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Rolled up inside a carpet. That's how Cleopatra,  Queen
of Egypt, is said to have presented herself to Julius
Caesar. Historians peg the origin of carpets to the heart
of Central Asia. The carpet's earliest association has been
made with nomads who roamed those lands, and would use carpets
to insulate their tents against the cold. Somewhere down the
line, carpets evolved to serve one more purpose, they were
not just meant to be 'used', but cherished and preserved.
Mr Ajaz of Jamal Carpet Industries says, "As
society evolved, so did the importance of objects that were
symbols of a person's wealth. Carpets found a place among
such objects."
Jamal Carpet Industries set up its creative centre in Bangalore
in 1993. It sells traditional, oriental hand knitted woollen
carpets and rugs, which come all the way from Kashmir
and it commands great respect in international markets, because
of the designs, craftsmanship, colour combination, beauty
of texture.
Tips for buying a carpet
Before buying a carpet it does help to do some groundwork.
The first step obviously is to figure out which area has to
be carpeted and estimate its dimensions.
One has to consider one's lifestyle and the traffic that
the chosen area will have.
Ideas from family members can be a big help.
The setting of the surrounding areas has to be evaluated
- the colour of the walls, the curtains, the furniture and
so on
Find a dealer who knows all about the elements - such as
fibre, colour style and installation techniques
The natural question - from where and from whom to buy
the carpet.
Identifying a carpet
"Id entifying
a carpet by the area of production is the most common practice.
There are similarities in the combinations of colour and design,
motifs and weaving techniques, but cultural and geographical
variations do play a role", while buying a carpet
says Mr Ajaz. The different kinds of materials used
like wool, silk, cotton should also be identified.
Raw Materials
Along with the traditionally used natural fibres, man-made
fibres are also much in use. Depending on your requirements
and budget, you can choose wool, silk, cotton, camel wool
or jute which are natural fibres. Wool is used
extensively in carpet making. It is coarse, and lacks the
lustre of apparel wool.
Silk is the most expensive natural fibre, and varies
greatly in quality. Silk carpets have a wonderful glossy sheen
and feel, and are ideally draped on walls, since they tend
to get dirty in no time.
Cotton, the longwearing fibre, is perhaps the most
universally used material nowadays. It is much stronger than
wool, but nevertheless it suffers where crush-resistance is
concerned. Since it also absorbs moisture, it becomes difficult
to clean.
Of the man-made carpet fibres, nylon is used extensively.
Another material in this category is PET Polyester. One
of the most colour fast and stain resistant fibres is Polypropylene
or Olefin.
Cleaning and Maintenance
No matter what kind of carpet you have, proper maintenance
is the key to its durability and novelty.
It is essential that you vacuum regularly with a standard
vacuum cleaner.
Nowadays most carpets are treated with special finishes
to resist soil and stains.
Remember, the longer you leave a stain unattended, the more
difficult it will be to remove. Use cleaning agents for emergency
stain removals, but always pre-test a small, inconspicuous
area to ensure that the cleaning agent doesn't damage the
carpet.
Key to Cleaning Methods
Dry-cleaning fluid: A non-flammable spot removal
liquid available at grocery and hardware stores
Nail-Polish remover: Amyl Acetate, often has a 'banana'
fragrance
Detergent solution: Mix one-cup water and one and
a half teaspoons of mild liquid detergent
Warm water: Avoid cold or hot water as this could
cause damage
Vinegar solution: One cup white vinegar to two cups
water
Ammonia solution: Two tablespoons of household ammonia
to one-cup water
Spot removal kit: Available at retail carpet stores
or professional carpet cleaners
Call a professional: If you cannot completely remove
the spot
Deepa |
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