Where do the colored dyes come from?
The subtle grays, heathered browns, blacks and whites used in some rug patterns are natural wool colors. The bold colors in older rugs were obtained from aniline (synthetic) dyes which are still being used. The lovely pastel shades seen in some rugs today began in the 1930s with Navajo weaving teacher Nonabeh Bryan. She experimented and re-created recipes for dye colors made using plants from all over the vast reservation. Over the years, more and more plant dye recipes have been developed, and today’s vegetal dyed Navajo rug is a symphony of gentle shades. How do I care for my rug? Turn your rug regularly, and avoid placing it in bright or direct sunlight. Using a drapery or fabric attachment, vacuum gently. Do not use the beater bar on your vacuum as it is too rough on the rug yarns. And take it on occasion to a professional rug cleaning facility. You can drape the rug over a clothesline and beat it with a broom or old racquet, but do not shake your rug as you risk breaking the end t
