Care & Maintenance
A hand-made rug rewards a little care.
Simple habits that keep a hand-knotted piece looking hand-knotted for decades, by material.
New Zealand Wool
Our pile rugs are hand-knotted in New Zealand wool, prized for its long staple length, natural lanolin, and resilience under daily use.
- Vacuum
- Suction only, no beater bar or rotating brush. Go with the grain of the pile. A beater bar can pull and fray hand-tied knots over time.
- Rotate
- Turn the rug every 6 to 12 months so foot traffic and sunlight wear evenly across the field.
- Spills
- Blot immediately with a clean, dry cloth. Rubbing pushes liquid deeper into the pile and distorts the knots.
- Sunlight
- Wool resists fading better than most fibers, but years of direct sun will still shift its tone unevenly. Curtain or reposition where possible.
- Professional cleaning
- Every 12 to 18 months for residential use, more often in hospitality settings. Use a specialist experienced with hand-knotted wool, not a standard carpet-shampoo service.
Pure Silk
Silk pieces are the most delicate in any collection, chosen for sheen and fine detail rather than daily durability.
- Placement
- Best suited to formal rooms, low-footfall corridors, or wall display, not high-traffic lobbies or entryways.
- No home wet-cleaning
- Water can leave permanent rings on silk. Any stain should go straight to a specialist rather than a home remedy.
- Vacuum
- Lowest suction setting, and only occasionally. Silk fibers are finer than wool and shed far less dust.
- Sunlight
- Shield entirely. Silk is far more photosensitive than wool and will yellow or fade with sustained UV exposure.
- Sheen
- Expect a soft patina and directional sheen that can look like a shift in color depending on viewing angle. This is characteristic of the fiber, not damage.
Blended Wool & Silk
Pieces that combine a wool ground with silk detailing for pattern or highlight, balancing durability with shine.
- Rule of the finer fiber
- Care for the whole rug as you would pure silk, even though the wool ground is more resilient. The silk sets the ceiling.
- Vacuum
- Suction only, on a lower setting, with particular care around silk highlight areas.
- Spot-testing
- Always spot-test before any cleaning product touches the pile. Silk highlights can react differently to moisture than the wool ground.
- Professional cleaning
- Choose a specialist who can identify and separately treat both fibers, not a general carpet service.
Not sure how to treat a spill or a stain?
If in doubt, stop and reach out. We would rather guide you through it, or arrange a specialist visit, than have you attempt the wrong fix.