Oriental rugs are generally hand-knotted rugs from Iran, India, China and some surrounding countries. However, there are also some Oriental rugs that are woven such as the kilims. These are usually more rustic because they were often made by nomadic tribes and the looms they are made with are portable. They are broken down, moved and rebuilt whenever the tribe moves. Therefore, the looms are not as high a quality.

Design Differences

The kilims, because they are woven, are more angular. It is difficult to get curves in the design when a rug is woven. The knotted rugs on the other hand can have a much greater variation in the design. This is particularly true of the rugs that have a high knot count per square inch. Most of the Oriental carpets are made of wool but some are made of silk.

Each tribe or region had its own characteristic design such as Tabriz, Heriz, Kashan, and Isfahan among others. There is variation between them but you get a sense that they are variations on a theme. Many of the designs are geometric but some include animals and plants and people. With new synthetic dyes the colors are now more vibrant compared to when natural dyes were used by necessity. Some people prefer one, some the other. China has patterns that are quite different than the Persian carpets although they are just as beautiful and the Indian rugs are different again.

Know Your Material

How you clean your rug will depend in part on what fiber it is made from. Look on the back of your rug and there will sometimes be a label with information about where it is from and what it is made of. If it is silk, take it to a professional. Most will be wool, but there are many rugs made to look like a Persian rug that are mass produced and made of cotton or synthetic fibers.

Vacuum Regularly

If you vacuum once a week it will keep dirt from getting worked down into the fibers. In addition, vacuuming prevents the fibers from getting matted down as much. But, never vacuum the fringe at the end of the rug. It will destroy it much faster if this is vacuumed. The other caveat is that you shouldn’t vacuum antique and silk rugs regularly.

Sunlight Is Not Our Friend

Sunlight is less of a problem with the mass produced Oriental rug copies. However the true Oriental rugs will fade if they are in direct sunlight over time. That includes sunlight coming through windows. One way to ameliorate the problem is to rotate the rug once a month so it at least fades more evenly.

Colorfast Rugs?

If you have real Oriental carpets, you should periodically take them to a professional to get cleaned. If you decide to try and clean them yourself with a machine you rent, you want to first figure out if the rug is colorfast or not. Test a small area. If you don’t do this first, you run the risk of ruining the rug when you clean it.

Imagine that scary moment when you are relaxed and your red wine glass topples and spills on the carpet. It’s even worse if the carpet is white in color. The red wine stains are definitely one of those that know how well to leave their presence on the carpet. However, you shouldn’t worry much since there are products and techniques that you can use to remove the wine stains completely.
Act with Speed
Like most household stains, you need to act as fast as possible to remove the wine stains before they set. The sooner the better. If you are in a party and you can’t tend the spill, blotting up as much of the spill as you can will help. The next step is to sprinkle liberally with salt to keep the wine stains from setting as you tend to it.
Remember not to rub or scrub the stain as you will be forcing the wine further into the carpet. The proper method to stick to is blotting using a white terry towel or a thick paper towel.
Here is a step-by-step solution for removing red wine stains from your carpet

1. Get a white terry towel or a thick paper towel and use it to blot as much red wine stain as possible. A white cloth can also be used. Blotting removes any wine that is not yet absorbed.
2. After blotting, you can either pour warm water or cold water directly on the stain to dilute any remains of the stains. Blotting becomes a little bit easier. You blot once more until there is no more of the stain coming out. Warm water is in most cases used with vinegar.
3. Baking soda paste is a classic remedy for removing stains at home. Mix soda paste with water in a one to three ratio and apply to the affected area of your carpet. Wait for the pate to dry before you vacuum the stain.
   Baking soda contains salts that prevent the wine stain from setting and therefore makes it easier to remove the red wine stain. You should, however, first blot up as much stain as you can.
4. Alternatively, you can use vinegar. However, you’ll have to use warm water as described in stage (2). Mix white vinegar with dishwashing liquid in a one to one ratio and use a sponge to apply the solution on the stained area. Continue blotting until there are no more stains. White wine can also be useful since it will neutralize the staining components and help lift the off the carpet. You can also apply it by pouring some of it on top of the wine stain and blot away.