Tufted Rugs, Hand Tufted Rugs

Tufted Rugs, Hand-Tufted Rugs

Unlike a hand-knotted rug, a tufted rug is made without tying knots on vertical foundation threads called warps. Making a tufted rug takes a fraction of the time to make, and this reduces the cost and time of production. Therefore tufted rugs are cheaper than hand knotted rugs.

Some producers, importers, or dealers use the term "Hand Tufted" rugs to make it sound and look fancier and closer to handmade rugs. Clients who do not know the difference between hand made, and tufted rugs, really think hand tufted rugs are hand made or hand woven. While they are not.

The pile of tufted rugs are usually wool. These rugs are made with a tool called a "tufting gun." These guns can be hand mechanical or electrical guns. Loops of wool are pushed through a backing (also called primary backing) that has been imprinted with the overall design. When the rug maker is through with this process, another foundation, called a scrim is applied with latex glue. The quality of latex glues may be good or bad and this will affect the care and maintenance and durability of the tufted rugs. When this latex glue dries, the final protective cloth backing (also called secondary backing) is applied.

The last step is to shear the rug down so that all of the loops on the top of the rug are cut, and this will create the pile.

Depicting design on canvas, the primary backing

Weaving a hand-knotted rug requires skill and often a lot of time and craftsmanship to produce. The quality and value of a hand-knotted carpet is determined by the number of knots per square inch, material used, country of origin, size, age, provenance (who has owned the rug!), condition, etc.

Electric Tufting gun

An Indian weaver using a simple hand tufting gun

A Chinese weaver using an electric tufting gun

A good quality hand-knotted rug, can become a collector's item, and antique by the passage of time; of course this cannot be true for all types of hand knotted rugs, because there is a whole range from poorly made to high end ones. Hand-tufted rugs never quite achieve the heirloom status and they cannot become collectibles or antique.

When it comes to care and maintenance of rugs, it is possible to remove the pet urine stain and smell from a hand knotted or even area rug (machine made). However, due to the fabric backing and latex glue on the back of tufted rugs, it is almost impossible to remove the pet odor smell and stain 100% from such rugs.

Tufted rugs when new, look nice and beautiful, but by passage of time, vacuuming, and foot traffic, the latex glue disintegrates and powdered glue comes out of the rug. Cleaning of any kind, will not stop the white powder and disintegrating latex glue coming off the back of tufted rugs. Almost all types of hand knotted and machine made rugs can be wet washed and submerged. Due to the fabric and latex glue in the back, tufted rugs cannot be fully wet washed and cannot be submerged. And this eliminates the chance of complete pet odor removal as the smell bonds with the latex glue specially if cleaning is not done right after the pet accident happens. 

Buying a tufted rug is not bad, but at least we should know what we're buying and be aware of the care and maintenance limitations! It is cheaper than hand knotted rugs, but not easier to maintain and care for.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
Certified Rug Appraiser (CRA)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Pakistani Hand Knotted Rug For Immediate Sale in Los Angeles

We recently hand washed a beautiful hand knotted Pakistani rug for a client. He wants to sell this rug as soon as possible. I am posting few of the pictures here.

This rug is in great condition with no wear and tear. The foundation is cotton (plant based material) and the pile is Lamb's wool (animal material), so the construction is natural with no nylon, polyester, or petrochemicals. The design is floral or overall which is an old classic Oriental/Persian design which is never out of style or out of market. This is a labor of love and it takes few months up to a year to make a rug like this on a loom. Our client Mark will pay for the shipping in the U.S. continent (48 states) with UPS ground which is very fast and safe. We have not had any problem or issue with UPS ground in the past 10 years. His asking price which is really a fair market value for such a nice art work is $2,900. You would have to pay way more if you want to buy a rug like this from a dealer. This rug will add warmth and character to any room in which this is going to be used. This is going to be a wise investment financially as well.

Please contact Mark directly at:

Mark 310-210-3697
mtomlinson@ca.rr.com

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

This is why I love my job!

This was really cool. A 90-year old repeat client brought in a rug she had woven 15 years ago for cleaning! WOW.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
Certified Rug Appraiser (CRA)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdeas.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Pet Urine and Rugs

Even well trained and well-behaved pets make accidents on rugs. You maybe surprised to know that in many cases, pets select the higher quality rugs to go on! You may notice the accident right away, or long after it happens. The sooner you act, the better.

There is no doubt that pet urine damages the fiber of our rugs. The stain and smell is not also pleasant at all. The extent of damage varies based on the content of the urine and type of our rugs. The urine content of our pets changes over time due to pet's age, medications, diet, health condition, sex, etc. The construction of our rug (fiber, dye, backing with latex glue in tufted rugs) also plays an important role when it comes to stain and odor removal.

If pet accident happens on my rug, what should I do?

First, do not panic, and do not use over-the-counter products with fancy names. There is  no one-size-fits-all when it comes to pet stain/odor removal. There is no spray or solution to take care of the pet accident as it never happened. In some cases, actually these products that have bleaching agents could damage the fiber of your carpet and rug permanently. When it comes to pet odor removal, these products do not remove the cause and source; they just mask it.

Act fast, and blot the urine as soon and as much as you can with plain paper or cloth towel. Use a mix of 1/4 tea spoon of non-bleach dish-washing detergent with one cup of warm water by saturating towel and blotting. Do not use laundry or automatic dish-washing detergent. Absorb the moisture with the towel, rinse the towel, and repeat the process until there is no transfer to the towel. Dry the area and make sure you do not leave the rug wet on the floor.

Of course this a kind of first-aid and temporary solution. This may not take care of the stain and odor permanently. Consult with a professional rug (not carpet) cleaner in your area to see how he or she can take care of your rug.

 
Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Another 5-Star Review for Los Angeles Rug Cleaning

Click on the picture to read.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Moroccan Rugs and Los Angeles Rug Cleaning

Morocco is located in north west Africa and has a population of around 34 million and an area of 446,550 km2 or 172,410 sq. miles. The country has a constitutional monarchy with elected parliament. It's capital is Rabat, and one of it's biggest cities and the most famous one is Casablanca. The country is consisted of Arabs, and indigenous Berbers. The official languages are Arabic, and Berber. French is widely spoken.

Now that we know a little about the country, let's talk about rugs!

Moroccan rugs are simply beautiful, popular, and desirable objects of tribal art and unlike many other rugs of different origins, they cannot be programmed. This is due to the culture of the weavers, nature of their life, geographic locations, lack of central workshops/factories, and many other variables.  And this adds to their uniqueness and exclusivity.

The design of Moroccan rugs are simple, modern, primitive, geometric, abstract, and in short, they are like kids paintings. In Morocco, these rugs are made by Berber tribesmen and women, Berbers are scattered in several  north African countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Morocco. However, there are many sub-tribes in the Berber tribes among which Beni Ourain is a famous one for making open field deep/thick pile, shaggy rugs with brown, black and white diamond patterned soft wool knotted rugs.

Berber Moroccan rugs are usually made on cotton foundation with local Atlas Mountains lamb's wool pile. In rare and old pieces, we may see some camel hair. The wool is sheared and combed before it is spun. Both natural and synthetic dyes are used to prepare the yarn for weaving. Neonic yellow, orange, pink, purple and other vibrant and strong colors are mostly synthetics. Un-dyed natural yarn of cream, Ivory, brown, and black are also widely used. We see these in Beni Ourain deep pile shag rugs.

More in the past and to some extent even today, Moroccan rugs have had utilitarian and domestic usage for bedding (as mattresses), blankets, protection against cold and insulation in the Atlas Mountains. The smaller sizes could be used as prayer mats.

In most of the cases, high pile thick shag rugs with low knot densities are made in the high Atlas Mountains, and the finer shags, flat weaves or combinations of  pile and flat weaves are made by the southern Berber tribes in the desert, south of the Atlas Mountains.

There are many imitations of Moroccan rugs in the market, however, the feel, and handle is not the same. It is like the feel and handle of authentic Hereke silk carpets compared with the fake Chinese copies.

Some Berber weavers are superstitious and weave abstract symbols and motifs into the rugs to protect the rugs and their lives from evil and bad eyes and spirits. Some of these designs can be seen in rock and cave paintings.

We receive many Moroccan rugs for cleaning. Some are brand new, but have bad smell and odor. Many of the kilims and flat weaves we receive for cleaning bleed and this is due to their wefts and their fugitive dyes. And we know how to test and take care of these.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Persian Tabriz Rugs, Persian Tabriz Carpets For Sale

Tabriz, has been one of the historical capitals of Iran with a turbulent history with its oldest civilization sites which dates back to 1500 B.C. This ancient city is the capital of East Azarbaijan province in north west Iran. Tabriz has been and is the land gateway of Iran to Europe.

Tabriz rug usually have high quality of wool, weave and craftsmanship. One of our good clients has two Persian Tabriz rugs she wants to sell. Both these Tabriz carpets have been hand washed by us recently and look and feel beautiful and fresh. By clicking on each picture, it will open in a new big window.

The size of this Tabriz rug is 6' 6" x 9' 8" with cotton foundation, and baby lamb's wool pile and pure natural silk. Because of the high quality and our recent deep cleaning, all the silk accents and flowers are highlighted and look shiny and soft. The design has four corners with a beautiful medallion in the center. This is a real art work which adds warmth and character to the room in which is used. The knots density of this rug is high and is around 300 per square inch. This type of rug is also investment and its price appreciate by the passage of time. Her asking price for this piece is $6,300. To make it easier for out of Los Angeles buyers, the shipping cost by UPS ground to all 48 states in the U.S. continent (except Alaska, and Hawaii) will be paid by the seller.

The size of her second Tabriz rug is 6' 6" x 10' 3" with baby lamb's wool pile and pure natural silk. The foundation is cotton. Due to high quality of this carpet and our recent deep cleaning, all the silk accents and flowers are highlighted and look soft and shiny. The design has four corners with a beautiful medallion in the center. This rug is a real work of art and adds class and character to the room in which is used. The knots density of this rug (KPSI) is high and is around 300 per square inch. This type of rug is also investment and its price appreciate by the passage of time. Her asking price for this piece is $5,800. To make it easier for out of Los Angeles buyers, the shipping cost by UPS ground to all 48 states in the U.S. continent (except Alaska, and Hawaii) will be paid by our client. Therefore, buyer will not pay for shipping, and there will be NO commission, wrapping, handling or other fees to pay.

Please contact us for other details and payment/shipping arrangements.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Chair Stain Removal at Los Angeles Rug Cleaning

A client brought in a chair he had messed up. This chair was dirty and the client put a Sharpie mark on it. He tried to remove the stain with no success.

He then looked online and found, bought, used a solution called ink & stain remover. This bleached the chair and made it worse.

He brought the chair in and Kash removed the ink mark and took care of the stain in stages.

Stain removal from rugs, carpets, and fabrics is not do-it-yourself and cannot be done by trial and error. One can permanently set the stain in or bleach and permanently damage the rug, carpet, or the fabric. Consulting with an expert is always the best option.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Rug Pads in Los Angeles Rug Cleaning

Why use a rug pad for your rug?

Rug pads protect the floor:

The back of many rugs is rough or scratchy and without a rug pad, this can lead to damage to your floor. Along with protecting floors from scratches, rug pads also protect from indentations. Many rugs have heavy furniture on them and sometimes this can lead to indentations of your floor. The proper rug pad will resist this weight and prevent any damage.

Rug pads add safety:

Many rugs tend to slip and slide. This is especially true of smaller rugs or runners. The right non slip rug pad not only adds all the benefits mentioned above, it also prevents slipping, making for a safe home.

Rug pads add comfort:

Finally, a rug pad can make a rug more comfortable by adding extra cushion under your rug. This is helpful in kid's rooms or family rooms where comfort is an issue. Many times if one sits on a rug without a rug pad, you can actually feel the hard floor underneath. A nice rug pad will prevent this and make your rug much more comfortable.

A small investment now in the right rug pad for your rug will prove to add comfort and safety to your home while protecting your Persian & Oriental rugs and floors from premature wear and costly damages in the future. 

Our rug pads come with a 20-year guarantee to work. Give us a call for more information and pricing 

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Rug Over-Dye, Over Dye by Los Angeles Rug Cleaning

Some of our clients have rugs they like, but the color does not match their interior and the room settings. They do not want to spend thousands of dollars to buy another rug. What is the solution then? We can over-dye their rugs to their ideal color.

A designer brought in this dirty harvest gold color rug with a big chocolate stain in it. Her client wanted this rug over-dyed blue. We had to wash the rug first and in the process, removed the stains.

This dirty rug became beautiful and clean after our 10-step wash process. It was ready for a new color and look.

This is how this carpet looked after over dying.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Los Angeles Rug Cleaning, Anther 5-Star Yelp Review

Gail A.
Calabasas, CA

5.0 star rating 3/27/2015

I don't often give companies 5 stars - but everything and everyone associated with Los Angeles Rug Cleaning deserves this rating.  They are knowledgeable, professional and reasonable; and customer service is beyond compare.  My kilim rug was tattered and dirty after one of our dogs took a liking to it.  Dr. Kay and his miracle workers transformed it once again into a thing of beauty.  I will be delivering several more of my Persian rugs to them for moth-proofing and cleaning.


Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Los Angeles Rug Cleaning 5-Star Yelp Review

• John K.
• Santa Barbara, CA

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• 2 reviews

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3/5/2015

Just picked up my 6 antique Persian rugs I had cleaned and repaired.....fabulous job and what tremendous customer service by Dr. Kay, his son, wife and other staff.
I have to admit I was initially a little skeptical from another rug store bad experience, but they won me over with continued attention to the details, fair prices and beautiful work.  Well worth the 2.5 hour drive each way to LA.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)

Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)

www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com

www.RugIdea.com

Tel. 310-770-9085

5-Star Review of Los Angeles Rug Cleaning

• James D.
• West Hollywood, CA

2/19/2015

5.0 star rating

Approx. 6 months ago, it was imperative that my machine made Belgium rug be cleaned.  It is special to me as it once belonged to my grandmother.  Without a "connection", I took a chance with "Rug Ideas".  Well God was with me that day!

The rug was cleaned, the pile was combed all  in the correct position & the colors became more vibrant.  I was very pleased. However now I had to begin cleaning my gorgeous Super Kazak rugs from Pakistan..I was hesitant. I was told that cleaning of these rugs were "hard" on them.
I discussed this with Dr K.(owner).  He bluntly told me that this statement is true if NOT cleaned CORRECTLY.  So I took another chance with my first "Super Kazak".
The results were amazing. Colors pop & abrash is abrash without stains.Dr. K explained to me how one can distinguish the difference between abrash & stains.
His son Kash reviewed the rug which was cleaned & told me of the "trouble" areas(so that I can avoid similar issues in the future).  He also provided me with tips for spot cleaning.

This is the only place for you(for rug cleaning) if you LOVE your rugs.  This is a 3rd generation family owned business.  It is obvious that Dr K & amp; Kash LOVE  what they are doing.  This is why the results are so POSITIVE.  They
(as I) see a rug as a piece of art.  When a rug is treated as an "old master", what can you expect?  Nothing but the BEST!  Both Dr. K & amp; Kash will answer all your questions & give you all the time you need.  They are friendly & professional with their work.  Rug Ideas is your Rug Cleaning Store.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)

Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)

www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com

www.RugIdea.com

Tel. 310-770-9085

A Persian Heriz Rug For Sale

A client of ours has a beautiful hand knotted Persian Heriz carpet for sale. The size is roughly 8' x 11' and can be used in a dining or living room, or in any room in the house. It will add warmth and character to the room it will be used in.

Click on each picture to open in a new bigger window.

The foundation of this 1970's Heriz carpet (roughly 45 years old) is cotton, and the pile is very good quality Lamb's wool. So everything in the construction is organic and natural. The design is called corners with a big diamond shape central medallion. The design of this rug is geometric and many designers and collectors love geometric design Heriz rugs.

The asking price for this rug is $4,500 and shipping in the U.S. continent will be free. This will be shipped by UPS ground which is safe and convenient.  A reasonable offer maybe considered by our client.

If you need to read more about Heriz carpets, click here.

This rug was recently hand washed, so it is ready to be used and enjoyed.

If you have any question, please call or e-mail us.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085