Hand-washing for Persian, antique and silk rugs from Village townhouses and SoHo lofts, with free pickup and return.
Old Village townhouses often have the kind of rooms these rugs were made for: a front parlor, a dining room with tall windows, a library on the second floor. Many of the hand-knotted rugs we pick up here have been in the same family for decades.
Lofts bring a different mix. Collectors and designers often lay a fine antique rug over modern wood or concrete floors. Those rugs see more foot traffic, and sometimes more sun, than they would in a quiet parlor.
Either way, a hand-knotted rug should not be cleaned with a carpet machine on the floor. We pick it up, hand-wash it at our plant, and bring it back.
Inspection comes first. We check the knots, the foundation threads, the fringe and the edges, and note any wear, moth damage or old repairs. You get our notes before we wash anything.
Then we test each dye. Red and dark blue dyes in older rugs can bleed. If a color is not stable, we change the wash so it does not run into the lighter areas.
Dry soil is the real enemy of a wool rug. Grit packs down between the knots and cuts the fibers when people walk on it. We remove it before any water touches the rug, because wet grit turns to mud.
Washing is done by hand with mild, wool-safe solutions, followed by a careful rinse and slow drying. Silk and silk-blend rugs get an even gentler process.
Moths are a real risk for wool rugs that sit under furniture or stay rolled up in storage, which happens a lot in small apartments. At inspection we look for bare patches and moth casings, and the wash removes eggs and larvae from the pile.
Sun fading by big windows cannot be washed away, and we will tell you so up front. Most rugs are back in one to two weeks. For everyday rugs, see area rug cleaning in the Village and SoHo.
Family-owned, serving the NYC area since 2005.
Certificate of insurance ready for any building requirement.
Safe for kids, pets and allergy-sensitive homes.
Most Greenwich Village & SoHo addresses can be scheduled same day.
Book oriental rug cleaning in Greenwich Village or SoHo at 1-800-589-4364 or with our free quote form. Your first cleaning with us is 10% off. To have the furniture in the same room cleaned, see upholstery cleaning here. We also pick up fine rugs from homes in Hell's Kitchen.
Nearby: Oriental Rug Cleaning in NoHo · Oriental Rug Cleaning in Tribeca · Oriental Rug Cleaning in Chelsea