To see what your rug is hiding:
- Vacuum the rug as per usual, then turn it upside down and vacuum the back of the rug. What you will see may surprise you.
- If possible vacuum the back of your area rugs at least once a month, depending on usage. High traffic area rugs will need it more than low traffic rugs.
Today I had the joy of two Nichols Chinese area rugs come in for cleaning and repair. The owners bought these rugs at auction for a great price.Here is a great article about Walter Nichols and his area rug career.
This is the smaller one, it is 5x8 feet. After it is cleaned we are doing a new serged edge around the three sides that are fraying.
Before you comment that this is a work of art and should be hand repaired, the clients are very aware of what these rugs are. They would love to have hand repairs done, but they cannot at this time. They opted for the machine repairs to keep the rugs from fraying further.
The Nichols Chinese area rugs are very well made an were very highly sought after as the Chinese rug to own up until the 1930's. They weren't made after the Japanese invaded China in the early 1930's.When you think about the age of these rugs it shows the level of quality that went into making them, even after years of use they still look great. The colours are not faded, just the pile is a bit worn from use.
These rugs are heavy as well. There are a lot of knots per square inch making them very dense one of the reasons they last for decades.
Here is the second one, the size is 7x9 feet.After we clean this area rug we will be serging the ends as well. The colours are very vibrant and the design is magnificent.
Both pattern designs are asymmetrical, which adds to the character of them. These two area rugs show how great workmanship lasts and how good design stands through time.
Walter Nichols rug designs are very awe inspiring. He went against the traditional rug patterns to create truly unique area rugs.
His rugs were walked on by the Queen of England,and other royalty, as well as everyday people.Here is a comparison of the front and back showing that there isn't much fading of the colours over the years.
Nichols Chinese rugs are a magnificent example of workmanship that is quickly getting lost in the shuffle of quick and inexpensively made area rugs. It just goes to show that buying a hand knotted rug is a great investment that will last for decades with proper care and cleaning.
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary
