How to clean an antique tribal rug at home?

Vacuum both sides on a low suction setting. Turn the rug face down first, as this beats the loose grit out of the foundation. Never use standard carpet shampoos. If a spill happens, blot it with a damp cloth and contact a specialist restorer.

I bought an old rug that has some areas where the wool is worn right down and you can see the white threads, should I get those bits reknotted?

Low pile is normal for something that has spent a century on the floor. Many collectors prefer to leave honest wear alone, provided the structure remains stable. Reweaving large sections involves stripping out the old foundation and replacing the knots. It changes the character of the piece and often looks stiff. Focus on conservation rather than restoration. A professional can secure any loose threads to stop the damage spreading, which preserves the original fabric.

What does a kilim end mean?

A kilim end refers to the flat-woven section at either end of the rug. It has no pile. Weavers create this band to lock the knots firmly in place. It acts as a bumper against fraying.

The red colour in my rug seems to change depending on which way you look at it in the room, is this a normal thing for wool to do?

That change is called abrash. It happens because nomadic weavers dyed their wool in small batches over open fires, leading to natural variations in the hue. When light hits the pile from different angles, these subtle colour shifts become obvious. It is a feature of traditional hand-spun wool rather than a flaw.

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Antique Turkmen Rugs from the 19th Century

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Woven by nomadic tribes in Central Asia, antique Turkmen rugs are dense, woollen floor coverings characterised by repeating geometric patterns on deep red grounds, originally serving as practical tent furnishings, storage bags, and animal trappings.