Professional oriental rug cleaners will use a dusting machine to vibrate out all the dry soil from deep in the pile of the oriental rug. The rug will then be placed in a cold-water cleaning pit, where the rug is submerged in the water and cleaning shampoo.

Remember, most Oriental rugs are colored with vegetable dye. These colors easily run, especially with hot water (like tea). So no, steam cleaning Oriental rugs at home (or otherwise) isn't recommended by most professional cleaners.

Machine-Washing Rugs This method is not as effective as hand cleaning and can be quite harmful to the rugs. Here's how: Machine washing of Oriental rugs does not provide individualized care. As your rug tumbles around in the wash, dirt, grime and pet urine from your neighbor's rug are being mixed into your own rug!

Cleaning the Rug Keep the spray nozzle at least one foot away from the rug as you hold the pressure washer's button. Cover the entire surface of the rug with a smooth, sweeping motion to thoroughly clean each area. Hold your nozzle at an angle of 24 to 40 degrees for optimal cleaning.