Area Rugs - How to Properly Store Them

One of our customers recently called in saying that their rug has been attacked by moths and they desperately needed our help. When we got to her home, we took a look at the damage and determined that it rug was far to deteriorated for anyone to be able to fix.

The best we could do was cut off a piece and rebind repair and clean the oriental rug, saving approximately 40% of the rug.

This was a severe case of not understanding the dangers of improper rug storage, so we thought we would share some information that may come in handy.

When storing rugs ALWAYS,  make sure you have the rug cleaned by a professional first! A dirty rug carries lots of dust, bacteria, dead skin cells, and small food particles. This will no doubt, attract many unwanted critters to the rug and you can be in for a big shock when you unravel it.

Always, wrap a clean rug in acid free breathable paper. This will keep it safe from any outside elements and also allow the rug to breathe. Natural fibers such as wool, naturally retain a moisture content. If you wrap these rugs in plastic bags, there is no where for the moisture content to go and over time it will build up and you can create a mildew problem for the rug. Acid free paper will keep it dry and safe.

Store rugs in a cool and dry environment. Basements are not a good location to store your area rugs because  they often times become very humid. The same goes for attics. An overly humid environment can cause the rug to absorb much of the water from the air and this can create odor issues.

When rolling your rugs, always roll with the nap, the long way. You dont want to fold the rug because this can create pile damage if left for extended periods of time.

As an added protection you can opt for moth proofing your rug. We always recommend moth proofing your area rugs when you plan on placing them in storage. This will deter any moths who may view your area rug as a pleasant treat :P

So to sum it all up in 5 steps:
1. Clean the rug before placing in storage
2. Use breathable acid free paper to wrap
3. Store in a cool and dry environment
4. Roll with the nap
5. Opt for a moth proofing treatment.

We hope this helps for anyone who might be thinking about placing their rugs in storage. Follow these steps and you can rest assured your rugs will make it through the storage period gracefully!