Professionally Cleaning Moth Infested Rugs
You see your normally still rug moving ever so slightly. You squint your eyes to make sure you eyes aren't deceiving you. But no, the rug is moving. More accurately, something on the rug is moving. Some things. Plural. The feeling of disgust washes over you and you somehow gather yourself together to closely examine what exactly is happening. You see tiny white caterpillar like things having a feast all over your gorgeous wool rug. Moths, you think. Moths, you google. And sure enough, your suspicions are confirmed. Moths are eating your rug. What do you do? First, don't panic. This, unfortunately, is not a rare occurrence. With any luck, you have caught the infestation early on and a simple professional cleaning will eradicate the moths and no significant restoration will be necessary. More often, you neglected to examine your rug regularly and the moths have had time to eat a few chunks of wool. You should immediately isolate your rug so that other unaffected rugs or wool textiles are not subjected to the same damage. Wrap the rug in plastic and thoroughly mop the floor on which the rug lay. Vacuum all surrounding upholstered furniture (and then empty the vacuum cleaner or change the bag). A simple solution of vinegar and water is very effective to clean floors. Next, have your moth damaged rug professionally cleaned as soon as possible. The moths will continue to eat until the rug is cleaned. Ask your professional Oriental rug cleaner if they have experience cleaning and restoring moth damaged rugs. After a thorough professional cleaning, the rug will be ready to be inspected for the full extent of the damage. Ask your restorer what your options are. Sometimes a simple repair can suffice, but other times, a full restoration is the only option.