AGI x Passerine Home - Vintage Rug Q&A
If you’ve been around here a bit, you know I’m a huge fan of vintage rugs! I know what I like, but honestly, didn’t have a good bank of info from which to make the best purchase choices - for myself, or my clients. That is, until I had the fantastic kismet to meet Georgia Hoyler, owner of Passerine Home. Georgia and I recently collaborated on a Q&A session on all things vintage rugs and design. She brings such a value to her clients with her incredible knowledge and insight on vintage rugs. Let’s dive in!
Q: : How do you tell hand-woven, and truly vintage?
DRS:
· Easiest trick: flip the rug over. If the back of the rug shows the same pattern as the front of the rug, it is handmade.
· Also: Handwoven is different than “hand tufted” – hand-tufted rugs will have canvas or burlap material on the back. Typically made in India and China. Imagine using something like a staple-gun to glue tufts of wool, cotton, or synthetic fiber to the backing. It may look like pile, but it only lasts 5 or 10 years.
Q: What makes a rug “vintage?”
PH:
“Vintage” is a catch-all term for rugs 30 or more years old. If it is 100+ years, it is considered antique.
Truly vintage can be a tougher to discern.. Many, if not most, rugs claiming to be vintage today on multi-vendor shopping places, like Etsy or eBay in particular, will say “vintage” but it is a misleading and inaccurate label – sometimes rugs on these sites are labeled as “vintage” and they are machine-made, brand new!
Since ‘vintage’ can sell a rug, a lot of overseas vendors and some rug importers will take a new rug and do various things to mimic the age.
o Shave pile unevenly to appear worn
o Apply bleaching agents—to fade an entire rug
** Bottom line: best way to know it is vintage is to buy it from a store owner that you trust. If you think you are paying “more”, you likely are – you are paying more for the real thing!
Q: How do you clean or maintain rugs, and how do you know if they've been cleaned?
PH: Let’s start with what rugs should be cleaned.
For handwoven or hand-knotted rugs like the vintage rugs I carry, rugs should be cleaned every 2-3 years: 3 years if in low-traffic areas, but every 2 years if in a high traffic zone
For hand-tufted or machine-made rugs or carpets, the cost of a thorough professional cleaning may be as expensive as the rug itself, and may not be worth it at all. These rugs are made to be discarded (sad!)
·Q: Why every 2-3 years for handmade rugs? What if they don’t look dirty?
PH: Cleaning is protective: Dirt and dust can sink into a rug’s base over time. When it is walked on, the dust—particularly silica – can grind way at the rug’s wool or cotton foundation. It’s like sand on hardwood floors.
If you aren’t sure if you rug needs to be cleaned, pick up a corner and whack it. If you see a dust poof, it’s dirty, and you should wash it.
Q: So if it’s dirty, or we need to spot clean it: can we do that at home? Do we need to bring it somewhere?
PH: Cleaning a vintage or antique rug certainly can be done at home, unless it is a Navajo or Afghani rug in which case I’d recommend you bring it to a professional (those rugs can bleed when wet, but Persian and Turkish rugs typically won’t)
To wash it at home, you have to be able to fit the rug in your tub. If it’s a large area rug, check Yelp or Angie’s list for the highest-reviewed carpet cleaner that specializes in handmade vintage rugs. NOT the guys that come to your house for wall-to-wall carpets!
Q: How much will an area rug cost to clean?
PH: In D.C., it will run you $300-400 or so.
Q: If we can wash at home, how do we do it?
If it fits in your tub, then start by thoroughly vacuuming the front and back. You may have to do this several times. Flip it back and forth, vacuuming the other side, until you no longer have a dust puddle!
Then put it in a bathtub, add lukewarm water and some delicates detergent without fabric softener – like a woolite – probably about ½ cup. and wash like you would a delicate sweater. You can let it soak for a while if it is really soiled.
Rinse several times to make sure you have the suds out, squeeze out as much water as you can, and then leave it outside to dry. Either on grass, flipping after a few hours, or strewn across a clothing rack or two. Goal is to have air be able to get underneath it.
·Q: what about in-between washes? What to do to maintain?
PH: Vacuum side-to-side with the beater bar up, so as not to damage the rug or get the fringes caught in it. Once every 1-2 weeks is fine.
Once a year, take it outside, turn it over, and vacuum the backside of the rug to help remove all of that dirt and dust from the backing. Whacking it with a broom handle can help to release some dirt, too.
Q: Other tips for care? How to store?
PH: Storing is so important!
Best option: keep it out!
Roll, don’t fold
Long-term storage: mothballs!
Keep it DRY, let wool BREATHE. No plastic bags for more than a few days, if you can at all avoid it.
Tyvek Rug Wrap or Visqueen black plastic is best.
· Always use a carpet pad. I recommend the ¼” ones from RugPad USA. Felt, with rubber backing, keeps in place and adds nice cushion. Also protects rug fibers from that dirt/silica grind.
Q: What about stain guards?
PH: Absolutely. If you are really concerned about keeping your rug clean or free from stains, I’d seriously consider a stain guard application. I offer UltraGuard as an add-on to any of my rugs; it’s not cheap to have a professional application in-house or before shipping but it adds peace of mind. Unlike Scotch Guard and other brands, UltraGuard does not yellow in sunlight and doesn’t change the color of the fabrics at all. Kid and pet safe, too.
Q: Any final tips?
PH: Oh! And never leave a plant right on the rug – over time, moisture can set in (even if it feels dry) and cause dry rot!
Be sure to check out Instagram (@alison_giese @passerinehome ) for the video version of this informative session!
