Traditional rug cleaning process with a carpet beater and cleaning powder.

Antique Rug Cleaning & Restoration in San Diego

Antique rug cleaning rewards a patient hand and a trained eye, and our family has washed fine rugs exactly that way, by hand, since 1956. An old rug carries the record of the loom it came from, its knots, its dyes, its wear, and it deserves to be read before it is touched.

Age changes everything. The foundation can be brittle, early vegetable dyes can bleed the moment they meet water, and a rug may already carry repairs from a previous owner. We test first, wash gently, and can rebuild worn fringe, edges, and thin spots so a piece you inherited is ready to hand down again.

  • ✓ Free pickup and delivery across San Diego County
  • ✓ Full immersion hand washing, never surface scrubbing
  • ✓ Third generation family craftsmen since 1956
  • ✓ Free written estimates before any work starts
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Handwoven Persian rug in San Diego showcasing intricate patterns and vibrant colors.

San Diego Antique Rug Cleaning Specialists

Reviewed by Anthony and Alexander Zeytounian, third generation rug craftsmen · July 2026

The oldest rugs are also the least forgiving. A foundation woven a century ago can hide dry rot, the wool can be dry and brittle, and hand-ground dyes may sit only a wash away from running. That is why antique rug cleaning at our facility begins with testing, not soap. We read the age and condition of each piece, confirm the colors will hold, and then hand-wash slowly with all-natural soaps so the rug comes clean without any stress on the weave.

Why Antique Rugs Deserve Expert Care

An heirloom rug usually carries two kinds of value, the money it represents and the family it belongs to. Harsh detergents and high-pressure equipment can flatten those old dyes and pull apart a foundation that was already thinning, and none of that can be undone. Once a hundred-year-old warp snaps under pressure, it is gone.

Three generations of our family have cleaned and repaired antique rugs by hand since 1956, and that continuity matters with old weaving. Our artisans can reweave a worn field, secure a loose selvage, and rebuild fringe, so heirloom rug cleaning and antique rug restoration happen together on the same piece rather than in separate hands.

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Rug cleaning technician applying foam to a traditional Persian rug for deep cleaning.
Squeegee pushing foam across a blue rug patterned with fish

Antique Rug Types We Clean in San Diego

No two old rugs age the same way, so no two are washed the same way. Before any water touches an antique, we identify where and roughly when it was woven, then set the fiber-safe soap, water temperature, and handling to that specific piece.

We work regularly on hand-knotted and handwoven antiques of every origin, including Persian, Turkish, Afghan, Moroccan, Chinese, Caucasian, and Indian rugs, along with tribal kilims and flat weaves. Fine older pieces are the heart of what we do.

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Antique Persian Rugs

Old Persian rugs are hand-knotted in wool or silk and often colored with hand-ground vegetable dyes that were never meant to sit in water. Indigo and madder reds are the usual culprits for bleeding. We test every color on an antique Persian rug before washing, hold the water cool, and keep agitation light so the pile, the foundation, and the palette all come through the wash intact. These are among the most valuable pieces on our floor, and they are handled accordingly.

Antique Turkish, Caucasian & Tribal Rugs

Village and tribal antiques from Turkey, the Caucasus, and beyond were woven for daily life, so many arrive with genuine wear, old repairs, and soft, sun-touched colors that are part of their character. Flat-weave kilims add their own challenge, since a slotted, backless weave shows every misstep. We map the weave and any prior mending first, then wash by hand at a pace the piece can take, preserving the age and history the rug has earned rather than scrubbing it away.

Antique Wool Rugs

Wool from an older rug can behave two ways. Where the natural lanolin survives, it stays resilient and cleans beautifully, and full immersion brings the color and softness back. Where decades of dry heat have leached that oil out, the wool turns brittle and needs a gentler touch to avoid cracking fibers at the base of the knot. We judge which we are dealing with during inspection and adjust the wash so an antique wool rug is refreshed without pile loss or distortion.

Antique Silk Rugs

Antique silk is the most fragile thing we handle. The fibers are extremely fine, the dyes are often original and unstable, and heat or a strong chemical can dull the sheen for good. We hand-wash old silk with mild low-pH solutions, keep water pressure and heat off it entirely, and dry it slowly under watch. Cleaned this way, a silk rug keeps its luster, its drape, and the fine detail that made it worth keeping.

Vegetable-Dyed Antiques

Before synthetic dyes arrived, weavers colored wool with plants, insects, and minerals, and those early dyes are gorgeous and unpredictable in equal measure. A reactive red or blue can migrate into the ivory ground during a careless wash and leave a permanent stain. Colorfastness testing is not optional on these rugs. When a dye reads unstable, we switch to a controlled, low-moisture method that lifts the soil without letting the colors travel.

Rugs with Dry Rot or Prior Repairs

Some antiques come to us already fragile, with dry-rotted foundations from a long-ago flood, moth-eaten patches, or old repairs that no longer hold. A weak rug cannot survive an ordinary wash, so we stabilize it first. Our artisans can reweave lost knots, rebind edges, and rebuild fringe, turning a piece too fragile to use back into one you can put on the floor. Cleaning and antique rug restoration are done together, in the same shop, by the same hands.

Watch Our Wash Process

Before & After Rug Cleaning

Antique Persian rug with intricate floral patterns and signs of wear.

Hand knotted rug in soft beige and rose with a central star medallion

Medallion rug with a grey soiled cast laid out flat

Clean ivory medallion rug with apricot accents and white fringe laid out flat

What Changes When the Rug Is an Antique

Two points of our full nine step immersion wash process carry extra weight on an antique. Decades of dry grit are vibrated out of the foundation before any water is introduced, because once wet that grit sinks in as sediment no rinse pulls back out, and every early vegetable dye gets its own wet test before the bath, since one unstable red or indigo moves the whole piece to a gentler low-moisture cleaning. Any repair work is blended into the surrounding pile during finishing, so a rebuilt area sits down evenly with the rest of the rug.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, when the wash is built around the rug’s condition. We inspect the foundation first, test every dye, and keep the hand washing slow with all-natural soaps. A piece too fragile for immersion is stabilized by our repair artisans before cleaning, or cleaned by a low-moisture method instead.

Not if the dyes are tested first, which is why colorfastness testing is a fixed step in our process. Stable dyes go through the full immersion wash. If a color shows any tendency to run, we switch to a controlled low-moisture clean that keeps every color inside its own lines.

Yes. Our artisans reweave worn areas, secure loose selvages, and rebuild fringe in the same shop where the rug is washed. Repair and cleaning are planned together during the inspection, and finished repairs are blended into the surrounding pile before the rug goes home.

A dry-rotted foundation cannot survive an ordinary wash, so we stabilize the weak areas before anything else. The inspection tells us where the rot is, the repair work reinforces it, and only then does the rug move on to a wash matched to what the foundation can take.

We do. Pickup and delivery are free anywhere in San Diego County, and the rug is measured and quoted with a free estimate before any cleaning begins.

Authentic handmade rugs with intricate patterns and vibrant colors.

Testimonials from Our Clients

All Testimonials

Excellent
5.0
Greg Goorjian
2 days ago
The family heirloom passed down from my grandfather. Prayer rug size, losing threads, and quite filthy.. After restoration and washing at their own shop. A Full emersion process in their shop. The rug came back with 100% satisfaction. Family owned and operated by Armenians.. They know a thing or two about a thing or two. Highly recommend Zeytounian Rugs!
Photo from customer review
Response from the owner:Greg, thank you. We don't take it lightly when someone hands us a rug that's been in the family that long. Glad we could get your grandfather's back to you the right way. Thanks, Greg. The Zeytounian family
Pam Raney
4 days ago
Great service (even my dogs had fun in the treat and toy-filled office! Will come back for the next clean, for sure!
Response from the owner:Pam, this made our whole day. The treat basket is genuinely one of the best decisions we've made around here, and your two were great company. See you at the next clean, and thanks for the kind words.
Liberty&Justice67
5 days ago
Great service! Rug is very clean. The owner is very courteous. Timely service. Low price for the service standard. Recommend without hesitation.
Response from the owner:Dan, thanks for trusting us with your rug and for the great review!
Katy Motiey
6 days ago
This is an exceptional business run by 2 brothers… professional and high quality work. Thank you for taking care of our family Persian carpets!
Response from the owner:katy, thanks for the review and letting us take care of your rugs!
Bj Alfstad
6 days ago
Response from the owner:Thanks for the five stars, Bj. Really appreciate you taking the time.
Liz Sisco
1 week ago
Zeytounian Rug Cleaning & Repair did a fantastic job cleaning 10 of my Persian rugs. Alexander and Anthony are friendly, professional and passionate about caring for rugs. Pick up and delivery was seamless and the rugs came back looking NEW! I highly recommend Zeytounian Rugs for all your rug cleaning and repair needs.
Response from the owner:Thanks so much for the great review Liz! It was a pleasure washing your beautiful persian and oriental rugs!
Susan Penman
2 weeks ago
My pup unfortunately had a vomiting accident on our 6 month old handmade silk Turkish rug and I jumped online and saw the incredible reviews from all of your customers and was so impressed I called immediately screaming HELP! We met the next day and your calmness and confidence gave us exactly what we needed to know that we found the best team to care for our very special piece of art! Thank you all for saving us! I 1000% recommend you trust this family with your heirlooms as well any other rugs you need assistance with, additionally the team recommended we have a sleeve sewn on the back and hang our beautiful piece of art, best decision ever! Feel free to call us at any time for a live reference!
Photo from customer review
Response from the owner:Susan, thank you so much for this amazing review. We're honored you trusted us with such a special handmade silk rug. We know how overwhelming those moments can be, so it means a lot to hear that we were able to give you peace of mind. Seeing your rug restored and now proudly displayed on the wall made the whole experience even more rewarding for us. Thank you again for your trust, your kind words, and your recommendation. It was a pleasure helping you, and we hope you enjoy your beautiful rug for many years to come!
Babra Rosenberg
2 weeks ago
This is the most amazing company. They do a fabulous job. They made my old beat up. Rug. Look like brand new. They are Reasonably priced andso nice to work with. I would definitely recommend them.
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Babra! We’re thrilled to hear you’re happy with your rug cleaning and our service. It means a lot to us that you’d recommend Zeytounian Rugs. We look forward to helping you again in the future!
Anna Ancona
2 weeks ago
They were very professional and great at communicating. They cleaned my Moroccan rug in a week. Loved supporting this family owned business!
Response from the owner:Thank you so much, Anna, for your wonderful review! We're thrilled you loved our service and are grateful for your support of our family-owned business. It was a pleasure caring for your Moroccan rug! – The Zeytounian Rugs Team
River Amin
3 weeks ago
We got our Persian rug professionally cleaned for the first time after nearly 20 years. It moved with us across the country several times and survived our college years and our first child’s baby/toddler years. Zeytounian Rugs did an incredible job! The colors are so bright and the rug is so soft. They hand-repaired the worn edges and the tassels are stark white. I’m truly impressed by the quality of their work. 10/10, would definitely recommend!
Response from the owner:Wow River seriously thank you so much! It’s one of the main reasons we love doing what we do. To bring these family pieces back to life and keep their stories going from generation to generation! Good luck on the new chapter in Chicago and best wishes!
Louis Cappella
3 weeks ago
I highly recommend Zeytounian rugs. They cleaned Afghan and Tibetan (2) rugs that I’d stored for over a year and which hadn’t been cleaned in many years. They found moths and treated them beautifully, restoring their lustre. Friendly, convenient by appointment service at a good price!
Response from the owner:Louis, thanks so much for trusting us with your beautiful handmade rugs and for the great review!
kristine Villa
3 weeks ago
Zeytounian did an amazing job on our area rug. It looked just as it did when we first bought it. Customer service 10 out of 10. I highly recommend them.
Response from the owner:Thanks so much Kristine! Glad we could bring your rug back to its original beauty!
Kelly Greene
3 weeks ago
Great communication and service!
Response from the owner:Kelly, thanks so much for the business and for the 5⭐️!
John Flournoy
3 weeks ago
They gave me a reasonable estimate for a wool rug. It was almost not worth it, seeing as I got it originally off Article, but better to not waste, right? They cleaned it then held it for me for a month while the room it was in was renovated (your mileage may vary). There was a damaged corner (dogs!!) that was too expensive to fully repair so the good fellow there sewed it up to at least protect it from unraveling. All the above and they are SO NICE. Also explained some differences to me between different rug weaves. They are ALL IN on rugs. Amazing stuff.
Response from the owner:Thank you so much, John! We really appreciate the kind words and are glad we could help save your rug. Even when a full repair isn’t practical, we always want to help preserve it as best we can. It was great meeting you and talking rugs and thanks again for trusting us with it!
Cheri Attix
4 weeks ago
Response from the owner:Appreciate the rating, Cheri. It was a pleasure working with you.
Nancy Wissing
4 weeks ago
Great response, great customer service and our rug looks like new!
Response from the owner:Nancy, thanks for the review!
Peter Sorvas
1 month ago
Fantastic Job! We have a 8’ diameter circular asian rug that ’s 40 years old. It was dirty and the fringe was torn off from vacuuming. We took it to Zeytourian Rugs for cleaning & restoration. They did a fantastic job bringing the vibrant colors back to life. They replaced the white fringe and the rug looks brand new. Wouldn’t take it anywhere else.
Response from the owner:Hi Peter, thank you for trusting Zeytounian Rug Cleaning & Repair with your 40-year-old circular Chinese rug. Restoring those vibrant colors and performing the professional fringe repair is exactly what we love doing. If you are looking for top-tier rug cleaning in San Diego, we are always here to help. We appreciate you choosing our expert team for your restoration needs!
Lily Robinson
1 month ago
Amazing customer service and absolutely a pleasure to do business with these gentlemen ❤️
Response from the owner:Hi Lily, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! We truly enjoyed working with you and are thrilled that you had such a positive experience with our team. Providing professional, high-quality rug care is our top priority at Zeytounian Rug Cleaning & Repair, and we just have to say, your puppy looks absolutely adorable on the rug! We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to assisting you again in the future.
Peggy Petersen
1 month ago
The company provided both pick-up and delivery which was a big help to me. The rugs really needed cleaning because it had been some time since they were last cleaned. I was amazed when they brought the living room rug back because it was beautiful. The colors were beautiful. The rug looked brand new so I was absolutely thrilled with the service. They also wrapped the other rug to get it ready for shipment to a different house. I will definitely use this company again whenever I need some of my rugs cleaned.
Response from the owner:Hi Peggy, thank you for the wonderful review! We are so pleased we could assist you with the pick-up and delivery of your rugs, and it was our pleasure to get them looking brand new again. We take great pride in our professional rug cleaning and preparation services here at Zeytounian Rug Cleaning & Repair, especially when it comes to getting rugs ready for shipment. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to helping you with your rug care needs in the future!
Gail Eyler
2 months ago
Super knowledgeable and experts in carpet cleaning. My silk rugs look new! They are a pleasure to do business with- very nice and great communicators. They are very professional, really care and are passionate about what they do.I highly recommend!
Response from the owner:Hi Gail, thank you so much for the kind words! We are thrilled to hear that your silk rugs look brand new and that you enjoyed working with our team. Providing professional, high-quality care is what we are most passionate about at Zeytounian Rug Cleaning & Repair. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to assisting you again!
Grace Kording
2 months ago
Our wool rug was washed to perfection! It was full of dirt and sand when we dropped it off, and is good as new now. Very easy to communicate with the business as well. Thank you!
Response from the owner:Hi Grace, thank you for the wonderful review! We are so glad we could get your wool rug looking brand new again after removing all that dirt and sand. We take pride in our deep-cleaning process here at Zeytounian Rug Cleaning & Repair, and we are happy to hear that our communication made the experience easy for you. We look forward to working with you again!
Alexis Martin
2 months ago
This is, without question, the best service we have ever received from any company. I have trusted this family business with cleaning and repairing my area rugs for over 30 years, dating back to when the father first ran the company. Now that his sons have taken over the business, they have elevated an already outstanding operation to an entirely new level. Not only do they do an exceptional job cleaning, treating, and restoring rugs, but they also take extraordinary care during pickup and delivery. Furniture and décor are carefully moved and replaced, ensuring that everything is protected and returned exactly as it was. Watching these young men grow into kind, professional, and hardworking business owners has been truly special. I remember them as little boys, and now they are proudly carrying on their father’s legacy with integrity, dedication, and remarkable attention to detail. I couldn’t recommend them more highly.
Response from the owner:Hi Alexis, thank you so much for such an incredibly touching review. It has been an absolute honor to serve your family for over 30 years, and we are deeply humbled to hear that you have watched us grow from little boys into the business owners we are today. Carrying on our father’s legacy with integrity and dedication is our greatest pride, and we are so grateful for your long-standing trust and support. Thank you for being such a wonderful part of our story at Zeytounian Rug Cleaning & Repair; we look forward to continuing to provide you with the exceptional service you deserve!
Torch
2 months ago
I had an incredible experience here. Anthony and Alex are so kind and knowledgeable, and were great with answering all my questions. They brought my beloved rug back to life and taught me about how they do the cleaning and repair process. I never thought that some of the stains on my rug would come out but they worked their magic and it is back to its original beauty! This is the only place I will be going for any of my future rug needs. Thanks again!
Response from the owner:Hi Torch, thank you so much for the incredible review! It was truly our pleasure to work with you and help restore your beloved rug. We are so glad you enjoyed learning about our cleaning and repair process—educating our clients is one of the things we love most about what we do here at Zeytounian Rug Cleaning & Repair. We appreciate your kind words about Anthony and Alex and look forward to assisting you again in the future!
Alejandra Tano
2 months ago
They are so knowledgeable and provide excellent service. The first time the brothers came out I had lots of questions about the many rugs I inherited and they were patient and kind when answering them. We trust them completely with our antique handmade rugs, for cleaning and repairs, both of which we have had done on multiple rugs. I'm extremely satisfied with every single service they have provided, and their pricing is very fair. We are repeat customers and will continue to be as long as we have rugs. I'm so thankful we found them!
Response from the owner:Hi Alejandra, thank you so much for the wonderful review! We are honored to have earned your complete trust with your inherited antique handmade rugs. It has been a pleasure answering your questions and assisting you with all your cleaning and repair needs over the years. We truly value our repeat customers and are so glad you found us at Zeytounian Rug Cleaning & Repair—we look forward to continuing to provide you with excellent service!
Bruce Will
2 months ago
I got my rug back today. It looks fantastic! The brothers are very courteous and they made the whole procedure very easy for me.
Response from the owner:Thank you Bruce for the great review! Also thanks for trusting us with your oriental rug.

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Contact Us for Professional Antique Rug Cleaning

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Drop your rug off, or we pick it up free. Our shop is at 7343 Ronson Rd Ste U in Kearny Mesa, open Monday to Friday 9 to 4 and Saturday 9 to 2.

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