How to clean and maintain them?
Are the bright Beni Ouarain rugs delicate?
I often get the question: isn't it incredibly delicate to have such a bright carpet - I have a dog and children, after all? I had those thoughts myself. I had vowed for many years that we should have a white Beni Ouarain carpet. I couldn't get over the thought of how delicate it would be and how upset I would be when a stain appeared. Those thoughts were put to shame after we got a bright Beni Ouarain rug under our dining table. A bit of everything has been wasted, for example chicken with turmeric and saffron – the worst imaginable! – but it was actually no problem. The stain could be removed by vacuuming and with lukewarm water, and you can't see it at all.
Wool of the highest quality
So the short answer is - No, Beni Ouarain rugs are actually not delicate. But how can that be? After all, they are bright, sometimes completely white. The answer lies, among other things, in the wool that is used for the carpets.
Many of the Moroccan Berber tribes, including the Beni Ouarain tribes, have lived in relative isolation until late modern times. Here, for a century, they have bred an ancient breed of sheep, which produces the finest wool in absolute top quality.
Genuine Beni Ouarain rugs are made 100% from this high-quality wool, which with its natural content of lanolin forms a protective film on the wool. Lanolin is the fatty substance that protects the sheep from wind and weather, and thus also helps to protect your carpet. The stains simply have difficulty penetrating.
If you buy a copy carpet, poorer wool and/or other types of yarn have probably been used, which are more susceptible to dyeing. It is therefore well worth paying a little more for a genuine Beni Ouarain carpet.
If you want a more surprising look on the wall, these JuJu hats will fit in perfectly. They can be bought at the shop Tibladin.dk and cost DKK 1200.
I think they are amazing and give the coolest look! But I'd rather not use them in the bedroom and let you buy them in the shop until I'm sure the corona crisis is over so I can get hold of some more.
How to remove stains from your Beni Ouarain rug
It is almost inevitable that some carpet will be spilled at some point. If the accident happens, there are some things you can do:
- Vacuum the area first if it is not a liquid that has been spilled. Be sure everything is vacuumed up so you don't work anything into the carpet.
- Use a tightly wrung cloth with lukewarm water to press the stain and twist to the right (not back and forth).
- If it doesn't work with lukewarm water, then you can use the same technique with a hard-wrung cloth from water with a cleaning agent specific to wool.
- If all this fails (which it rarely does), then you can take the rug to the dry cleaners, where it will be dry cleaned.
Ongoing maintenance of your Beni Ouarain rug
It is a good idea to dust the carpet approx. once a week as it makes the fibres/fur stand up again.
In addition, shake the carpet outdoors for approx. once every 14 days.
Clean your rugs in the snow: at the first snowfall, I always put my Beni Ouarain rugs out in the snow with the pile facing down. However, it must not be wet snow/sleet, as the carpet will be decidedly wet. After 15-30 minutes in the snow, you take your blanket back inside, where it can dry on the floor or hang to dry over something.
Why choose a genuine bright Beni Ouarain carpet
First of all, they are super nice and unique, and each rug is handmade with its own story. They are incredibly delicious and soft, and very comfortable to put your feet on.
In addition, it is easier to add a light rug to your decor than it is the case with dark ones. The darker carpets should ideally match something else in the room, and are somewhat more dominant. Light carpets, on the other hand, are not as prominent, but perfect for brightening up a room, framing areas such as a dining table or sofa group or creating character in a room without being too dominant.
I simply love Beni Ouarain rugs! And we just got a lot of homes in the shop. Click here to see the fine rugs.