Q&A for How to Clean Oriental Rugs

Start by cleaning the spot with degreasing dish soap mixed into cold water. Use a sponge to blot the stain. Rinse the spot with clean water, then dry it with a cloth. If this technique doesn't work, you can try using vinegar. If the stain remains, it's best to take it to a professional rug cleaner.

If the dye starts to rub off of your rug, stop cleaning it. It's best to take the rug to a professional rug cleaner. If you keep cleaning it yourself, you will likely damage the rug.

Try using the vinegar and water method to get rid of pet odors and stains. Keep in mind that the quicker you clean it, the less hard it will be to get it out of the rug.

It should. I pour straight vinegar into a small plastic container and place it in my unfinished basement, it takes the must smell away. Replace once it evaporates. Easy and cheap.

Follow the instructions listed in the article above.

Carefully remove a tiny bit of the material and burn it with a match or lighter. Use tweezers to hold it while doing this. Synthetic will shrivel, not burn, and will smell like burning chemicals or plastic. Wool also shrivels, but will smell like singed hair. Silk shrivels and smells like burning hair, feathers or meat. Cotton burns, does not shrivel, and smells more like burning paper. Many traditional rugs are wool pile on a cotton base, so the fringe would be cotton, and the colored part would be wool.

It's a good idea if you are putting it directly on a floor, and may even be helpful if you put it over another carpet, for example wall to wall. A reputable rug dealer should be able to help you choose the type of pad that is best for your situation.

Place a thin cloth over the dried glue and use a clothes iron to heat up the substance. Once it turns to liquid, dab the area with a wet cloth. If this doesn't work then you may need to take it a professional or carefully scrape the dried glue from your carpet.

It's best to vacuum parallel to the fringe in both directions if possible. This will lift the weave and release the most debris.

Scrape up what you can, let it completely dry, then vacuum. Rinse the edge with cold water, then spray it down with vinegar and use an olive oil bar soap to clean. Let it dry by a heating vent.