How to care for a Persian rug

People imagine a fine rug is fragile and fussy. The opposite is true. A well-made rug was built to be walked on for generations, and it asks very little in return. Do these few simple things and your rug will look better in twenty years than most furniture does in five.

The weekly basics

• Vacuum gently, with the pile. Run the vacuum in the direction the pile lies, not against it, and skip the fringes, which can catch and tear. Avoid a spinning beater bar on a fine rug.
• Turn it now and then. Rotate the rug 180 degrees once or twice a year so foot traffic and sunlight wear it evenly rather than in one worn track.

Light and furniture

Keep strong, direct sunlight off the rug where you can, or rotate it to even out any fading. Under heavy furniture, use coasters or move pieces a few centimetres every so often so the legs don't crush a permanent dent into the pile. If a dent does form, a damp cloth and a gentle brush will usually lift it.

Spills happen

The golden rule is to blot, never rub. Press a clean cloth straight down to lift as much liquid as you can, working from the outside of the spill inward so you don't spread it. Cold water is your friend; harsh chemicals are not. We have a full guide to spills and stains if you'd like the detail.

Treat a good rug kindly and it becomes the one thing in the house that improves with age.

That's the whole routine. A gentle vacuum, an annual turn, sun kept in check, and spills caught early. Do that, and the rug you buy today is one your family will still be arguing over one day. Questions about a specific rug or fibre? Ask us, or read our guide to fibres.