I've often asked how to best clean expensive oriental rugs? I can tell you that you don't want to use a rug shampooer on it, any rental equipment, or any of the chemical cleaners such as the HOST system, and if you send it out to a cleaning surface, be SURE you know how they are going to clean your rug. Some commercial cleaners will put your rugs in a vat with other customer's rugs, and you will get a dye transfer into your rug from that. Most noticeably, your rug will be clean, but lost some of its color vibrancy, and have a 'grayish' look to it overall. That's what happens when washed with other rugs.

You don't really need to send your rug out to clean it. Its surprisingly simple to do yourself, all you need is:

* Water
* Liquid Tide
* Soft scrub brush
* Elevated Drying Station outdoors
* Two days of mid-70 degree weather with no rain and low humidity.

I have washed all my rugs in my house for the past 20 years after learning how to do it from my rug supplier (or rather watching how they did it at their import facility).

Take your rugs outside on the deck or patio and if they are over a 5' x 7" size, place them atop some elevated structure so air can flow underneath (old wood shipping pallets are ideal for this, and easy to get).

Flood the rug with water. Get it completely saturated.

Take your Liquid Tide (not too much!) and dilute in a bucket of water, then scrub the rug down with your soft brush, using plenty of rinse water as you go. You'll see the dirt and stains come out as you scrub and your colors brighten noticeably.

When done scrubbing, flood the rug with rinse water until all the soap is gone. Then leave outside to dry (will take 24 to 36 hours for most rugs on low humidity days).

Smaller rugs can be draped over a balcony railing to dry, but 7' x 9' and larger are too heavy to move when waterlogged, and you won't be able to pick them up. Hence the need to have them elevated off thr ground level in some manner to allow air flow underneath.

When you bring them back in the house, you won't believe how much brighter they will be and cleaner smelling as well. Best of all, costs you virtually nothing to do but a hour's work and your rugs stay pure and not contaminated by others.