January 31, 2008

Rugs A Bound Blog News

We just wanted to share a few new items with the Blogosphere. Today at 7:30 PM EST there will be an outage here at our blog. The site will be shut down for routine maintenance, but the outage should not last very long. The store will not be affected. We just want to keep your informed.

thanks,
Rugs A Bound

January 30, 2008

Rugs A Bound

Rugs A Bound has been updated and is ready to serve you. Our showroom and our website have been renovated. We have stream lined some of our navigation to better serve you, and we are continuing our tradition of adding new features to our site.

thanks,
Rugs A Bound

January 29, 2008

Rug Care Ideas from marthastewart.com

Rug Care with Philip -MarthaStewart.com:

If you already own an area rug or if you're interested in purchasing one, Philip over at Martha Stewart.com has some good advice on preserving your investment.

"Most rug problems can be avoided with a few preventative measures. Most important is to place the rug on top of the proper padding. The rule is: thin rug, thin pad; thick rug, thick pad. (A thick pad under a thin rug will increase the load the rug bears when stepped on.) The material from which a pad is made is as important as its thickness. Oriental rugs, which are made of natural fiber, need to breathe. Crosshatched pads made of rubber and reinforced wire give them air.

Rugs in constant use should be rotated every year, so they wear more evenly. A rug whose end is near a door can be turned around so that the other end gets the wear from heavy traffic. This will keep a path from being worn in the rug and evens out the section exposed to sunlight. Indentations left by furniture legs can be fluffed up with several firm strokes against the pile with a damp nylon nail brush.

Vacuuming rugs should be a weekly ritual—sand and grit wear down the woolen fibers. For durable rugs, use a vacuum with a rotary brush; but for delicate rugs, a suction attachment or carpet sweeper work best. Rugs should also be washed at least every two years. Do not send a fine Oriental rug to the cleaners: The heat and chemicals used can break down its fibers and dyes. Most rugs can be washed at home in the backyard, using a solution of Woolite or baby shampoo and ice-cold water. (Check first on a corner to see if the colors run. Also be sure the rug dries completely before laying it in the house again.) Experts generally discourage the use of aerosol carpet shampoos. “They just rearrange the dirt," says Costikyan.

To deal with spills and pet stains, always keep a bottle of club soda on hand. Pour the club soda on the stain, and blot the area; the salt in club soda neutralizes the stain agent, while the water dilutes the stain. more


thanks,
Rugs A Bound

January 28, 2008

MD Suggests Area Rugs in a Child's Room

Neil Schachter, MD, medical director, respiratory care, Mount Sinai, New York City; has this to say about area rugs in a child's room.

"Children's rooms should have small area rugs that that are washed
weekly—especially during cold and flu season," Schachter says. Flu season spans
from November through March, while cold season runs from about September until
March or April. "Never use wall-to-wall carpet as this is hard to clean and
carpets can harbor tremendous amount of germs and allergens."

Source: Oprah.com

January 25, 2008

Today's Shows: Top 10 Decorating Mistakes

Source: How to fix the top 10 decorating mistakes - Home & Garden - MSNBC.com

The Today Show's top 10 decorating mistakes featured "Rug too small for the room" as number 3 on the list.
"Mistake: Nothing adds more comfort and warmth, or defines a space, quite like a rug, and rugs are a great opportunity to bring in a strong decorative element, like pattern or color. However, a rug that is too small does just the opposite — it calls
attention to the fact that your floors are mostly bare and cold, and appears like a small raft in the middle of a pool A small rug leaves one yearning for more and ends up looking skimpy, like a skirt that is too short.
Solution: Rugs should be large enough that either all of the furniture should sit on top of the rug, or all of the furniture should frame the rug and sit just off of it. Before buying a rug, measure the dimensions of your room and make sure that the rug is large enough that your furniture arrangement can fit easily (without crowding) on top or frame the rug graciously"
While choosing your rug, remember that size is one of the most important factors to consider. We have included a Choosing Rug Size section at our site, if you need additionally resources.

thanks,
Rugs A Bound