Persian & Oriental Rug Specialists in Johannesburg
Two washing methods, chosen by fibre. Synthetic rugs go through our rug-washing machine for the deepest clean those fibres can take. Persian, oriental and hand-knotted pieces, and every delicate fibre (wool, natural silk, viscose, cotton and natural-dye pile) are washed by hand for the safest. Woolsafe-certified chemistry. Low-moisture method. No dye bleed, no foundation damage.
from R599
Standard rugs
from R899
Persian & hand-knotted
Two Washing Methods, Chosen by Fibre
A rug gets the method its fibre can take. Synthetic rugs, meaning polypropylene, olefin, nylon, polyester and machine-made synthetic pile, go through our rug-washing machine. Those fibres are dimensionally stable and colourfast, so they can absorb the agitation and the volume of water that actually lifts embedded grit out of the base of the pile. Hands cannot match that on a synthetic, which is why the machine is the better clean there rather than the cheaper one.
Wool, natural silk, viscose (art-silk), cotton, kilim and hand-knotted Persian and oriental rugs are washed by hand, section by section. A trained technician works the rug through step by step, feeling how the fibre is responding and adjusting technique, chemistry and moisture as they go. On a fibre and a dye that will not forgive a mistake, that control is worth more than mechanical force, and it is the reason we are trusted as Persian and oriental rug specialists across Gauteng.
Rugs are not carpets. A wall-to-wall broadloom carpet is woven or tufted with one fibre type, one dye batch, backed onto a stable secondary backing. A Persian or hand-knotted rug may have six different natural dye batches, a wool foundation, and a pile that runs in a specific direction. Reading which of those two situations is in front of you, before any water is applied, is the whole job.
The most common rug cleaning mistakes are over-wetting (which weakens the foundation and causes shrinkage in wool), using alkaline detergents on natural dyes (which causes bleeding), and brushing against the pile direction (which causes pilling and distortion). All three come from applying one method to every rug regardless of what it is made of.
Drying is the step people underestimate. Fitted carpet is dry and ready to walk on in 2 to 6 hours, but a rug is dried flat under controlled conditions and monitored until the foundation is dry the whole way through, and that can take up to two days. A rug pushed out the door while the foundation is still damp is a rug that cockles, bleeds or warps a week later, so we return it when it is properly dry rather than when the surface feels dry. Plan for the floor to be clear for a couple of days.
Matching the method to the fibre, alongside Woolsafe-certified chemistry and pre-treatment colourfastness testing, prevents all three. Every rug is washed at our own facility and never sent to a third-party wash house, so the rug is cleaned correctly the first time, extending its life and preserving its value.
Rugs & Fibres We Clean
- Persian, oriental & hand-knotted rugs
- Wool rugs (all weaves)
- Natural silk & viscose (art-silk) rugs
- Cotton & natural-dye rugs
- Natural fibre rugs (sisal, jute, seagrass)
- Synthetic rugs (nylon, polyester)
- Flatweave and kilim rugs
- Shag and high-pile rugs
Pricing
from R599
Standard Rugs, by size
R599 small · R899 medium · R1,199 large · R1,499 XL · R1,799 XXL
All treatments included · No call-out fees
from R899
Persian & Hand-Knotted, by size
R899 small · R1,199 medium · R1,799 large · R2,399 XL · R3,499 XXL
All treatments included · No call-out fees
Full size breakdown and all categories on our pricing page.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do you wash rugs by hand or by machine?
- Both, and the fibre decides which. Synthetic rugs (polypropylene, olefin, nylon, polyester and machine-made synthetic pile) go through our rug-washing machine, because a stable synthetic fibre can take the agitation and volume of water that lifts embedded soil out of the base of the pile, and that produces the deepest clean those rugs can get. Wool, natural silk, viscose, cotton, kilim and hand-knotted Persian and oriental rugs are washed by hand, section by section, because those fibres and dyes will not forgive a mistake and hand washing lets a technician follow the pile direction, control moisture and respond to how each section behaves under treatment. Either way the rug is washed at our own facility and never sent to a third-party wash house.
- How long does a rug take to dry?
- Longer than fitted carpet, and deliberately so. A carpet is dry and ready to walk on in 2 to 6 hours, but a washed rug is dried flat under controlled conditions and monitored until the foundation is dry the whole way through, which can take up to two days. That time is what prevents dyes migrating, foundations cockling and hand-knotted pieces warping as they dry. A rug comes back to you when it is properly dry rather than when it is merely dry to the touch, so plan for the floor to be clear for a couple of days.
- Can you clean Persian and hand-knotted rugs?
- Yes, this is one of our specialties. Persian and hand-knotted rugs are always washed entirely by hand, never machine washed, using specialist chemistry and technique. We use low-moisture, Woolsafe-certified solutions that lift soil without risking foundation damage, colour bleed, or fibre distortion. Delicate rugs (Persian, hand-knotted, silk, natural-dye) are priced from R899 for small rugs (up to 1m × 1m) to R3,499 for XXL rugs (up to 5m × 5m).
- What is the risk of dye bleed during rug cleaning?
- Dye bleed occurs when incompatible cleaning chemistry or excess moisture causes dyes to run, most commonly in hand-dyed Persian and oriental rugs. Our low-moisture method and pre-testing protocol minimises this risk significantly. We test colorfastness before applying any solution to a rug.
- What does rug cleaning cost?
- Standard rugs (synthetic, machine-woven, flatweave) are priced by size: R599 for small (up to 1m × 1m), R899 for medium (up to 2m × 2m), and R1,199 for large (up to 3m × 3m). Larger standard rugs are R1,499 for XL (up to 4m × 4m) and R1,799 for XXL (up to 5m × 5m). Delicate rugs (Persian, hand-knotted, silk, natural-dye) are R899 small, R1,199 medium, R1,799 large, R2,399 XL, and R3,499 XXL. All prices include deodourisation, stain treatment, and hypoallergenic rinse. No call-out fees, no hidden extras. See our full pricing page for complete details.
- Can you clean silk and viscose (art-silk) rugs?
- Yes, but these are the two most delicate rug fibres and we treat them with extra caution. Viscose (also sold as art-silk, faux silk, bamboo or banana silk, or rayon) is regenerated cellulose that weakens dramatically when wet and can develop permanent water marks, browning, or pile flattening from even a glass of spilled water. Natural silk is stronger but very sensitive to alkalinity, heat, and over-wetting, with a real dye-bleed risk on hand-dyed pieces. Both are always washed by hand, never machine washed, using the lowest possible moisture, controlled drying, and pre-treatment colourfastness testing. Every silk and viscose rug is assessed and quoted individually, and if an existing mark cannot be safely removed we tell you before we start, not after.
- Do you clean wool and natural fibre rugs?
- Yes. Wool rugs require specific chemistry that respects the natural scales on wool fibres. Harsh alkaline detergents cause wool to felt and shrink. Our Woolsafe-certified chemistry is formulated for natural fibres and we adjust technique for pile direction, fibre type, and weave structure.
- How do I care for my rug between professional cleans?
- Rotate the rug every 6–12 months to distribute wear evenly. Vacuum at medium suction (not the highest setting, which can stress pile). Blot spills immediately, do not rub. For Persian rugs, vacuum in the direction of the pile only. Professional cleaning once a year is ideal for most rugs.
- Can you apply fabric protection to my rug?
- Yes. We offer MasterGuard fabric protection as an optional add-on, applied to your freshly cleaned rug. Protecting a rug costs the same as cleaning it, effectively doubling that rug's price. It is a water-based, pet- and family-safe stain shield that makes spills bead on the surface instead of soaking in, helps the rug resist everyday soiling, and slows UV fading, without changing the colour, feel or breathability of the pile. Dye-fastness is tested first, and it is applied after the clean (never instead of one) because a protector must bond to a clean fibre. It is well worth it on a valuable hand-knotted or natural-fibre rug. Tick it on the quote form or mention it when you book.
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