Rug Types
Afghan Rugs
Heavy, densely woven tribal and workshop rugs, most recognisably the repeating octagonal gul patterns in deep madder reds.
Identification
How to tell
Weight and hand are the tells — Afghan rugs are noticeably thick and heavy for their size, with a coarse, robust wool and a pile that feels dense rather than silky.
Method
How we clean afghan rugs
That density is the whole cleaning problem: water goes in easily and comes out slowly. These need extended controlled drying with air moved through the foundation, not just across the surface. A thick Afghan dried like a thin rug will hold moisture in the core and go musty within a fortnight.
Common Damage
What goes wrong
Dye migration in the reds when a rug is dried too slowly in still air, and mildew in the foundation from exactly the same cause.