Care advice.

Manage direct sunlight

Where a rug sits in the room matters. Naturally dyed wool can lighten when it takes direct sun over many decades, so close the curtains during the brightest part of the day, or rotate the rug so the exposure falls evenly across it.

There is no need to worry much about this. The pieces we select are dyed with durable colours and chosen with the Australian light in mind, and a slight mellowing of colour is something many collectors actively prefer.

Rotate regularly

Some pieces only want rotating every one to two years. In a high-traffic room, aim for every six months. Even wear keeps the rug looking uniform and protects its value.

Vacuum properly

Traffic packs the fibres down, and ground-in grit works its way into the foundation where it cuts the wool from the inside. Regular, thorough vacuuming is the single most useful thing you can do.

Start with the rug flipped over. Run the vacuum across the backing a few times with the beater bar down but set high, which loosens ingrained dirt so it falls out.

On the face, suction is what lifts dirt, so put the beater bar up or on its highest setting. A low-set beater bar digs into the pile and damages it. Move slowly, in the direction of the fibres, and go over it twice.

Air it out

Rugs pick up moisture from spills and from the room itself. Keep yours somewhere well ventilated, and air it properly twice a year to avoid the damp smell that leads to mould, mildew and insect damage.

Hang it outside on a dry, sunny day, ideally with a gentle breeze. The moving air carries off both the moisture and any odour it has collected.

Never wash it yourself

DIY washing of a Persian rug is not recommended. It is a complex process and it belongs to a professional cleaner.

Never hang a fully wet Persian rug out to dry. The weight of the water stretches the fibres and distorts the rug permanently. We hand-wash at our Richmond gallery with soft water, neutral soap and a wool-safe rinse, and we use no solvents on antique pieces. See cleaning and restoration for turnaround and rates.

Clean spills immediately

Blot any liquid as fast as you can with white paper towel, never coloured, then flush the area with clean water to dilute the stain and blot again. Dry it in fresh air as quickly as possible.

Work from the outside of the spill inwards so it does not spread, and slide a folded towel underneath to stop anything soaking through to the backing.

Do not scrub. Scrubbing sets the stain deeper and damages the fibres. Wine, food, mud and pet accidents each want a slightly different approach, which we set out step by step in Spill Happens. On a silk rug, skip the DIY and call a professional.

Use rug padding

Padding underneath holds the rug’s shape, reduces wrinkling, keeps debris from building up on the underside, and stops the rug sliding around on a hard floor.

Mind the furniture

Be careful about standing heavy furniture on a rug. Move things every few months so the same spots are not compressed for years, and fit leg pads under any pointed feet, which does a great deal to protect the pile.

Store it properly

Two rules, depending on how long the rug is going away for.

• Short term: roll the rug loosely and tie string or rope around it to hold the shape. It is made of natural fibres and needs to breathe, so never seal it in plastic.
• Long term: wrap the rolled rug in a moth-proof cotton or linen bedsheet and store it lying flat somewhere cool and dry, out of direct sunlight.
• Either way, check on it every few months.