Hey Vancouver BC, Luv-A-Rug can help your rugs that have moth damage

I just got off the phone with a lady from Vancouver BC, which is just across the water from Victoria BC. She was a bit frustrated at the lack of information and companies that take care of moth infested rugs in her area. One short 8 minute call with me, RugloverMary, and she feels much better that her rug can be saved. She has an Indu-Gabbeh that was purchased at the Swedish Home store and it is in the perfect colours for her new home, unfortunately it has moth damage.

I told her that Gabbeh rugs are my favorite all time rugs. I explained to her how the life cycle and feeding needs of the moths works, and what we do to eliminate moth infestations here at Luv-A-Rug, and I gave her a couple of names of companies in Vancouver area that might be able to help her.

Because I was very helpful, friendly and knew how to care for her rug, we are getting her rug brought over to us by courier for cleaning and moth control. Just because we are not in her immediate neighbourhood doesn’t mean that we cannot care for her rug.

If you do not live on Vancouver Island, or near Victoria, BC Luv-A-Rug can still clean and repair your rugs. Our courier is safe, insured and does overnight or next day delivery to most areas.

Here is my video showing a different Gabbeh rug that was a moth feast:

It is not the first time we have had area rugs shipped to us for cleaning. In May 2010 we had a rug from Vernon BC shipped to us for cleaning and repair after the storage unit it was in had a leak. It is also not the first time I have helped someone outside of Vancouver Island/Victoria BC with moth damage. Last year I helped a lady living in Winnipeg, Manitoba via e-mail that had moth damage.

It is nice being the wool moth expert. We all have to be good at something and I like the odd stuff. Moths gross people out, but for me they help me educate clients and the world about how to care, store, and save their beloved rugs

Here is the latest victim of moths to come to our shop. This rug had huge sentimental value to the client, but it was peed on by their dog and then rolled up and stored away without being cleaned. The moth larva had a good feast and were still feasting when I filmed them. This rug was unfortunately too far gone to be saved, so please always get pet accidents professionally cleaned right away.

So if you don’t live in Victoria BC, but find me, RugloverMary, or anything I wrote/filmed about moths contact me. I can help. Either we can get the rug to us here at Luv-A-rug or help you find the right professionals in your area.

Here are a few tips to protect your rugs from moth infestations:

• Always clean your rugs after a pet accident and storing for even a short time.
• Vacuum your entire rug and under the edges to eliminate the dirt moths need to survive.
• Clean your air ducts every year before using them.
• Clean away any old wasp, bird, rodent nests from outside your home and the attic.
• Get your rugs professionally cleaned by a Wool Safe Certified company every 1-3 years.

To contact Luv-A-Rug you can call us at 250-590-6210/800-886-2802 or e-mail me directly at mary.luvarug@shaw.ca or luvvie@shaw.ca

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary-helping protect wool rugs from Moths!

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RugloverMary has Found the Elusive Live Cothes Moth

It was an exciting day for me, not so much for a wool tufted rug. Around 3pm June 30th Luv-A-Rug received a phone call inquiring where we were located and the best way to get here from downtown Victoria. She didn’t say much about her rug and why it needed to be cleaned, just that we would know when we saw it.

Yes it was vague, but clients can be embarrassed by pet accidents and such, so we don’t judge. We understand that rugs get dirty. It isn’t very often that we get surprised by a mess on rugs, we have pretty much seen everything.

An hour and a half later a lovely lady came in to our office on 445 Beta St and said she had a rug for cleaning and she was the one who had called a little while ago. I, RugloverMary) went out to her car with her and brought the rug in. She had a 5’x8′ wool hand tufted rug that got wet by flooding and they rolled it up and dealt with the other damage first. A few months later she decided to use the rug again, but it needed to be cleaned first.

The first thing I noticed was a clothes moth casing on the back of the rug. This didn’t surprise me since the rug was stored improperly. The one casing turned into many, many clothes moth casing. I didn’t think there were any that were still alive, but since I had disturbed them by unrolling the rug they were not moving. I was showing her the casings and the damage they had caused when one of the casing moved, then another and then more.

Woo Hoo! We had a rug with actual live moth larva on it. She had decided it wasn’t worth getting it cleaned, moth treated and flood repaired, one whole side was crunchy and wrinkled, and asked if we could get rid of it for her. I told her yes and asked her if I could blog about her rug since it wasn’t very often we got to see live larva.

She gave me a funny look and said, “You really want this rug don’t you?” YES! I told her I was excited about seeing the live larva and it would make a good blog. What can I say I get excited over moth larva.
Here is the video of Live Clothes Moth Larva Eating a Wool Rug

Please I beg of you when you have a rug you no longer want to use or if it gets wet from flooding or a burst water tank get it professionally cleaned right away. The longer you wait the more damage that can happen and the more tasty your rug looks to moths.

In Victoria, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands call Luv-A-Rug at 250-590-6210/1-800-886-2802 and we can clean your rugs and wrap them properly for storage.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, wool moth teacher

>Wool Gabbeh Rug

I love Gabbeh area rugs they are my absolute favorite rugs.

I love the whimsical, random, primitive figures and the bright vibrant colours used in these rugs.

Most Gabbeh rugs are wool pile on a cotton foundation, with a multi-coloured side wrap and randomly put figures. They are thick, plush, inviting rugs to walk upon.

The Gabbeh rugs I have seen lately have a symmetrical design of the primitive figures, not my preferred look. On this Gabbeh, you can see dark and light stripes in the orange area. That is a trait of a Gabbeh. It is called Abrash.

Abrash is caused by the wool being dyed in different batches and fading at a different rate. Very natural occurrence and usually a desired one on most hand knotted area rugs.

This is the Gabbeh that we received today for cleaning. The striping is very evident even though it is a off white/beige colour.

Again the pattern is symmetrical in lines, but the figures are random in the order they placed. The unique thing about this Gabbeh is that the foundation is wool. You can tell by the fact that the fringes are wool and not cotton.

Not a common feature of most Gabbeh area rugs.

You will notice that every two rows of figures are a lined and then the next two rows shift slightly. Just another way this Gabbeh rug is distinctive.

When was the last time you really looked at the pattern on your area rug? You might be surprised at the subtle imperfections.  Imperfections are what make a rug fascinating.

Most people it is when they have it cleaned. If you don’t get you area rug cleaned on a regular basis, once every year or two, then you may be missing out on what makes your area rug special.

Remember your area rug is more than just a floor covering, it is a work of art. There is beauty every where no matter if your area rug is hand knotted or an inexpensive department store rug.

Here is a closeup of the back of the rug and the fringes.

The red that you see is the weft, the piece of wool or cotton that is in between the row of knots. If this rug gets flooded or improperly cleaned the red can bleed through to the front of the rug, not good.

There are many little things that have to be considered when cleaning an area rug. That is why you shouldn’t let just anyone clean your rugs.

Luv-A-Rug has been Victoria, BC’s Area rug Experts for over 20 years. We know area rugs. Let us put the love back into your rugs, call 250-475-3922/1-800-886-2802 for pick up.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary