How much does it cost?

The cost of silk rug cleaning depends on the rug's size, condition and dyes, so each piece is quoted individually. You receive a free quote within 48 hours from photos, with free pickup and delivery across France, Monaco, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg.

How long does it take?

Professional silk rug cleaning takes between 3 and 6 weeks in total. Silk absorbs up to 30% of its weight in water, so drying alone can take ten days. Forcing it with heat would deform the rug, so we let each piece dry slowly, flat and at room temperature.

Can I clean a silk rug myself?

No — you should never clean a silk rug yourself. Old dyes are unpredictable in water, and rubbing a stain can mat the fibres beyond repair. If a stain is fresh, blot it with a dry white cloth, never rub, apply nothing else, and call a professional workshop straight away.

How often should it be cleaned?

A silk rug needs a full professional cleaning every 5 to 8 years in normal use. In between, gentle vacuuming once a year — without a rotating brush — and keeping the rug out of direct sunlight will preserve both the fibre and the colours.

Tapis Boeuf since 1950 Free quote →

Home › Rug Cleaning › Silk

Material file no. 01

Vol. 01 · Materials

Silk rug cleaning

“A fibre that forgives nothing.”

— The Tapis Boeuf atelier, Sartrouville

Yes — a silk rug can be cleaned safely, but only by hand: silk rug cleaning tolerates no machine, no heat and no harsh products. At the Tapis Boeuf family atelier, founded in 1950, every silk rug is washed entirely by hand — dye tests first, then a cool gentle bath and slow flat drying.

Request a free quote →

+33 (0)9 50 91 88 85

1950founded 4generations 500+silk rugs 4.9/5148 reviews

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Pickup anywhere in France
Monaco · Switzerland · Belgium · Luxembourg
Free pickup and delivery
Rug insured while in our care

They entrusted us with their rugs

4.9 / 5 · 148 Google reviews

Reviews translated from French.

Ketty RoubieuVisited April 2026

★★★★★

My two silk rugs came home today. What a wonderful surprise! Deep-cleaned, they look brand new — luminous and silky again. The deadline was met, and even shortened. True professional work. I recommend them 100%.

Alain DemaillyVisited May 2026

★★★★★

A new lease of life for our Hereke rug. Colours revived, edges restored, fringes redone — the work of true professionals. Alain and Josy

Michel BuntzVisited May 2026

★★★★★

After our house flooded, we entrusted the cleaning of our Persian rugs to Tapis Boeuf, and we do not regret it. We are delighted with the work. Françoise and Michel Buntz

— Understanding the fibre

Why silk is so unforgiving.

Here is what makes silk precious — and why silk carpet cleaning should never be improvised. Every piece goes through our artisan rug cleaning workshop in Sartrouville, 20 minutes from central Paris — never a factory.

Material file · Ref. TB-S-01

Natural silk — the queen of fibres

Reviewed before every intervention

Noble natural fibre Extremely fragile

What it is

Pure natural silk

A living protein fibre — far closer to human hair than to any synthetic

Where it is woven

Iran · Turkey · India · China

The great silk-weaving centres whose rugs we care for weekly

The dyes

Often natural

Beautiful plant-based dyes — very sensitive to water

The bath

Cool and gentle only

Heat or harsh soap shrinks the fibre and makes colours run

Water absorption

30% of its weight

Silk drinks water — drying must be slow

Drying time

5 to 10 days

Flat on a mesh frame · never hung · never in the sun

Sunlight

Very sensitive

Direct sun fades silk within weeks, irreversibly

Household products

Strictly forbidden

Bleach and stain removers dissolve silk within hours

Value

€500 to €10,000 per m²

A silk rug is an heirloom — treat it like one

— Our method

Silk rug cleaning
in seven patient steps.

Scroll — each step reveals itself, like a guided tour of the workshop.

↓ Keep scrolling

I VII

Step 01 / 07

Careful inspection

We test the dyes on several hidden corners of the rug. If a single colour threatens to run, we adapt everything. No test, no intervention.

Time · 30 to 90 min

Step 02 / 07

Gentle dusting

Low-power vacuuming through a fine protective mesh, front and back. No rotating brush ever touches a silk rug — it would tear out the finest strands.

Time · 2 to 4 h

Step 03 / 07

Tests on a hidden edge

We first wash one concealed edge with our own plant-based soap and watch how the colours respond before committing the whole rug.

Time · 3 to 6 h

Step 04 / 07

The gentle bath

The rug is immersed slowly in a cool, carefully balanced bath and brushed by hand, always with the pile. Every pass is timed and documented.

Time · 2 to 3 days

Step 05 / 07

Pure-water rinsing

Rinse after rinse in demineralised water until nothing remains — no soap, no lime, no residue. That is what keeps the colours luminous.

Time · 1 to 2 days

Step 06 / 07

Drying flat

Flat drying on a mesh frame in a ventilated room. Five to ten days. Never in the sun. Never near heat. Never hung.

Time · 5 to 10 days

Step 07 / 07

Combing & final check

We comb the pile, inspect the rug in daylight and issue a certificate. It only leaves the atelier once it is perfect.

Time · 4 to 8 h

Total time · 3 to 6 weeks per rug

— Free quote, no obligation

Entrust us with your rug. An estimate within 48 hours.

Free pickup and delivery across France and neighbouring countries.

Request your free quote

— Before / after

Silk rugs brought back to light.

Each piece below was washed by hand in Sartrouville. We give the same care to hand-washing Persian rugs, in wool, silk or both.

Qom silk rug after silk rug cleaning — bright polychrome hunting scene on an ivory ground

Qom silk rug before cleaning — large red wine stain across the field

Before After See afterSee before

Qom · pure silk

Wine stain · 2024

Hereke silk rug after hand cleaning — silk shining again, crisp motifs

Hereke silk rug before cleaning — dulled by a grey film of urban pollution

Before After See afterSee before

Hereke · silk & gold thread

Urban grime · 2023

Antique Kashmir silk rug after cleaning — floral motifs recovered

Kashmir silk rug before treatment — pale rings left by water damage

Before After See afterSee before

Kashmir · antique

Water damage · 2024

— What NEVER to do

Six mistakes that destroy a silk rug.

Before entrusting your rug to anyone — or trying to wash it yourself — read this. Industrial machines and shop chemicals cause damage no cleaning can undo. If the worst has happened, a damaged silk rug can also be rewoven in our restoration workshop.

The rotating vacuum brush

The brush tears out silk strands one by one. Use only gentle suction through a mesh — or leave it to us.

Any shop-bought stain remover

Bleach, ammonia, foaming sprays — all dissolve the silk itself. A hole can open within 24 hours.

Rubbing a stain

Rubbing mats the fibres together for good — the spot turns dull and stiff. Blot with a dry white cloth, never rub.

Direct sunlight

Silk fades in a matter of weeks — deep reds turn pale pink, blues grey, for good.

Machines and standard dry cleaners

Industrial solvents and hot machines attack silk. It calls for truly delicate rug cleaning — a workshop, not a production line.

Drying hung up or on a radiator

Hung up, the water's weight pulls the rug out of shape; near heat, it shrinks. Always flat, at room temperature.

— Frequently asked questions

Your questions about
cleaning silk rugs.

Silk rug cleaning is different because silk tolerates no machine, no heat and no strong chemicals — everything must be done by hand. At the Tapis Boeuf family atelier, founded in 1950, each silk rug receives dye tests on hidden areas, a cool and gentle bath, pure-water rinses and slow flat drying.

— Entrust us with your silk rug

Your assessment,
free and with no obligation.

Three ways to reach us. A reply within 48 hours, free pickup and delivery included — and silk rug cleaning as our family atelier, founded in 1950, has always done it: entirely by hand.

01 · Workshop

+33 (0)9 50 91 88 85

Mon–Sat · 9 am–8 pm · Sun 9 am–6 pm
Sartrouville, 20 minutes from central Paris

Call the workshop →

02 · Mobile

+33 (0)6 17 59 32 54

7 days a week · urgent stains
SMS & WhatsApp welcome

Call an artisan →

Recommended

03 · Online quote

Quote request
form

Photos of your rug · a priced reply within 48 h.

Fill in the form →

✓ Family atelier founded in 1950
✓ Free pickup & delivery
✓ Free quote within 48 h
✓ Insured while in our care
✓ No obligation

Silk rug cleaning

They entrusted us with their rugs

Why silk is so unforgiving.

Silk rug cleaning in seven patient steps.

Careful inspection

Gentle dusting

Tests on a hidden edge

The gentle bath

Pure-water rinsing

Drying flat

Combing & final check

Entrust us with your rug. An estimate within 48 hours.

Silk rugs brought back to light.

Six mistakes that destroy a silk rug.

The rotating vacuum brush

Any shop-bought stain remover

Rubbing a stain

Direct sunlight

Machines and standard dry cleaners

Drying hung up or on a radiator

Your questions about cleaning silk rugs.

Your assessment, free and with no obligation.

Silk rug cleaning
in seven patient steps.

Your questions about
cleaning silk rugs.

Your assessment,
free and with no obligation.