they penetrate the carpet fibers, they attack the wool quickly and continue feeding until only the carpet’s warp remains unless a solution is found.
In the past, the solution to eliminate moths and their eggs in handmade carpets was to use tobacco or pipe tobacco under the carpet. However, over time this caused discoloration in light areas of the carpet, leading to its abandonment. Today, materials like newspaper, pepper, bleach, camphor, and naphthalene are used. Among them, naphthalene is the most effective. The method is to lay a clean, preferably white cloth over the carpet, sprinkle powdered naphthalene on it, and then roll the carpet. Finally, to maximize naphthalene's effect, wrap the rolled carpet in a nylon cover so that the gas released from the naphthalene stays around the rug and protects it from moths. Also remember that moths may attack decorative rugs or carpets hung on walls, so you should regularly inspect and clean all parts.
Storing Rolled Carpets
There are different ways to store rolled carpets, but the best and most effective method is to place them inside a nylon wrap. This helps keep your carpet safe during transport, under sunlight, and when stored in a warehouse. Also remember never to use any method other than rolling to move carpets. For example, folding a handmade carpet puts pressure on certain areas, which can cause damage and tearing. But if you must fold the carpet, make sure to unfold it as soon as possible, roll it tightly, wait a bit, and then lay it out.
The art of maintaining handmade carpets belongs to those who understand the fibers and details of such rugs. Every carpet is a world of art, and not knowing how to care for it can damage its beauty. Kolahdouzan carpets are no exception. If you are interested in traditional Persian art, you can browse our products.