Cleaning a hand-knotted carpet — what you need to know before you start

A hand-knotted carpet is not like other carpets. It wasn't made by a machine or from synthetic fibres — it was made by hand, knot by knot, usually from natural materials like wool or silk. A Persian rug, a Moroccan Berber, a kilim, an Afghan or Indian handcraft — all of them have one thing in common: they need special care when it comes to cleaning.

Wash one incorrectly, and it won't go back to the way it was.

What makes a hand-knotted carpet different?

Hand-knotted carpets are made across many countries using various techniques, but the principle is the same: every knot is tied by hand. That makes them durable, but also sensitive to the wrong kind of handling.

Common types of hand-knotted carpets:

• Persian rugs — Iran, traditional patterns, often wool or silk
• Moroccan Berber carpets — North Africa, thick wool, often geometric patterns
• Kilims — Middle East and Central Asia, flat-woven with no pile
• Afghan and Turkish rugs — dense knotting, strong colours
• Indian handcraft carpets — often silk or silk-and-wool blends

Each of these reacts to moisture, heat, and chemicals very differently from a synthetic carpet.

The biggest risks with the wrong cleaning method

A hand-knotted carpet can be ruined in three ways: wrong chemicals, too much moisture, or incorrect drying.

Colour bleeding is the most common risk. Many hand-knotted carpets are dyed with natural or older synthetic dyes that don't tolerate modern cleaning products or vigorous scrubbing. Soaking or rinsing in the wrong temperature can cause colours to bleed into each other.

Shrinking and distortion happens when wool fibres are exposed to water that's too hot or dried too quickly.

Bad odour is a sign of inadequate drying. Thick wool fibres retain moisture for a long time — if the carpet doesn't dry fully, it starts to smell, and that odour can be very hard to remove afterwards.

Foundation damage — hand-knotted carpets have a separate woven foundation that reacts to moisture differently from the pile surface. Wrong washing can make it stiff, shrunken, or cracked.

How should a hand-knotted carpet be cleaned?

Proper cleaning starts with an assessment. Before water or any product touches the carpet, you need to know:

• what the carpet is made from (wool, silk, cotton, a blend)
• how it's been dyed and whether the colours are stable
• what condition it's in — is it fragile, worn, or previously damaged

Then the right method is chosen for the material. For hand-knotted carpets, this is usually gentle hand washing or low-intensity machine washing — not high-pressure washing or a domestic washing machine.

The cleaning product needs to be pH-neutral. Drying happens on a flat surface, in shade, in calm airflow — never in direct sunlight, not in a heated room, and not hanging vertically (a wet carpet is heavy and will stretch the foundation).

Why it's worth leaving it to a professional

Washing a hand-knotted carpet yourself carries too much risk when the carpet has real value. One wrong step — water that's too hot, too much scrubbing, or incomplete drying — can mean permanent damage.

A professional recognises the material, knows how it responds, and chooses the method accordingly. At Mattonouto, hand-knotted carpets are handled separately and carefully — they're never put through the same process as synthetic rugs.

See our hand-knotted carpet service or book a pickup. Let us know in the booking what type of carpet it is, and we'll make sure it gets the right treatment.

How often should a hand-knotted carpet be cleaned?

Once a year is the right frequency for normal use. If it's been a long time, it's better to clean it sooner — dirt slowly wears down fibres.

A well-maintained hand-knotted carpet can last for generations.