With care and a little love, your handmade Multicolores rug will last for many years. Hand-hooked rug care is simple—follow these tips and tricks to keep your rug looking its best!
Get to know your rug
What are rugs made from? Your hand-hooked Multicolores rug is made from recycled paca (secondhand clothing). When gathering materials, the artist carefully selects garments made from jersey fabric—mostly t-shirts. Your rug is made from dozens (sometimes hundreds!) of strips of this jersey fabric, hooked onto a handwoven, off-white 100% cotton base cloth (monkscloth). The hooked portion, made from recycled textiles, is mostly cotton, but may also include cotton blends and sometimes polyester, Lycra, or rayon.
Look carefully at the border of the rug on the back side. This hand-sewn border is also made from recycled clothing— often old cortes (traditional woven wrap skirts).
Is my rug colorfast? Will the colors run? Don’t worry! Because your rug is made from secondhand garments, the colors won’t run or bleed. The artists also wash every garment before using it in their hand-hooked artwork.
Regular hand-hooked rug care, cleaning & maintenance
Vacuum your rug: using a vacuum cleaner with no beater bar, set to a gentle suction setting.
Remove dust and grit: Take your rug outside and give it a good shake. You can beat your rug lightly with a rug beater or clean broom.
Freshen up: On a nice day, hang your rug in the sunshine & breeze for an hour to keep it fresh!
Sun protection : Be careful about prolonged sun exposure, which will fade your rug.
Watch out for dampness & mildew: Mildew, mold, and dampness are dangerous to rugs! If your rug gets wet or shows signs of mildew, hang it in the sun until it’s dry and free of mildew smell, turning the rug over as necessary until it’s thoroughly dry.
A rug’s lifespan Rugs have the longest lifespan when hung on the wall as artwork. If your rug is on the floor, extend its life by placing it in a low-traffic area of your home.
Love your rug! Rugs were made with care, creativity, and love – if you show them love in return, they will bring joy to your home for years to come!
Stains and spills
Clean spills as quickly as possible, blotting with a paper towel or rag.
Spot clean the stain using gentle soap or baking soda and water. Rinse and lay flat or hang to dry.
Rug Storage - Do's and Don't's
Roll your rug rather than folding it, with the hooked side facing outward.
Don’t wrap your rug in plastic, as moisture can get trapped inside. Instead, store it inside an old pillowcase or sheet.
Help! A piece of my rug is loose! Repairing your hand-hooked rug:
Not to worry! With a crochet hook and a little patience, you can easily repair your rug.
Look closely at your rug and you’ll notice the strips of fabric, hooked into loops, that make up the design. The ends of each strip of fabric should be trimmed to the level of the other loops, and should come forward to the hooked front of the rug. Ends shouldn’t be visible on the back— there they can pull loose too easily!
If the end of a strip becomes loose and is visible from the back of the piece, pull it back to the front of the rug to prevent unraveling. Using a crochet hook, punch down through the base cloth near the loose end. Hook the loose end inside the crochet hook, and pull it forward to the front of the rug.
If a few loops pull loose, practice your hooking skills to repair the rug! With the crochet hook, punch down through the empty space in the base cloth. Holding the loose end in one hand on the back side of your rug, use the crochet hook to pull loops forward to the front side, making sure your loop is the same height as the rest of the loops.
More questions about hand-hooked rug care? Do you have a rug care tip to share? Don’t hesitate to contact us!
