Beacon Journal | 02/11/2006 | Expert rug cleaner needed

Beacon Journal | 02/11/2006 | Expert rug cleaner needed: "Expert rug cleaner needed

Q: I have a hand-tied wool rug that was quite expensive. In the last six months, it has taken on a strange odor. I have had it cleaned, laid it in the sun and sprayed it with a Febreze-type product, but nothing works. We have no pets. Do you have any suggestions?
-- Rhonda Simmons
La Quinta, Calif.
A: Hand-knotted rugs often are woven in less than sanitary conditions, so your rug may be harboring bacteria picked up during its construction, said Jim Hamed, president of Hamed Oriental Rugs in Bath Township. Usually rugs are washed before they're sold, but not always.
Another possibility is mold, particularly in the rug's cotton foundation, Hamed said. Although sunlight kills mold, he said the tightly packed wool may have prevented the sun from reaching the source of the problem.
In either case, Hamed said cleaning the rug will help only if it's done properly. Steam-cleaning isn't recommended for wool rugs, and it wouldn't solve a bacteria or mold problem. He recommended finding a specialist that will immerse your rug in a bath of water and special cleaning agents that won't destabilize the dyes. The cleaner might also use enzymes to feed on and eliminate the bacteria.
He suggested checking with the Oriental Rug Retailers of America (www.orrainc.com) to find a qualified cleaner in your area.

Have a question about home maintenance, decorating or gardening? Akron Beacon Journal home writer Mary Beth Breckenridge will find answers for the queries that are chosen to appear in the paper. To submit a question, call her at 330-996-3756, or send e-mail to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com."