Collector Buzz

Area rugs not only give your home an aura of luxury, they usually also cost quite a lot, so the last thing you want is a permanent stain. Despite that, some of the equipment available to clean up stains will give you that result unless you are very careful. Cleaning area rugs can be tricky.

Natural stains, like excrement, urine, sick and most of all, blood, are set by heat, so if you’ve had a horrible accident that has stained your area rug, don’t rush off to get the steam cleaner; natural stains need to be blotted, to stop them soaking in, and then treated with cold water and a plain white cloth.

Many cleaning tools can be filled with cold water, so if you have one of these use it to forced the cold water through the stained fibers. with a little patience, the good news is that natural stains can usually be removed, leaving your lovely area rug unscathed.

It may seem strange to add flowers to something which is already a thing of beauty, but many of the valued antiques in my home are vases or candleholders and so I must admit, I do use them. In the case of a vase, I use those which are easy to clean with fresh flowers, but for the older candle holders or narrow vases, I do my flower arranging with silk flowers.

I am never sure which are the most useful. Vases help me fill my home with color, but candle holders help me create a centerpiece with candles quickly and easily.From a single crystal candlestick on a mirror tile surrounded by petals, to my precious silver candelabra, which always brightens our Christmas table, surrounded by roses, ivy, a fragrant fir cones.

Of all the collectible items in my home, the candles holders are my favorite, they bring, light, warmth and beauty, and who could ask for more?