What's hidden under the rug?

What's hidden under the rug?

Some dealers lie like, well, a rug, so count the knots – and your change.

Whether you are looking for basic wall-to-wall carpeting or a fancy oriental masterpiece, picking a good carpet can be a tough job. But you don't need the wisdom of Confucius or the patience of Job – just a little knowledge of what to look for:

Wall-to-wall carpets

The first decision is whether to choose wool or a synthetic. Wool is durable and takes color well, but it costs a lot more. Polyester carpeting used to flatten out with time, but the fibers have been improved and it now hold up pretty well.

The amount of yarn used to make the carpeting is another indication of quality – the more yarn that is used, the more durable the carpet will be. High traffic areas require a carpet with at least 50 ounces of yarn per square yard. Fibers that have been woven in will last longer than punched-in fibers. Finally, stain protection that has been built in to the carpet is preferable to protection that is sprayed on later.

Oriental Carpets

They are handmade, usually from wool or silk, in Iran, Pakistan, China, India, and Turkey, among other countries. Prices have dropped about 20 percent over the past ten years, so unless you're buying ancient or rare oriental rugs, which can cost $100,000 or even more, you can expect to pay a few hundred dollars for a small area rug and several thousand for a room-size rug. Iranian rugs are typically the priciest, partly because of their scarcity since the embargo and sanctions on Iranian goods.

Handmade oriental carpets are almost always better investments than machine-made area rugs. They outlast machine-made carpets by many years yet don't cost considerably more. The number of knots per square inch is the usual measure of quality: 100 knots per square inch for a good rug, 300 knots for a better rug, and 600 or more for an exceptional rug. But counting knots can be deceiving. Some rugs, such as lesser grade Pakistani Bokharas, appear to have twice as many knots because the pile yarn is wrapped around the foundation twice.

Wool quality also is important. To test it, scratch the pile. If the rug sheds excessively, don't buy it. Imagine what foot traffic and vacuum cleaning will do to it.

Farrah Fawcett sitting on the rug. Photo by Elena.

Out, out damned spot!

Consumer Report says these homemade brews will remove stains. For all, first blot spill, then place dry paper towels on the spot. Stand on them a minute, then apply the appropriate series of potions, blotting after each application. End with a cold water rinse and final blotting.

Pasta sauce or salad dressing:

1 tsp of dishwashing liquid to 1 cup of water.

or

1 tbs of ammonia to ½ cup of water.

Red wine:

1 tsp of dishwashing liquid to 1 cup of water.

or

1 par vinegar to 2 parts water.

or

1 tbs of ammonia to ½ cup of water.

Kool-Aid:

1 tsp of dishwashing liquid to 1 cup of water.

or

1 tbs of ammonia to ½ cup of water.

or

1 part vinegar to 2 parts water.

Unidentified spill:

Soak with a dry-cleaning solvent

or

1 tsp of dishwashing liquid to 1 cup of water.