How do you clean an antique rug?

Vacuum them without using a beater bar. Suction alone pulls out the dry grit that slowly cuts the wool fibres near the foundation. Wash them flat with cold water and mild soap when they get dirty. Avoid dry cleaning chemicals as they strip the natural oils from the wool, leaving the pile brittle.

I inherited this massive carpet from my grandmother and it has a terrible crease down the middle from being folded in her loft for ages, can that be fixed?

Fold creases will often relax if you lay the piece flat on a hard floor in a warm room for a few weeks. The foundation threads need time to readjust to being under even tension again. Stubborn ridges respond to blocking. Restorers pin the edges to a wooden floor and apply light moisture to the back. As the foundation dries, the tension pulls the crease out.

What does a rug pad actually do?

A solid pad stops the textile slipping on polished floors. It also absorbs the downward impact of foot traffic. The pile crushes against the hard floor without that cushion. Even a thin layer of dense felt underneath extends the life of the knots noticeably.

My cat scratched up the side cord on my tribal rug quite badly last week and the edge is starting to fray, is this something a normal tailor can patch up?

A normal tailor lacks the heavy needles and specific wool required for this. The side finish is called the selvedge, and it protects the foundation structure from unravelling into the field design. Rug restorers rebuild this edge by wrapping new wool around the outer warp cords. It is a standard repair that stabilises the sides before further damage occurs to the knots.

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Antique Persian Rugs from the 19th Century

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Hand-knotted textiles originating from Iran, created primarily as floor coverings or wall hangings to insulate nomadic tents and urban homes while providing a durable patterned surface.