Misconceptions About New Oriental Rugs
There are many misconceptions that consumers face regarding new oriental rugs.
For instance, many people think that new rugs are no longer made by hand, or that all old rugs are dyed naturally while new rugs are not. Read on to clear up a few of the common misconceptions about new and old rugs.
Misconception 1- Old rugs are naturally dyed while new rugs use synthetic dyes:
Believe it or not, most rugs and carpets now considered to be ‘old’ were made with synthetic dyes! Some new rugs are made with natural dyes, but only about 5% of them. Overall, almost all rugs on the market today were made with synthetic dyes.
Misconception 2- New rugs with an old look have been given a bath in tea:
This is fairly uncommon and generally only used with machine-made rugs, but when it does happen, stronger and more permanent chemicals are mixed in with the tea.
Misconception 3- New oriental rugs are no longer made by hand:
This couldn’t be further from the truth- hand-knotted rugs today are made just like they were thousands of years ago! The key to knowing if a rug is a true oriental rug is to know whether it is “hand-knotted”. “Hand-tufted” rugs are something entirely different, they are NOT true oriental rugs.
Misconception 4- Oriental rugs are made with child slave labor:
Thankfully, this is not the case. Studies show that less than 1-3% of the labor force involved in the rug-making process is comprised of bonded child labor. An organization called RUGMARK certifies that rugs are produced without illegal child labor and that adults in the industry are paid fair wages. I have an adopted daughter from India and would never purchase rugs that weren’t woven by adults.
I hope that clears any misconceptions you had about new oriental rugs! If you have any further questions, please stop by our store and ask me any question that comes to mind.
Matt
