Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Clean Your Antique Rug in San Diego

“Oh, no,” I protested as Patrick unrolled the small, ornate rug he had purchased at an estate sale. “Look at that thing. It’s dingy, and there’s a stain right there in the middle.”

“C’mon, it’s antique,” pleaded Patrick. “You and I won’t look as good when we’re 100. How’s about I get it cleaned?”

I called Kate Blatchford, owner of San Diego Rug Cleaning Company in Miramar (858-566-3833; blatchfords.com), and it was a good thing I did. “The most common problem we run into is removing stains left by spot removers. We’ve been doing this for 30 years, so when we see a rug we can tell what time period it’s from and also where it was made. Those factors help us to identify what dyes were used in the making and the best way to avoid dye bleeding.”

For starters, “We don’t use any miracle cleaning products, just soap and water.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

Blatchford said that it was common for her to see rugs that are 100, even 200 years old. “Old rugs were hand woven, using whatever materials were on hand. To wash them, people threw them in the river. We do a variation of that: we rinse them. If a rug is made from a natural fiber such as silk, wool, or cotton, we’ll put it under cold water, soak it, and wash it as slowly as possible. We’ll do it until the water runs clear. Sometimes it takes a whole day.”

A whole day? “With some of the newer rugs,” explained Blatchford, “the pile stands straight up, the way it does on carpeting.” That means the dirt sinks straight down and affects the overall appearance of the rug. “But with these older, handmade rugs, the pile has an angle, like an animal’s fur. Because of that, the rugs can hold an enormous amount of soil.” And without appearing dirty.

“We’ll get rugs in here that haven’t been washed in 80 years.” The angle on the pile also means that you can’t get at the dirt just by going in from the top. “We have to go in from underneath with the water, bring the dirt up from below.” Before that, “We’ll turn the rug upside down and run a vacuum cleaner over the back. The vibration will help to shake the soil out of the front. We do that until no soil shakes out.” After washing, the rugs are dried flat and given a final grooming with a horsehair brush to keep the pile lying at a uniform angle.

Blatchford said the final effect could be spectacular. “The wool in these old rugs has a lot of lanolin. Washing it is like washing really healthy hair. It makes the color come alive.” Cost is $4.50 a square foot, $5.50 for silk or heavy shag.

Nicholas Zeytounian at Zeytounian Oriental Rug Cleaners in Kearny Mesa (858-571-6808) has been cleaning rugs since 1956. “You must be careful,” he warned. “So many people who wash rugs can ruin them by causing the color to bleed. Some colors bleed fast, especially if the dyed wool is not rinsed enough before weaving.”

Like Blatchford, he washes by hand, first vacuuming the back and then washing from underneath with soap and water. Cost is $3.65 to $4 per square foot. Zeytounian also offers rug repair, either by patching or, in extreme cases, reweaving.

Finally, I spoke with Julie Van Horn at Lug Your Rug in Mission Valley (619-284-8287). “We’ll use detergents on synthetics,” she said, “but for wool, cotton, or other natural fibers, we’ll use soap. Exotic or Oriental rugs must be acid-treated to keep the dyes from running. The cleaning is done by flood washing.

“After that, some of the rugs will go through a press that takes out much of the moisture — you have to pamper natural fibers, but you can muscle the synthetics. However, the press makes the pile of the rug go in different directions, and you don’t want it to dry that way. We give the rug a little time for the knots to loosen after washing, and then we groom it. We’ll brush it — that lifts the pile and helps give the rug a soft, smooth feel. A synthetic 5'x8' rug will be $50. Something made from wool, cotton, or other natural fiber, but with stabilized mordants and dyes, will be $70. An exotic or Oriental rug will be $90.”

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego Reader 2024 Music & Arts Issue

Favorite fakers: Baby Bushka, Fleetwood Max, Electric Waste Band, Oceans, Geezer – plus upcoming tribute schedule

“Oh, no,” I protested as Patrick unrolled the small, ornate rug he had purchased at an estate sale. “Look at that thing. It’s dingy, and there’s a stain right there in the middle.”

“C’mon, it’s antique,” pleaded Patrick. “You and I won’t look as good when we’re 100. How’s about I get it cleaned?”

I called Kate Blatchford, owner of San Diego Rug Cleaning Company in Miramar (858-566-3833; blatchfords.com), and it was a good thing I did. “The most common problem we run into is removing stains left by spot removers. We’ve been doing this for 30 years, so when we see a rug we can tell what time period it’s from and also where it was made. Those factors help us to identify what dyes were used in the making and the best way to avoid dye bleeding.”

For starters, “We don’t use any miracle cleaning products, just soap and water.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

Blatchford said that it was common for her to see rugs that are 100, even 200 years old. “Old rugs were hand woven, using whatever materials were on hand. To wash them, people threw them in the river. We do a variation of that: we rinse them. If a rug is made from a natural fiber such as silk, wool, or cotton, we’ll put it under cold water, soak it, and wash it as slowly as possible. We’ll do it until the water runs clear. Sometimes it takes a whole day.”

A whole day? “With some of the newer rugs,” explained Blatchford, “the pile stands straight up, the way it does on carpeting.” That means the dirt sinks straight down and affects the overall appearance of the rug. “But with these older, handmade rugs, the pile has an angle, like an animal’s fur. Because of that, the rugs can hold an enormous amount of soil.” And without appearing dirty.

“We’ll get rugs in here that haven’t been washed in 80 years.” The angle on the pile also means that you can’t get at the dirt just by going in from the top. “We have to go in from underneath with the water, bring the dirt up from below.” Before that, “We’ll turn the rug upside down and run a vacuum cleaner over the back. The vibration will help to shake the soil out of the front. We do that until no soil shakes out.” After washing, the rugs are dried flat and given a final grooming with a horsehair brush to keep the pile lying at a uniform angle.

Blatchford said the final effect could be spectacular. “The wool in these old rugs has a lot of lanolin. Washing it is like washing really healthy hair. It makes the color come alive.” Cost is $4.50 a square foot, $5.50 for silk or heavy shag.

Nicholas Zeytounian at Zeytounian Oriental Rug Cleaners in Kearny Mesa (858-571-6808) has been cleaning rugs since 1956. “You must be careful,” he warned. “So many people who wash rugs can ruin them by causing the color to bleed. Some colors bleed fast, especially if the dyed wool is not rinsed enough before weaving.”

Like Blatchford, he washes by hand, first vacuuming the back and then washing from underneath with soap and water. Cost is $3.65 to $4 per square foot. Zeytounian also offers rug repair, either by patching or, in extreme cases, reweaving.

Finally, I spoke with Julie Van Horn at Lug Your Rug in Mission Valley (619-284-8287). “We’ll use detergents on synthetics,” she said, “but for wool, cotton, or other natural fibers, we’ll use soap. Exotic or Oriental rugs must be acid-treated to keep the dyes from running. The cleaning is done by flood washing.

“After that, some of the rugs will go through a press that takes out much of the moisture — you have to pamper natural fibers, but you can muscle the synthetics. However, the press makes the pile of the rug go in different directions, and you don’t want it to dry that way. We give the rug a little time for the knots to loosen after washing, and then we groom it. We’ll brush it — that lifts the pile and helps give the rug a soft, smooth feel. A synthetic 5'x8' rug will be $50. Something made from wool, cotton, or other natural fiber, but with stabilized mordants and dyes, will be $70. An exotic or Oriental rug will be $90.”

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Nation’s sexy soldiers stage protest at Pendleton in wake of change in Marine uniform policy

Semper WHY?
Next Article

Didja know I did the first American feature on Jimi Hendrix?

Richard Meltzer goes through the Germs, Blue Oyster Cult, Ray Charles, Elvis, Lavender Hill Mob
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.