My mother wants to get an oriental rug appraised before perhaps selling it to be cut up. (It's very big but has some rips.) Is it worth getting it cleaned before the appraisal? Thanks!
If it is being sold to cut up, I wonder if it would make any difference to clean first. And, if it might have some value, do some research first, to make sure that your cleaning method doesn't actually lower that value.
If you have ever seen them clean an oriental rug you would say nothing would be worth the cost. Here is what they do and you can do it yourself. Lay the rug on the driveway. Take a scrub brush on a pole and using rug cleaner scrub it. Then rinse it off with a garden hose and hang it over a railing to dry.
Places that appraise handmade oriental rugs are often also equipped to repair them. It can be surprising what even torn rugs are worth, depending on age and quality. I moved into an apartment back in college where someone had left an old wool oriental with frayed fringe and a couple of spots worn smooth. It was pretty so I kept it for years and eventually took it to be professionally cleaned -- they told me it was worth over $1000 if it was fixed up! They charged me about $100 to repair the fringe and the bald spots and another $50 to clean it and moth prrof it (probably costs a bit more now). I used it for a few more years and then sold it for $800. The appraisers will be able to look beyond it being dirty to evaluate it so don;t worry about doing that before they see it. Please DON'T wash it with rug shampoo and a hose like the other guy suggested. That would ruin the weaving and run the colors if it is made with old vegetable dyes and would likely shrink the cotton warp and really trash it.
