Cleaning and Restoration

Rug cleaning & carpet cleaning — atelier since 1994

Professional cleaning and restoration for hand-knotted Persian rugs, kilims, Berbers, and antique pieces. By specialists who understand wool, silk, and vegetable dyes.

From €35 per m² · pick-up and viewing service available · three galleries · 30+ years of experience

A hand-knotted rug is not just flooring — it’s an investment that lasts for generations. But even the most beautiful Persian, kilim, Berber, or antique rug accumulates dust, stains, allergens, and odors over the years. Proper cleaning extends its lifespan by decades. Incorrect cleaning can destroy in one treatment what has survived for centuries. At Galerie Hamming van Seventer, we clean and restore hand-knotted rugs the right way: by hand, with pH-neutral vegetable-based agents, and with 30+ years of specialization in oriental rugs only.

Our services at a glance

Deep cleaning

Complete professional cleaning with hand washing: removal of deep-seated dust, stains, allergens, and odors. Safe for all wool, silk, and vegetable-dyed rugs.

Stains and odor

Specific treatment for wine, coffee, urine, and other stubborn stains; removal of pet and smoke odors without affecting the wool or color.

Restoration & repair

Restoration of frayed fringes, torn or worn edges, holes in the pile, missing knots — performed with the same techniques used to originally make the rug.

Antiques & silk

Specialized treatment for fragile antique rugs and silk pieces: handwork with the gentlest agents, step by step, often with a trial test on a small area.

How we work — in four steps

1Assessment & quoteSend us photos or bring the rug to one of our galleries. We assess the material, condition, and required treatment — no obligation.
2Pick-up or drop-offWe pick up (throughout the Netherlands, often combined with our free viewing service) or you drop off the rug at Groningen, Amstelveen, or Hilversum.
3Cleaning & restorationIn our workshop: hand washing with pH-neutral, vegetable-based agents, drying on racks, and any restoration of fringes, edges, or pile.
4ReturnWe return the rug clean, dry, and restored — usually within 2 to 4 weeks of pick-up, depending on complexity.

Which rugs do we clean and restore?

Persian rugs

Nain, Tabriz, Heriz, Kashan, Isphahan, Bakhtiari — all Iranian origins, finely and coarsely knotted.

Kilims

Anatolian, Afghan, Iranian, Caucasian (Kuba, Shasavan, Senneh). Flat-woven, double-sided — requires specific cleaning techniques.

Berber rugs

Moroccan craftsmanship — Beni Ouarain (high pile), Boucherouite, hand-tufted variants.

Gabbeh rugs

Iranian shepherd rugs, thick and woolly — resistant to intensive treatment.

Antique rugs

Pieces 80–130 years old — fragile, require hand washing with pH-neutral vegetable-based agents.

Silk rugs

Isphahan silk, Hereke, and other silk pieces — our most delicate treatment, always after a trial test.

Indicative prices

Our prices are determined based on size, condition, and the type of treatment. The rates below are an indicative guide for standard hand-knotted wool rugs. For silk, antique pieces, or extensive restoration, we provide a separate quote.

  • Wool cleaning (standard)from €35 per m²
  • Silk / antique cleaningupon quotation
  • Stain treatment (extra)from €125
  • Fringe repairfrom €35 per linear meter
  • Edge restorationfrom €50 per linear meter
  • Pick-up & return NL€75

For a final price, we are happy to send you a no-obligation quote based on photos or a viewing in our gallery.

Why Galerie Hamming van Seventer and not a general carpet cleaning service?

Self-cleaning (DIY)

  • Risk of fading for vegetable dyes
  • Chance of wool shrinkage with water that's too hot
  • Stains can become "set" with incorrect agents
  • Works for fresh dirt; insufficient for deep-seated dust
  • No restoration possible

General carpet cleaning

  • Often machine steam cleaning — risk for hand-knotted rugs
  • No knowledge of vegetable dyes
  • Standard chemical agents
  • No experience with antiques or silk
  • Restoration usually not available

Specialist Hamming van Seventer

  • 30+ years exclusively hand-knotted oriental rugs
  • Hand washing with pH-neutral vegetable-based agents
  • Specialists for wool, silk, and vegetable dyes
  • Antiques & restoration in our own atelier
  • Guarantee on preservation of color and structure

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to have a rug or carpet cleaned?

Our cleaning starts from €35 per m² for a standard hand-knotted wool rug. The final price depends on size, condition, and any stains or restoration required. Based on your rug, we will provide a customized, no-obligation quote.

Do you also clean Persian rugs and kilims?

Yes — that is precisely our specialization. Since 1994, we have specialized in hand-knotted Persian rugs, kilims, Berber rugs, Gabbehs, and antique pieces.

How often should I have my hand-knotted rug cleaned?

With normal use: once every 3 to 5 years. With intensive use (pets, children, high traffic): every 2 years. Vacuum regularly in between — without a beater brush.

Is your cleaning safe for antique and silk rugs?

Yes. For antique, silk, and delicate pieces, we use hand washing with pH-neutral vegetable-based agents — never aggressive chemicals, never hot steam where wool can shrink or vegetable dyes can run. Every treatment is tested on a small area beforehand.

What is the difference between cleaning and restoration?

Cleaning removes dirt, dust, allergens, and odors from the rug without changing its structure. Restoration repairs actual damage: frayed fringes, torn edges, holes, wear areas. Our workshop does both — often in one treatment.

Can you pick up and return my rug?

Yes, for customers throughout the Netherlands — often combined with our free viewing service. We visit your home, pick up the rug, and return it clean and restored within 2–4 weeks.

A word from our atelier specialist

"A hand-knotted rug has sometimes survived 100 years. It deserves a cleaning that matches that — with water that is warm but not hot, with soap that is vegetable-based and not chemical, with hands that know wool and not a machine that treats everything the same way. What is destroyed in two hours of steam cleaning, we cannot restore. That's why we have been doing this work ourselves for 30 years."— Atelier Galerie Hamming van Seventer

Other services at Hamming van Seventer

Besides cleaning and restoration, we offer a complete range of services for your hand-knotted rug: