Sharing is Caring, Especially When It Comes to Cleaning

The Origins of Natural Dyes

January 15 by

Ever wonder where that beautiful red in your rug comes from? If your rug is colored with natural dyes then it could likely come from small insects called Cochineal or Kermes. Natural dyes are often used in hand area rugs because of their bright, lasting colors and the beautiful variation in colors that makes a rug unique.

Although rugs and other fabrics have been dyed brilliant colors for thousands of years, synthetic dyes have only been developed in the past 200 years. Before the 19th Century, almost all dyes were derived from plants, animals or minerals. Here’s a list of the most common sources for natural dyes.

Red – Cochineal and Kermes (insects), madder, redwood bark and Brazil wood (plants), cinnabar and lead oxide (mineral).

Orange – Henna (plant)

Yellow – saffron, safflower, tummeric weld and many other plant sources, ocher (mineral)

Green – a mix of blue and yellow dyes, or malachite (mineral)

Blue – Woad (plant), lapis lazuli and asurite (mineral)

Purple – Although purple can come from mixing red and blue dyes, the Royal Purple that is famous in royalty comes from the secretions of a sea snail. Since this purple is exceptionally rare and expensive it was saved for the highest classes.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , ,

The mose expensive carpet in the world!

February 3 by

A few weeks ago someone asked me  what the most expensive rug in the world was.

I wasn’t sure, so I started researching the subject.  Although there are all different claims, there seems to be a general agreement that a rare mid-17th century Persian carpet sold by Christie’s Account House to an anonymous buyer is the record holder. It was sold for the amazing sum of £6.2 million.
Christie’s said the quality of the rug reflected the great talent of the weavers of the Iranian city of Kirman – “arguably the most inventive and influential of all carpet designers”. The Kirman ‘Vase’ Carpet measures 11ft 1in by 5ft. (seems small for that price don’t you think?).

The Kirman ‘Vase’ Carpet is the most expensive carpet in the world, beating the previous world best of $5.5 million (£3.6 million) set by the famed Pearl Carpet of Baroda.  It’s silk, Persian and 400-500 years old, but does it really tie the room together ?

Filed Under: Carpet Cleaning Tips, Rug Cleaning Tagged With: ,

Some simple hand repairs…

January 25 by

Are the fringes on your rug looking neglected?
Are they starting to wear out, or have they become torn or ripped?

Well, depending on your budget, and what kind of look you want to achieve, there are solutions.

Here at Flatrate Carpet, we offer a great serging service.
Serging the edges of your rug can make it look “neat” again and is a cost-effective way of giving it a whole new look.
And iff your rug is thin, or flat and woven, there is also the option of binding.

This is an excellent way of counteracting damage.  Binding is a ¼ inch synthetic ribbon that we will sew onto the edge of the rug, transforming its whole look. It’s really worth investing in your rug, with these simple hand repairs.  Not only will you extend its lifespan considerably, but you’ll be saving yourself money in the long run.

Call us now for a no-obligation quote.

Filed Under: Rug Cleaning Tagged With: ,

Fringe Cleaning an Oriental Rug

October 31 by

Fringe cleaning is a vital step when cleaning an Oriental rug.  If done improperly, it can ruin the whole appearance of your special piece.  So when choosing a company to do the job, don’t forget to ask all the necessary questions and make sure that they work on the rug carefully, including the following steps:

  • They should set to work on the fringe, combing it out until it is completely separated.
  • Once it is no longer tangled, it should be cleaned thoroughly.
  • Once it is clean, it should be combed again, carefully to make sure it doesn’t become accidentally knotted.
  • No bleaches should be used when cleaning the fringe (this is important).
  • If it is worn or damaged, a specialist should re-wave or replace it.

Experienced professionals know just how important a fringe is to the beauty of a carpet, and will make sure all the above are carried out before your rug is returned to you.

Filed Under: Rug Cleaning Tagged With: ,