Persian and Oriental rugs are hand-crafted works of art. Like any masterpiece, they need careful maintenance to look their best. These decorative rugs feature natural dyes and fibers, so their appearance can change over time. When rugs feature rich colors next to creamy white panels, the dark dye may creep into the lighter portion. This common phenomenon is called color run. Learn more about color run removal with S&S Rug Cleaners Atlanta to preserve your rug’s appearance and value.

What Causes Color Run?

There are many reasons why dye might run from one part of your rug to another. Your rug’s materials play a large role in this situation. You can avoid color run by choosing the best quality rugs from reputable design houses for your collection. These characteristics often lead to spreading dye:

  • Material: Silk rugs are more likely to experience dye bleeding than wool rugs.
  • Poor quality dye: Not every dye is colorfast. If your rug’s yarn wasn’t properly set, the dye will run anytime it gets wet.
  • Poor construction techniques: Yarn should be washed before weaving to remove any excess dye. Your rug may leak excess dye if it wasn’t washed during the weaving process.
  • Painted elements: Some rug designers use paint to accent their work. Painted designs will often spread into nearby rug fibers.

These design and weaving shortcuts frequently cause problems in less expensive rugs. As your rug repair experts in Atlanta, we also know that poor maintenance and cleaning methods can also lead to color runs. The following situations can cause dye bleed in even the best-quality rugs:

  • Excess moisture: Lengthy exposure to water can cause any rug to bleed.
  • Pet urine: Animal urine contains potent chemicals that lead to color running, bleaching, staining, and other problems.
  • High heat: Hot water, steam, and other heated cleaning methods can cause the dye to bleed.
  • Alkaline cleaners: Cleaning solutions with a high pH lead to fiber damage and color run.

How Does Color Run Removal Work?

If you’re struggling with dye bleed, our color run removal service is the best way to restore your rug to its original beauty. We offer customized rug services based on your unique needs. If your rug is running due to poor quality dye or painted accents, we know that some washing techniques could cause further damage. Instead, we’ll carefully air dust and hand wash your rug to treat the stain.

Depending on your rug’s state, we may recommend reweaving repair services. Our rug repair Atlanta experts carefully untie and deconstruct the damaged areas of your rug to begin the reweaving process. Next, we replace ruined portions with new fibers that match the original design. Reweaving is a traditional practice that creates stunning results. Your repaired rug will look as beautiful as the day you brought it home, if not even better.

Don’t be tempted to address color runs at home. It might seem simple to hide dye bleeding with a spot of bleach or paint. However, this would be a temporary fix at best. Our Atlanta rug cleaners regularly see damage caused by harsh chemicals or stiff paint. Bleach and other household cleaners can break down your rug’s natural fibers. These methods also don’t address the underlying problem. You’ll still face color runs from unfixed dyes, poor construction technique, or fabrication even after your DIY fix is in place.

Restore Your Rugs With Dye Bleed Removal

Color running is a frustrating but common aspect of owning Oriental rugs. Dye bleed can impact your rug’s appearance, structural integrity, and value. Luckily, it’s easy to repair color runs. S&S Rug Cleaners offers a range of artisan services, all designed to keep your rugs in the finest condition. Contact us to learn more about color run removal and our other repair options.