Wrapped, not woven, and the back tells you so

Soumak rug cleaning on Long Island

Soumaks are thick, strong flatweaves made by wrapping colored wefts around the warps, leaving a shaggy layer of loose threads on the back. Those threads snag, pull and hold soil, so soumaks are washed and dried face‑up with the back protected at our Farmingdale plant. Free pickup across Nassau and Suffolk.

At Green Choice Oriental Rug Cleaning Long Island, every soumak is cleaned inside our own plant at 44 Executive Blvd, Farmingdale, never on your floor, and never sent out to anyone else.

Get my soumak quote How Green Choice cleans it

from $4/sq ftFirm price after inspection

7–10 daysTypical turnaround

Free pickupAll of Nassau & Suffolk

How to recognize a soumak

Turn it over. A kilim looks the same on both faces; a soumak has a neat, slightly ridged front with a herringbone texture and a back covered in loose floating threads of every color in the design. Classic soumaks are Caucasian (dragon, medallion and geometric designs in red, blue and ivory) and Persian (Shahsavan and Bakhtiari bags and rugs); modern soumaks are woven in Turkey, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan, often in Oushak‑style pastels for the decorator market, and they are on a great many Long Island floors in Roslyn, Manhasset, Huntington and the Hamptons.

Green Choice technicians hanging and rolling area rugs at the Farmingdale rug cleaning plant

Origin: Caucasus, Iran; modern production in Turkey, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan
Construction: Weft‑wrapping over warps; loose threads on back
Fiber: Wool; cotton or wool foundation
Dyes: Natural on antiques; variable on modern
Common on Long Island: Modern 8×10 and 9×12 pastel soumaks
Our method: Dye test → gentle dusting face‑up → cold wash face‑up, back protected → clear rinse → centrifuge → flat dry face‑up

What we find on soumaks

Pulled back threads from vacuum beater bars and rough handling; they leave gaps in the front.

Soil in the back layer, which holds grit like a brush.

Dye bleed on modern overdyed pieces.

Distortion; soumaks are heavy and sag if hung wet.

Moth damage in the wool back threads.

Area rugs hanging in the Farmingdale plant before washing

Flatweaves staged for inspection at the plant.

How Green Choice cleans a soumak at 44 Executive Blvd

A soumak is treated face‑up at every stage so the loose back threads are never dragged, and it is dried flat because its weight distorts it if it is hung.

Inspection and dye test

Back threads inspected for pulls, colors tested. Firm price approved.

Gentle dusting face‑up

Dusted with the back protected on a mesh so the vibration releases grit from the back layer without snagging it.

Cold wash face‑up

Cool water, neutral solution, stabilizer where needed. Front brushed softly along the wrapping; back flushed rather than brushed.

Rinse until clear

Flushed until clear, including through the back layer.

Centrifuge and flat dry face‑up

Spun, then dried flat face‑up on a mesh so air reaches the back layer and nothing snags.

Soumak repairs

Re‑wrapping pulled areas.
End and side repair.
Reweaving moth damage.
Padding.

Soumak pickup across Nassau and Suffolk

Collected rolled front‑out from Roslyn, Manhasset, Port Washington, Great Neck, Old Westbury, Garden City and Rockville Centre; Huntington, Cold Spring Harbor, Northport, Smithtown and Stony Brook; and the Hamptons weekly.

The plant

Green Choice Oriental Rug Cleaning Long Island
44 Executive Blvd
Farmingdale, NY 11735
(631) 314‑6606
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week

Drop‑offs welcome any day; call ahead and you can watch the dye test.

Soumak rug cleaning cost on Long Island

from $4/sq ft

Soumak cleaning runs $4 to $6 per square foot; an 8×10 is typically $320 to $480.

Get my price

Dye test and full inspection report
Dusting from the back
Immersion wash and clear rinse (or hand wash where the fiber requires it)
Centrifuge extraction and flat drying
Fringe combing and pile grooming
Free pickup and delivery in Nassau and Suffolk
Urine decontamination, repairs and padding quoted separately

Soumak rug cleaning questions

Can I vacuum the back of my soumak?

No; a beater bar pulls the loose threads. Vacuum the front only, with suction, and let us clean the back.

Why is my soumak so heavy when wet?

The back layer holds a great deal of water, which is why it must be spun and dried flat rather than hung.

How much does it cost?

$4 to $6 per square foot; about $320 to $480 for an 8×10.

Do you repair pulled threads?

Yes; areas are re‑wrapped in matched wool.

Do you pick up in Manhasset and Roslyn?

Yes, weekly, free.

📞 (631) 314‑6606 Get a quote

Soumak rug cleaning on Long Island

Get a rug cleaning quote

How to recognize a soumak

What we find on soumaks

How Green Choice cleans a soumak at 44 Executive Blvd

Inspection and dye test

Gentle dusting face‑up

Cold wash face‑up

Rinse until clear

Centrifuge and flat dry face‑up

Soumak repairs

Soumak pickup across Nassau and Suffolk

The plant

Soumak rug cleaning cost on Long Island

Soumak rug cleaning questions

Related rug types and services

Kilim & flatweave

Dhurrie rugs

Navajo rugs

Afghan rugs

Antique rugs

Moth damage

Cleaning a kilim

All rug types