Dhurri Rugs | Cleaning Methods & Facts

Dhurrie rugs are flat woven rugs made in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tibet, and Myanmar.  Most of the ones sold in the United States are from India.  They are made of cotton, wool, or silk, or a mixture.  Dhurrie RUGS are woven on horizontal looms.  The best ones have 5 or 6 ply wool yarn twisted to make the weft threads.  Traditionally, they were mainly natural colors with pastel geometric designs, but now they come in a wide variety of colors and designs.  Dhurrie rugs have no pile, but are very nubby. 

All Dhurrie RUGS are reversible, which is a wonderful selling point.  If one side gets dirty or stained, it can be flipped over and the other side used.  Dhurrie rugs are also very economical, can be placed over FLOOR PADS but generally are placed directly over hardwood flooring. 

CLEANING a Dhurrie can be a bit challenging.  They should be VACUUMED frequently, with care taken to ensure that the fringe does not get entangled in a VACUUM beater bar.  STAINS should be immediately blotted, not rubbed, as rubbing will enlarge the stain area.  Cold water and a soft brush can be gently used on stains.

The best CLEANING method is to have the rug professionally cleaned.  DRY CLEANING or DRY FOAM CLEANING is the preferred method.  Silk Dhurrie rugs should never have water put on them as it will leave water spots.  Some of the smaller, cotton rugs can be washed in machines in cold water, but care needs to be taken to check that the colors do not run.  They should be hung dry.  WARM WATER EXTRACTION or STEAM CLEANING is generally not recommended due to the lack of color fastness.