We are happy to provide you some tips to spot clean your handmade rug. However, due to the uniqueness of our rugs and carpets, and the degree of expertise with which these spotting instructions may be used, Tufenkian assumes no responsibility related to the use of this information. All responsibility rests with the user.
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Blot, never scrub, spots on a rug as scrubbing can damage the carpet’s nap
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Test all spotting products in an inconspicuous area first and look for color change. If the color bleeds or you are unsure how to proceed, consult a professional. Remove as much of the spill as possible before adding spotting products.
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Work from the outer edges of a spot to the center.
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Never saturate a spotting area with a liquid. Only spot with small amounts of cleaning products.
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Drying small areas can be accomplished with a hair dryer with the heat setting off.
Recipes for Spotting Solutions
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Vinegar solution: 1-2 tablespoons to a cup of cold water
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Ammonia solution: 1-3 teaspoons to a cup of cold water
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Mild detergent solution: 2-6 drops to a cup of cold water
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Recommended detergent: Renaissance Oriental Rug Spotter, Bio-Clean all purpose cleaner, Planet Detergent, Seventh Generation
Spotting Guide
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Beer: use mild detergent followed by rinsing with vinegar solution, rinse with water
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Blood: blot with ammonia solution followed by vinegar solution, rinse with water
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Candle wax: scrape excess off, cover area with paper, and iron on low setting, then spot with dry solvent
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Chocolate: spot with dry cleaning solvent and let dry, apply mild detergent, rise with water
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Coffee: blot with mild detergent and rinse with water
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Egg: spot with mild detergent, rinse with water
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Fingernail polish: blot with dry cleaning solvent
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Fruit juices, jam & jelly: blot with mild detergent, rinse with water
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Grease: blot with dry cleaning solvent, spot with mild detergent, rinse with water
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Gum: scrape off excess and apply dry cleaning solvent, apply mild detergent if needed, rinse with water
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Ink: spot with dry cleaning solvent, spot with mild detergent, rinse with water
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Milk: spot with detergent, rinse with vinegar solution, rinse with water, spot with dry cleaning solvent if needed
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Paint: apply dry cleaning solvent followed by mild detergent, rinse with water
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Soft drinks: spot with mild detergent, rinse with water
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Soot: spot with mild detergent, rinse with water; if not removed, spot with dry cleaning fluid
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Tea: spot with mild detergent, rinse with water
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Urine: spot with mild detergent, rinse with vinegar solution, and rinse with water, repeat process if needed
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Vomit: spot with mild detergent, vinegar solution, rinse with water
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Wine: for fresh spills spot with white wine followed by mild detergent and rinse with water
The unusually high lanolin content in Tufenkian carpets’ unbleached, un-scoured wool rugs acts as a natural soil and stain inhibitor. An independent testing laboratory performing a soil and stain resistance battery on 15 staining agents found that, except for Cherry Kool-Aid (which left a “barely perceptible” image after cleaning), results showed complete removal of 14 other common staining agents.
Note that these instructions are written for wool rugs. For more information about other fibers, refer to our Rug Maintenance post and our Bamboo Silk page.