Caring For Area Rugs

British actor, Martin Freeman once said: “I've never been to a festival. I'm a creature of habit, mashed-potato comfort, I like rugs…..”  I like rugs too – a beautiful rug on hardwood floors can be almost like a painting – and the centerpiece of a room.  A good quality rug is a substantial investment, so you want to be sure to keep it in prime condition, and vacuuming alone isn’t enough.

Here are things that you can do to keep your beautiful rug looking beautiful for a long time to come:

• Every rug deserves a good quality rug pad.  Not only will it protect the floors underneath your rug, it will also prolong the life and beauty of your rug. 
• Protect your rug from excessive wear, fading, and sun damage by both rotating it annually and by using window coverings to limit sun exposure.
• Never place potted plants directly on your rug.
• Vacuum your rug regularly to remove abrasive dirt, allergens, dust mites, and hair using a CRI-approved vacuum cleaner.  Use caution when caring for the fringe.  Be sure to lift the edges of the rug up to clean underneath the fringe, and never use an upright vacuum cleaner to remove dirt from the fringe.
• Leave your shoes at the door.  This simply prevents dirt from getting any further than the front or back door.
• Clean all spills quickly.  Begin by blotting the spill with a clean, white cloth to keep it from spreading.  Lift the rug up and again blot the area to keep it from seeping through to the backing.  Then call a professional rug cleaner to ensure there is no permanent damage.
• Finally, have your rugs professional cleaned every 12-18 months and possibly more often if you have pets.

At Shores, we use an exclusive 6-step process when caring for home rugs.  If your area rug is in need of special attention, contact your nearest Shores location.  You can drop it off, or if it is more convenient, we’ll be glad to stop by and pick it up for you.

What to Wear to a Fall Wedding

I think dressing to attend a fall wedding is a difficult task.  The weather varies greatly depending on location, and here in the south, I’ve seen sunny and 80 in November.  Fall weddings are the ones where I really hope that the invitation spells it out for me; I closely examine that thing looking for words like ‘semi-formal’ or ‘black tie’.  If the invitation doesn’t plainly state the attire, then I look for the venue and the time of the event.  For instance, I’m going to wear something rather formal to a 6:00 p.m. wedding being held at The Crystal Ballroom and a simple, pretty dress to a church wedding being held at 2:00 p.m.  So here are a few tips to help if you receive a read-between-the-lines wedding invitation:

• This is an obvious one but never wear white, cream, or ivory.
• Try to find out what color the bridesmaids will be wearing so you can avoid that color as well.
• When in doubt overdress; it is far better to be the one that is overdressed than the one that is underdressed.
• Wear comfortable but cute shoes.  Clearly you don’t want to wear flip flops or casual shoes but make sure your shoes can withstand plenty of standing and dancing.  Uncomfortable feet can put a damper on a fun-filled evening.
• Modesty is the best policy.  If your grandmother would cringe, then odds are that it’s not a good choice.
• Take a wrap or shawl.  It might be warm when the event begins, but as the evening continues on it can get rather cool. 

As the year has moved along, we’ve also addressed What to Wear to a Winter, Spring, and Summer wedding.  If you are looking for additional help, please check out those blog posts.  Finally, when the big event is over, don’t forget to have your ensemble properly cleaned before putting it away.  Your dress may look clean, but some stains may not show themselves right away and will then darken with age.  Plus dirt and food are invitations to insects.