Navajo Rugs, Rare Pieces of American History Worth Your Investment

Do you have a special Navajo rug that was handed down to you? Did you come across what you think is a real Navajo but aren’t sure? Looking for a place that specializes in cleaning and repairing specialty rugs?

Traditional Navajo’s have become very popular in the past few years and this has lead to their increase in price. Although Navajo’s are not sold on a per sq. ft. basis, they can go for upwards of $200 a sq. ft. for specialty pieces. These rugs are highly sought after by collectors and are extremely prized by many around the globe. Many are still made today but most in museums and private collections are antiques from the late 1800’s to the 1940’s. Navajos are flat-woven rugs composed of wool yarn on a cotton or wool foundation. The patterns are simple yet complex in their own way. They can be very old and fragile rugs that should be handled with the utmost care.

Navajo’s have a long and rich history dating back to the early 1800’s. Known for their quality of craftsmanship and choice of material, these rugs have stood the test of time. After World War II, different types of Navajo rugs were associated with the areas they were woven in. This practice is still the same today. Each location has a different weaving pattern combined with different colors. For instance, Crystals were woven at the Crystal trading post, whereas Two Grey Hills got their name from the Two Grey Hills region where they were woven. From Chief blankets to TeecNosPos, they all have differences in the colors and patterns that were used.

Many factors go into Navajo rugs being specialty rugs to wash and repair. First off many of these rugs were made in the late 1890’s-1940’s. Most reservations that wove these rugs did not have adequate water to rinse the dye from the wool. This is one major factor that causes Navajo rugs to bleed when wet washed. Even dry-cleaning methods can lead to color bleeding, especially the color red. Many cleaners decline or outsource Navajo rug cleaning due to lack of experience. It is very important to send you’re rugs to a rug washing facility that has a great knowledge of Navajos and has adequate experience in cleaning them. These particular rugs are among the most challenging and problematic rugs made to properly wash.Mastering the art of dye bleed correction and removal is the only way to properly and carefully wash these types of rugs.

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