How to Care For Kilims
Kilims are flatwoven textiles that are made of intersecting warps and wefts.
For thousands of years, kilims have been woven to serve utilitarian purposes, such as for floor coverings in tents, tent covers, tent bands, baby cradles, and numerous other functions.
Throughout history, however, kilims have also been enjoyed not just for their utilitarian benefits, but also for their great beauty and unique aesthetic.
In recent times especially, kilims have gained a wide popularity in American and European interior design.
This article aims to provide a guideline for how to care for handwoven kilims so that they can be preserved and handed down to future generations.
Authentic kilims woven in the true nomadic tradition in which they originated are most often made of a combination of the following natural materials: sheep's wool, goat hair, camel hair, and less often, cotton.
Weavers wove with materials readily available to them so it is less common to find nomadic silk kilims.
As with any other textile made of these materials, it is very important that kilims be kept clean in between professional cleanings.
The best way to clean kilims is how the first users of kilims cleaned them - by shaking them and beating them.
Shaking and beating removes dirt and dust that can settle in between fibers and in the tiny crevices where warps meet wefts.
If you are not able to shake or beat your kilims, you may vacuum them on a low suction setting, but you must take special care not to vacuum any loose yarns or delicate weaving that can damage your kilim.
In addition, it is important never to vacuum your kilim's fringes as these are the most delicate and vulnerable to damage.
In addition to shaking, beating, or when possible, vacuuming your kilims, it is also important to occasionally rotate your kilims 180 degrees.
How often you need to do this depends on how high traffic area your kilim is in and how much exposure to sun your kilim gets.
Occasionally rotating your kilim ensures that your kilim will be exposed to the sun's rays more evenly and any color muting will be more consistent.
Also, rotating your kilim will ensure that any wear to your kilim from repeated patterns of foot traffic will be more evenly dispersed.
If you do not walk with shoes on in your home, do not have pets, and consistently follow the tips above, it is recommended that you have your kilims professionally cleaned about every four to five years.
If you do have pets or walk with shoes on in your home, you should send your kilims to a professional cleaner every two years, or more often if heavily soiled.
A professional cleaning will enable to thoroughly clean your kilim and help you preserve it for future generations.
In addition, if you notice that your kilim's fringes are unraveling or an area has become worn and the warp and weft are damaged, a professional kilim restorer will be able to reweave it and either repair or restore it to its original state.
For thousands of years, kilims have been woven to serve utilitarian purposes, such as for floor coverings in tents, tent covers, tent bands, baby cradles, and numerous other functions.
Throughout history, however, kilims have also been enjoyed not just for their utilitarian benefits, but also for their great beauty and unique aesthetic.
In recent times especially, kilims have gained a wide popularity in American and European interior design.
This article aims to provide a guideline for how to care for handwoven kilims so that they can be preserved and handed down to future generations.
Authentic kilims woven in the true nomadic tradition in which they originated are most often made of a combination of the following natural materials: sheep's wool, goat hair, camel hair, and less often, cotton.
Weavers wove with materials readily available to them so it is less common to find nomadic silk kilims.
As with any other textile made of these materials, it is very important that kilims be kept clean in between professional cleanings.
The best way to clean kilims is how the first users of kilims cleaned them - by shaking them and beating them.
Shaking and beating removes dirt and dust that can settle in between fibers and in the tiny crevices where warps meet wefts.
If you are not able to shake or beat your kilims, you may vacuum them on a low suction setting, but you must take special care not to vacuum any loose yarns or delicate weaving that can damage your kilim.
In addition, it is important never to vacuum your kilim's fringes as these are the most delicate and vulnerable to damage.
In addition to shaking, beating, or when possible, vacuuming your kilims, it is also important to occasionally rotate your kilims 180 degrees.
How often you need to do this depends on how high traffic area your kilim is in and how much exposure to sun your kilim gets.
Occasionally rotating your kilim ensures that your kilim will be exposed to the sun's rays more evenly and any color muting will be more consistent.
Also, rotating your kilim will ensure that any wear to your kilim from repeated patterns of foot traffic will be more evenly dispersed.
If you do not walk with shoes on in your home, do not have pets, and consistently follow the tips above, it is recommended that you have your kilims professionally cleaned about every four to five years.
If you do have pets or walk with shoes on in your home, you should send your kilims to a professional cleaner every two years, or more often if heavily soiled.
A professional cleaning will enable to thoroughly clean your kilim and help you preserve it for future generations.
In addition, if you notice that your kilim's fringes are unraveling or an area has become worn and the warp and weft are damaged, a professional kilim restorer will be able to reweave it and either repair or restore it to its original state.
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