Fringes, fringes, and even more fringes

When one fringe isn't enough, add more

It is always a treat when we get an unique rug in for cleaning. This is a pretty cool rug with the double fringes. this is not a normal thing to find on Turkish area rugs.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, your Victoria and Vancouver Island BC, rug cleaning AND repair expert! 

How would your rug look without fringes?

When your area rug is new the fringes/tassels are crisp and fresh. After years of being vacuumed up and walked on the fringes look tired and worn and may be stained, so what can be done?

For most area rugs we can remove the fringes completely or we can replace the fringes. On hand knotted rugs we do authentic hand repairs to the fringes.

When posed with the question, "Would you like us to remove your fringes?", it can be hard to picture your rug without the fringes. Here is an easy way to make that decision:



Here are more before and after pictures of area rug repairs that we do at Luv-A-Rug.

Dingy and worn out fringes make a rug look older than it is and you fall out of love with your rug. Let Luv-A-Rug in Victoria BC make your rug lovable again.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, your Victoria and Vancouver Island BC rug cleaning and new fringe expert.

How area rugs became Americanized

Tea and Carpets has written another great blog about how Persian/Oriental rugs became more Americanized.

The love affair between East and West has been hot and cold for centuries. Each adapting the others styles and ways of life, tweaking them to fit and adding their own twists.

The mystery of the East has intrigued travelers, writers, and artists alike.

I love learning and sharing the history of area rugs. Tea and Carpets is a great resource for rug history.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, Your Victoria and Vancouver Island BC, rug cleaning and loving expert!

Do you have a Curvy Area Rug?

How does an area rug develop a curve in it?

The answer:

• Not using the right under pad.
• Putting the rug on carpet
• Having furniture on one area and walking on the rest
• It was that way when it as made
• One side got wet and shrunk

There are many ways an area rug can warp put of shape, but it can be repaired.

With a combination of blocking and sizing a rug can be made straighter and help get out stubborn wrinkles. Please only use a professional to do this.

This rug is not getting straightened at this time, but the client knows that it is possible.

If you have an area rug that you don't know if it is worth getting cleaned or repaired bring it to Luv-A-Rug. We will tell you if your rug can be saved or if it time to replace it.

If your rug is too big or heavy for you to bring in we can pick it up. Call us at 250-590-6210 or drop by at 445 Beta St. Victoria BC

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, your local Victoria BC rug cleaner and rug lover!

Potted Plants + Area Rugs= Bad News

Live potted plants are great for our homes, but not so great for area rugs. If you have a potted plant on your rug please remove it immediately.

The problem with having a plant on your rug is that every time it gets watered, some of the water may miss the pot, the pot may over flow, or the pot may develop a leak.

Excess water on a rug can cause mold/mildew to grow, the colours to bleed, and possibly the rug to rot.

The following video shows what can happen when you put a live Christmas tree on a rug.



If you discover water damage on your area rug Luv-A-Rug can help.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, Your Victoria BC area rug cleaning expert!

Chobi and Wine

Chobi+ wine+ cat= this.
You get a rather large wine splatter, as you can see in the upper right of the photo.

This area rug is an 8x10 Chobi. In case you don't know much about Chobi area rugs here is a quick description:

Chobi rugs are hand knotted wool rugs made in the mountainous tribal villages of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are made with high quality wool and dyed with vegetable dyes.

The name Chobi is derived from chob rang which describes the wood like colouring these rugs have. Chobi rugs have a wonderful antique look that compliments any decor.

Chobi rugs are perfect for entrances and reception areas as they make a strong artistic impression and are very durable. Durable in the fact that they stand up well to lots of foot traffic not so much in wine spills.
The first picture in this trio is a close up of the wine spill. The cat didn't like that fact that the wine glass was in it's way.



The middle picture is of the back. I darkened it a bit to show that the wine is pretty deep into the fibers.

The last picture is of an unrelated spot. It is pink in colour. I let the client know that it may still remain after cleaning and spot treatment. The results are still a bit unknown at this time.

Our rug cleaning tech here at luv a rug cleaners in Victoria says that wine can be very difficult to remove completely. The spill was a week old by the time the rug got to us.

Worst case scenario, we lighten the wine spill. We always strive for the best case scenario in which we remove the red wine completely.

When red wine get spilled on your rug please do not panic! grab a WHITE COTTON towel put it on the spills and stand on it. Keep moving a clean part of the towel on the spot and standing until you no longer get any transfer of red wine. You can also put dry oats or salt on the red wine when it is wet to absorb the wine.

Put a damp towel on the spill and keep it damp, not too wet, and get a professional rug cleaner to take care of the rest of the spill marks immediately

NEVER USE BAKING SODA, OR OTHER SPOT CLEANERS ON YOUR WOOL AREA RUGS. They do more damage than the spill you re trying to get rid of.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, your local Victoria BC rug cleaning expert!

Qashqai, Gashgay, Kashkay, Qasqa'i?? Rugs

Qashqai area rugs: There are many different spellings for this type of hand knotted wool rug. I found out a little bit about these unique rugs. They have been making Qashqai rugs since before the 16th century or 13th or 19th depending on what website you believe. I love finding conflicting information about a subject. Everyone seems right until you read another website, then no one seems right.

These rugs are very well made by what was a nomadic tribe of Iran. After many wars and many years the nomadic tribe has settled mostly in the vicinity of Shiraz. The Qashqai tribe is possibly one of the largest and most prosperous tribes of Iran. The rugs they weave are geometric in design and the weavers use bright vibrant colours.

Instead of me regurgitating what others have already written about Qashqai area rugs, I will send you to one of Barry O'Connell's sites. His pages will give you more information then you will know what to do with.
The rug in the picture came to us a couple of weeks ago. It has had a colourful life I am sure. There a couple of previous repairs.

Whomever did the repair did a pretty good job at finding a matching donor rug. It can never be prefect when using another rug to repair a hole. It blends enough that you don't notice it right away. On the back it is much more noticeable, but that is the back.

When we do our visual inspections with the clients I also let them know that sometime the stains or spots may remain on the back of their rugs. About ninety five percent say that it is the back of the rug and they never look there.

When doing rug repairs that involves using another rug it has to be understood that it will be noticeable. The other option for fixing a hole is to hand weave it. Expensive, yes, but it keeps the look of the rug uniform.

It all comes down to sentimental value and how much you want to invest in the rug. Never let your first thought be that the rug is not worth it, that it is too far gone to get fixed.

We have done some great repairs over the years here at Luv-a-rug cleaners in Victoria BC. Let us give you our professional opinion before it becomes part of our landfills. Luv-A-Rug 250-590-6210/1-800-886-2802, 445 Beta St (off Alpha St) Victoria BC.
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, your local Victoria BC, Sooke to Sidney rug cleaning expert!

Rug luvable again

When it comes to old, worn out, or stained fringes you have a couple of options for remedying them. Depending on the factors of the type of rug, where you use the rug, and budget we have fix that will suit you and your area rug.
First off we can replace the fringes with a machine sewn fringe. The old fringes are cut off and a synthetic ribbon is sewn on to the edge of the rug. The new fringes are then sewn on to the top of the rug. Luv-A-Rug cleaners in Victoria has different fringes to choose from in three different colours, white, golden, grey. We like to choose a colour of fringe that best compliments the area rug. We can also hand weave new fringes as mentioned in a previous blog.



When you are tired of the vacuum having lunch with the fringes, or if the fringes get too dingy we can remove them completely. A serged or overcast stitched edge adds a nice clean look to your rug. We use synthetic fiber for serging as it lasts longer than say cotton or wool and is less expensive and more readily available. We match the best colour to your rug so that it blends with the rug. Serging is a great option for most area rugs.
For flat woven rugs or thin rugs we recommend binding. Binding is a 1/4 inch synthetic ribbon that is sewn on the edge of your rug. Binding is also best for left over carpet pieces. Old dingy worn fringes can make you rug look old and not very lovable. Let Luv-A-Rug cleaners add the love back into your rug with new fringes or a nice clean edge. 250-590-6210 www.luvarug.com
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, your local Victoria BC rug cleaner and serging expert!