Advice on Carpet, Rug and Kilim repairs and maintenance

A couple of very important pieces of advice about carpets, kilims and rugs.

A carpet woven with the use of hand spun wool and natural colours is like jewellery and will gradually increase in value. As a consequence the carpet should be regularly maintained to make sure that it does not deteriorate and to protect you from unnecessary expense. The sides and corners of carpets should be regularly checked to make sure that no ripping or tearing has occurred. If it is the case, then it is far more economical to get it repaired while the wear and tear is small.

Cities like Sydney have relatively high humidity levels and as such it is recommended that rugs and carpets should be aired regularly to reduce the amount of moisture they hold. Moisture and humidity causes rugs and carpets to wear out more quickly as it softens the wool making it more susceptible to abrasion from dirt and grime. Moisture is the main cause of rotting and decay in rugs, carpets and kilims. Rugs, carpets and kilims should be cleaned with the Dolaplama method so that small dust and dirt particles compressed into the lower depths of the wool strands are extracted to reduce wear and tear.

To maintain shine and cleanliness it is recommended that carpets be hand washed and cleaned by professionals. All inquiries should be addressed by professionals and we are the experts in this arena. If you are unsure of how or when to look after your carpets and rugs then please seek our advice.

The proffesional art of carpet weaving and repair is not simple. Producing and repairing rugs, carpets and kilims require a lot of effort and training, a professional attitude, in-depth knowledge and long hours of work. It is not an art that can be mastered by everyone.

We can repair damage to rugs and carpets, these images show rugs, kilims and carpets that have been repaired.

The Value of Rugs Kilims and Carpets

One should know the value of their carpets and rugs! We can not comprehend how a life without carpets would be, colourless, meaningless and empty. We can not live in a house without these works of art; the carpets with different designs and colours and at the same time they encompass a piece of history and culture.

Media

We have been repairing rugs, kilims and carpets for many years, and have appeared in a number of articles and documentaries regarding the rug trade and the care and cleaning of carpets.

Home Beautiful

   

These photographs come from Australian Home Beautiful, March 1983, page 20 and shows a rug being restored by two craftsmen, Ali Boge and Ahmet Solak.

This photograph was taken in 1993 during a recording of a documentary program by the Austrian Government owned TV Channel ORF.

 

Ali Boge is eagerly repairing a rug. This picture appeared in the Weekend Australian, March 12-13, 1983 page 20. It also appeared in the Daily Mirror on Friday December 9, 1983, page 85.

 

Titled 'GETTING INTO THE ACT: Ali Boge, left, and Robert Quinn with camels Wendy and Sparky.' This appeared in the Daily Mirror, Friday December 9, 1983 page 29.  Taken outside the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo where the Oriental Rug Exhibition was held under the auspices of the Oriental Rug Association of NSW.

The purpose of this article was to highlight the alternate uses of rugs and carpets. The idea behind the camels and character dressing was to relive the spirit of Marco Polo and the mystical Middle East camel caravans and present a cross-section of the rug industry, emphasising the artistic and practical side of rug-making rather than the commercial side.

 

Ali Boge and his cousin Ahmet Solak restoring a rug. This picture is from Medical Practice, October 1986.