Residential & Commercial – Certified Technicians
The damage caused by moths is one of the most common issues our experienced technicians are called to fix. Carpet moths and other moth species that eat cotton, wool, silk and other fabrics made of protein are some of the most annoying, damaging and difficult to get rid of insects. Just rug cleaning won’t take care of the problem.
Moths and Their Life Stages
In their larvae stage, moths are most harmful as this is the time they feed off your carpets and clothes. In their adult stages, they are the least harmful, even though they might be equally disturbing to look at and live with. The average life cycle of a moth is anywhere between two to three months.
Moths love humid, dark places with high temperatures. They also thrive in carpets that have not been properly cleaned and maintained in a long time. Moth damage occurs when area rugs are placed under heavy furniture for years in a row. It is essential to be preemptive and use your vacuum regularly to have better control over moths. Ideal maintenance solutions will also prevent
moths from seeking shelter in your home. Precious Oriental rugs that have been handed down from one generation to the other in your family should be cleaned by professional cleaning services at least once a year. The more time and energy you invest in looking after your carpeting, the better you will manage to protect it.
Moth Removal Services We Offer
- moth infestation assessments
- controlled moth removal services
- moth carpet damage repair and restoration
- moth steam cleaning services
Moth Infestation Assessment In New York
You should be immediately alarmed in case you notice even a single small moth fluttering around your woven area rugs or silk Turkish carpets in the living room or bedroom area. While you might be lucky enough to be able to nip a carpet moth infestation in the bud, most people only notice the true extent of the problem once holes become visible in their carpets and clothing. This is also about the time we receive desperate phone calls from people asking for our immediate assistance in removing the moths inside their homes. This is a late stage of the problem we do not advise you to reach prior to giving us a call. Get in touch with our friendly customer support as soon as you start suspecting you might have moths hidden in your carpets, closets or furniture upholstery. Tell us why you think you might be dealing with a moth infestation and we will work around your schedule and figure out the best date and time for a proper assessment.
Keep in mind simply getting rid of adult moths with insect sprays and other similar methods will not get you rid of the actual problem. The larvae that started to live in your carpets and area rugs are your worst enemy and the destructive elements you should get rid of. This is particularly true for carpets made of goat hair which moths consider to be extremely delicious.
We will properly inspect every inch of your floor coverings and upholstery and let you know if you are dealing with light or heavy infestation. The last thing you need is for an army of moth larvae to be chewing away at the fine fibers in your precious Oriental carpets. Having synthetic carpets should not help you sleep better at night either. If you also happen to have a pet around the house, their hair will easily embed in the carpet’s fibers and, together with their urine and any extra food spills, your synthetic rugs will turn into your moths’ next favorite meals.
In order to properly assess each carpet, we will take advantage of the sunshine we have almost all year long in New York. We will expose both the face and the back of the carpets to direct sunlight and make sure all moths have been killed.
Moth Removal Services
Once the assessment will be completed, we will proceed with vacuuming both sides of the carpets. We will then use ample water and detergent to have the rugs thoroughly washed. Our technicians also rely on steam cleaning procedures for heavy moth infestations. Finally, we will flat dry the carpets in natural light and heat from the sun for best results.
Moth Damage Repair For Natural Fiber Carpets
Repairing moth damage on rugs and carpets made from natural fibers requires certain levels of skill and experience. First, we will start off by making a foundation in the form of vertical and horizontal threads. The will use these threads to tie knots around the warps. We recommend you do not attempt to do this by yourself, as you will risk causing even more damage.
Our highly trained carpet technicians are specialized in this job and their know just what to do to achieve best results. They will focus on perfectly matching the weaves and relying on the knot technique that has been used for the rest of the rug. They will also focus on matching all the colors and patterns of the new weave.
The mesmerizing, timeless appeal of Persian rugs is hard to explain or describe into words. Their symbolism is widely spread in all walks of life, and it goes beyond simple home decoration. Art, fashion, poetry, music, and wine – the very essence of the soul and psyche of the Iranian people – are accompanied by the strikingly recognizable Persian rugs. They are seen on catwalks, concert arenas, inside homes and luxurious offices or shops all around the world. Their investment value is impressive, and almost incommensurable in some cases, especially when we are talking about ancient rugs that have been passed from one generation to the next.
Expensive Rugs And Moths
- Even though the modern carpet making industry continues be play a significant role in Iran even today, 2010 has brought a ban on the import of Iranian carpets in the United States. This has seemingly increased the price of carpets that were already found in the country.
- And it has also triggered a lot of questions and concerns, most of them related to whether the high prices of old or modern-day Persian rugs is justifiable or not. However, if you count among those who recognize the true value of a quality rug, congratulations.
- The value and overall aesthetics of your home have already increased, and you most likely feel more comfortable in your own house or apartment, office or art gallery.
- However, one particular problem you might be confronted with in relation to your Persian rugs is dreaded moth issue. Moths can definitely reap havoc on your rugs if they are left unattended, or they go unnoticed for a long time. Unfortunately, and most often than not, moth infestation is only detected at a later moment in time, when most of the damage has already been done.
- If you are dealing with such a pesky moth issue at the moment, your best bet is to get in touch with an expert carpet cleaner in town. These services can not only clean or repair your carpets and leave them looking and smelling brand new every time, but they can also handle moth infestation and repair services for damaged rugs.
Moths Are Your Rug’s Natural Enemies
- Meet Tineola Bisselliella, the flying clothes moth that is your Oriental rug’s biggest enemy, along with dampness. These small and apparently harmless creatures are prone to get away without being noticed most of the time. Their larvae are the ones that actually of all the damage, and not the adult moth itself. The larvae finds the taste of your wool carpets particularly interesting and satisfying, and it goes ahead and feats on it, to your greatest despair, of course.
- The female moth looks for dark and preferably moist areas of a rug to lay its eggs undisturbed. The eggs are then hatched in a week’s time, and the tiny, but hugely damaging larvae start to grow for up to 30 months. At the end of this cycle, the larvae turn into cocoons for a week, then hatch into a moth whose lifespan is not usually greater than 30 days. Them the cycle repeats itself, giving birth to dozens of new moths.
How To Fix The Damage Caused By Moths
- While you may fear that your rugs have been severely, if not completely damaged by moths, to the point their repair is impossible, talk to a skilled carpet technician. A skilled repair-person like the guys at NYC Steam Cleaning should be able to re-knot and re-pile the affected areas of a rug. At the same time, they should be able to matching the original design and make your beloved and most likely expensive Oriental rug to its initial form.
- One of the greatest obstacles carpet cleaners and repair technicians are confronted with is that of perfectly matching the wool. However, this is not always something easily achievable, as some wool found in the most expensive rugs has been naturally antiqued. Obtaining the same color would therefore take years, during which the rug should be subjected to the wear-and-tear factor and direct sunlight. Luckily, most of today’s carpet cleaning services can do an extremely good job at matching the color of the wool and make your moth damaged rugs regain their original glory and aesthetics.
- The NYC Steam Cleaning team can accurately rebuild the foundation for your damaged rugs, if necessary. They will proceed by exposing both the face and the back of the rugs to direct sunlight for several days. This will help them perform more thorough inspections for any remaining and alive moths. They will also rely on entirely safe heating procedures to completely eliminate any remaining larvae eggs. This method will also get you read of any ingrained soil, which is not possible using DIY, amateur moth removal procedures you might be tempted to try on your own. It is also do an excellent job at better protecting the weave and color of the rug. Afterwards, they will wash both sides of the rug using water and detergent, then let it flat dry in the sun.
- Next, they will make vertical and horizontal threads for the foundation, and tie the knots around them. This is a particularly sensitive and detailed type of a job that requires the full attention and expertize of master repair personnel. The secret to success is to make sure the weave and know procedures are identical throughout the entire surface of the rug.
- The actual matching of the color of the new weaves with the original design of the rug is often times considered pure art.
- They can also have all of your carpets and Oriental rugs around the house or commercial space professionally cleaned at least once a year, to prevent moth damage to begin with.
New York City’s leading carpet cleaner and restorer of Oriental rugs can help you come out with flying colors out of the battle against nasty moths. Do not hesitate to get in touch with us today and schedule an appointment with us!
Do you need to get rid of nasty moths inside your house or commercial space? Give us a call today and schedule an appointment with us. We work fast, safe and offer some of the most competitive prices on the market.
