Our Company
Our business has been a family affair at Oriental Rug Cleaning Co. for more than 100 years. H. Mirza Amirkhan Sr., who founded the business over a century ago, was an Armenian born in Turkey in 1889. Seeking freedom and opportunity, he booked immigrated to the United States in 1909. He paid for his passage by working in Cincinnati, Ohio for his cousin’s rug cleaning and repair business. After learning the rug cleaning trade and repaying his debt, he set out seeking opportunity.
Arriving in Dallas in 1911, he set up his own rug cleaning and repair shop at 2105 S. Ervay. Thanks to his rug cleaning expertise and outstanding customer service, the business was successful and grew, enabling him to build his own two-story building at 3907 Ross Avenue, where he lived and worked. In 1926, he added a second building next door. Today, those buildings still house the Oriental Rug Cleaning Co., and all its operations. H. M.’s partner in life and business was his wife, Gracie, who worked in the business for half a century until her death in 1973.
His son, also named Mirza, took over the business from his father after completing law school in 1954, adding his unique and energetic personality to the growing business. He was instrumental in expanding the business through diversification, adding carpet and drapery cleaning to our services. Mirza retired in 2010 at 83, but current customers routinely ask about him and remember him not just for his interest in their rugs, but for his personal interest in their families. After their children were grown, his wife, Inez, entered the business in 1976 and worked here until retirement in 2010. In 1980, Ellen Amirkhan became the third generation of her family to join Oriental Rug Cleaning Co.
Our Business Today
Today, Oriental Rug Cleaning focuses only on what we do best – the cleaning, care, and appraisal of oriental and specialty rugs, delicate textiles and tapestries, and carpet. We serve the communities of Allen, Arlington, Carrollton, Coppell, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Garland, Irving, Mesquite, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett and Southlake. We take pride in providing the best value and the highest quality work to our customers. All of our work is done in our plant by our experienced staff, which collectively has 150 years of experience cleaning and repairing rugs. We do not subcontract any of our work.
Our operation combines time-tested rug cleaning and rug repair techniques, passed down through three generation of Amirkhans, with the latest in rug care technology. This blend of the old and new is critical because, while the basic components of rug cleaning — dusting, cleaning, rinsing, grooming, and drying — have not really changed in over 100 years, the modern-day improvements in cleaning efficacy, quality control, plant efficiency, infrastructure, and office procedures are significant.
Our plant features the most modern rug cleaning technology. For example, we are among the very few rug care businesses in the country that feature both a compression wringer and a centrifuge to extract moisture from cleaned rugs. We also use compressed air dusting and have a heated drying room to ensure that all of the rugs we clean are efficiently and effectively dried.
Among the things that set us apart from the competition is that we are not just rug cleaners, we are scholars. Our knowledge of rugs is second to none and we can answer virtually any question about rugs and cleaning. Modern rug production is no longer based on traditional designs, colors, and artistry, but on fashion trends. As a result, different types of rugs come on the market every year. They are made with a variety of materials, dyes, and construction techniques, which affect how they are cleaned and puts a premium on in-depth knowledge of rugs and their construction.
Our Values
For over 100 years, our business has adhered to bedrock values that guide everything that we do:
- We will always provide the best value and the highest quality work.
- We treat our customers like family and take a personal interest in them.
- We don’t make promises we can’t keep. We set realistic expectations for our customers.
- Our family name and reputation are tied to our business. As a result, we will never cut corners in our work.
- Honesty and integrity are at the foundation of our business. Our word is our bond. A handshake is our contract.
