Oriental & Area Rug Cleaning and Repair in Stratford

Jafri Rug restoration will do the following:

Time is critical — the longer a rug sits damp or soiled with soot or water, the higher the risk of mildew, permanent staining, or fiber rot. The rug can also become brittle and snap in half.

1. Inspection & Fiber Identification

• 
  

  Rug is checked for:

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    Type of fiber (wool, silk, synthetic)

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Dye type (natural vs synthetic)

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Weave and pile structure

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Stains, odors, moth or mildew damage

    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Colorfastness test is done to ensure dyes won’t bleed.

2. Dry Soil Removal (Dusting)

Over 70% of a rug's dirt is dry and embedded deep in the pile.

• 
  

  Specialized dusting equipment or compressed air is used.

  
  


• 
  

  Dislodges dry particles like sand, dirt, and grit that regular vacuums miss.

  
  


• 
  

  Critical before wet cleaning—wet dirt turns to mud and causes staining if not removed.

3. Pre-Treatment

• 
  

  Spot stains (wine, pet urine, grease) are pre-treated.

  
  


• 
  

  Enzyme cleaners or stain lifters are applied as needed.

  
  


• 
  

  High-traffic areas may get gentle agitation or scrubbing.

4. Full Immersion or Hand Washing

• 
  

  Rugs are washed by hand or via immersion bath, depending on type.

  
  


• 
  

  Uses cold water and pH-balanced, wool-safe shampoos.

  
  


• 
  

  Washed in direction of the pile to protect fibers.

  
  


• 
  

  Some high-end rugs (e.g., silk) require low-moisture surface cleaning only.

5. Rinsing

• 
  

  Thorough rinsing removes all residues, ensuring:

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    No sticky soap left behind (which attracts more dirt).

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    No fiber damage from alkaline products.

6. Water Extraction

• 
  

  Excess water is removed via:

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    Flat rolling press

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Centrifuge (safe for certain rug types)

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Absorbent towels/blotting

7. Drying

• 
  

  Rugs are dried in climate-controlled rooms with fans and dehumidifiers.

  
  


• 
  

  Depending on rug type:

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    Flat drying (for antiques or delicate fibers)

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Hanging drying (for most modern wool rugs)

    
    
  
  
  
  

Direct sunlight and heat are avoided to prevent fading and warping

8. Final Grooming & Brushing

• 
  

  Pile is gently brushed to restore texture and appearance.

  
  


• 
  

  Fringe is combed, trimmed, and straightened if needed.

  
  


• 
  

  Deodorizing or moth treatment can be applied upon request.

9. Final Inspection

• 
  

  Rug is checked for:

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    Cleanliness

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Pile softness

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Proper stain and odor removal

    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Before/after photos are sometimes taken and shared with clients.

Typical Time Frame

2 week turnaround

Jafri Rug restoration will do the following:

Time is critical — the longer a rug sits damp or soiled with soot or water, the higher the risk of mildew, permanent staining, or fiber rot. The rug can also become brittle and snap in half.

1. Inspection & Fiber Identification

• 
  

  Rug is checked for:

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    Type of fiber (wool, silk, synthetic)

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Dye type (natural vs synthetic)

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Weave and pile structure

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Stains, odors, moth or mildew damage

    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Colorfastness test is done to ensure dyes won’t bleed.

2. Dry Soil Removal (Dusting)

Over 70% of a rug's dirt is dry and embedded deep in the pile.

• 
  

  Specialized dusting equipment or compressed air is used.

  
  


• 
  

  Dislodges dry particles like sand, dirt, and grit that regular vacuums miss.

  
  


• 
  

  Critical before wet cleaning—wet dirt turns to mud and causes staining if not removed.

3. Pre-Treatment

• 
  

  Spot stains (wine, pet urine, grease) are pre-treated.

  
  


• 
  

  Enzyme cleaners or stain lifters are applied as needed.

  
  


• 
  

  High-traffic areas may get gentle agitation or scrubbing.

4. Full Immersion or Hand Washing

• 
  

  Rugs are washed by hand or via immersion bath, depending on type.

  
  


• 
  

  Uses cold water and pH-balanced, wool-safe shampoos.

  
  


• 
  

  Washed in direction of the pile to protect fibers.

  
  


• 
  

  Some high-end rugs (e.g., silk) require low-moisture surface cleaning only.

5. Rinsing

• 
  

  Thorough rinsing removes all residues, ensuring:

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    No sticky soap left behind (which attracts more dirt).

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    No fiber damage from alkaline products.

6. Water Extraction

• 
  

  Excess water is removed via:

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    Flat rolling press

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Centrifuge (safe for certain rug types)

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Absorbent towels/blotting

7. Drying

• 
  

  Rugs are dried in climate-controlled rooms with fans and dehumidifiers.

  
  


• 
  

  Depending on rug type:

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    Flat drying (for antiques or delicate fibers)

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Hanging drying (for most modern wool rugs)

    
    
  
  
  
  

Direct sunlight and heat are avoided to prevent fading and warping

8. Final Grooming & Brushing

• 
  

  Pile is gently brushed to restore texture and appearance.

  
  


• 
  

  Fringe is combed, trimmed, and straightened if needed.

  
  


• 
  

  Deodorizing or moth treatment can be applied upon request.

9. Final Inspection

• 
  

  Rug is checked for:

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    Cleanliness

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Pile softness

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Proper stain and odor removal

    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Before/after photos are sometimes taken and shared with clients.

Typical Time Frame

2 week turnaround

Pre-Repair Cleaning

• A deep cleaning is performed before repairs to remove dirt, oils, and debris that interfere with repair work.
• Includes:
• Dusting (front and back)
• Gentle hand washing with pH-neutral detergents so as not to erode the fibers of the rug
• Rinsing and drying in a temperature-controlled environment

Structural Repairs

These are the most critical to maintain rug integrity:

a. Edge Repair (Overcasting or Binding)

• Rewrap or rebind fraying edges to prevent unraveling.
• Uses matching wool or cotton thread.
• Restores tension and keeps the weft and warp from separating.

b. Fringe Repair or Replacement

• Stabilizes or reconstructs the fringe (often the warp threads).
• May involve:
• Tying off loose fringe
• Sewing in new fringe sections
• Weaving new fringes into the foundation

c. Hole or Tear Repair

• Small holes: patched and reinforced from the back.
• Larger holes or tears: require reweaving the foundation (warp and weft), then tying new knots to match the original pattern.

4. Pile Reweaving / Pattern Reconstruction

• Rebuilds worn or missing areas by hand-knotting new wool or silk into the structure.
• Requires:
• Color-matching wool (often hand-dyed)
• Matching the knot density, knot type (Turkish or Persian), and pattern
• Done by experienced weavers to ensure seamless blending with the original design.

5. Color Restoration

• In areas where colors have faded or bled, restorers may:
• Touch up color with textile-safe dyes where there is already wool shown in the pile but requires blending of color for consistency in the rug’s colors
• Avoid painting, which can damage fibers over time

 6. Shearing & Grooming

• After repairs, the pile is carefully sheared to match surrounding areas.
• Helps ensure a consistent pile height and finish.
• Brushing aligns the nap and improves visual consistency.

 7. Blocking & Reshaping

• If the rug is warped or misshapen:
• It’s dampened and laid flat under weight or pinned.
• Dried under tension to restore its original shape and prevent buckling.

8. Final Cleaning & Inspection

• A final surface clean removes any dust or fibers from the repair.
• Inspection ensures:
• Seamless repairs
• Color and texture matches
• Edges are secure and the rug lies flat

This rug was a museum quality rug brought into Jafri Rug's for restoration work. Given the age of the rug our weavers had to make sure the rug was thoroughly organically cleaned to not make the rug brittle or too course when threading the needle for reweaving otherwise the rug would snap. This rug went thru flood damage and prior to repairing it Jafri Rug restoration cleaned it first.

Persian and Caucasian rug cleaning is an art. The rug in this picture is centuries old and is a threadbare rug. Cleaning aCaucasian antique rug(such as those from the Kazak, Shirvan, or Karabagh regions) requires special care due to their age, natural dyes, and delicate wool. Jafri Rug restoration's step-by-step cleaning process restores and preserves the rug's integrity while removing dirt and grime

The first image shows the rug in completely worn condition where the field of the rug requires reweaving and color restoration

The second image shows the rug completely repaired and the value of the rug has now increased significantly as the antiquity of the rug has been maintained.

The first image shows how this circa 1900 hand knotted Kerman rug has been left in a very poor condition. This rug requires enormous attention to the following areas:

-Reweaving worn areas where warp and weft is showing

-Refringing as the fringe is torn off

-Rebinding as the binding is unraveling

-Vegetable dyes are fading

-Field of the rug is also showing unevenness in the wool pile

-Stains due to water damage and wool that is destroyed

Jafri Rugs did not perform any repair work on this rug, the second image shows cleaning and color restoration work

This rug was a museum quality rug brought into Jafri Rug's for restoration work. Given the age of the rug our weavers had to make sure the rug was thoroughly organically cleaned to not make the rug brittle or too course when threading the needle for reweaving otherwise the rug would snap. This rug went thru flood damage and prior to repairing it Jafri Rug restoration cleaned it first.

Persian and Caucasian rug cleaning is an art. The rug in this picture is centuries old and is a threadbare rug. Cleaning aCaucasian antique rug(such as those from the Kazak, Shirvan, or Karabagh regions) requires special care due to their age, natural dyes, and delicate wool. Jafri Rug restoration's step-by-step cleaning process restores and preserves the rug's integrity while removing dirt and grime

The first image shows the rug in completely worn condition where the field of the rug requires reweaving and color restoration

The second image shows the rug completely repaired and the value of the rug has now increased significantly as the antiquity of the rug has been maintained.