Rug Cleaning in Hillsborough, California

Hillsborough homes contain some of the finest rug collections in the Bay Area — and the estates that house them deserve a rug specialist who understands how to care for them. Boga Rugs has been cleaning, repairing, and appraising significant collections for Peninsula clients since 2007. Free pickup and delivery, white-glove handling, and the kind of discretion these homes require.

A Peninsula Town Built on Significant Estates

Hillsborough is one of the most distinctive communities in Northern California. With its minimum one-acre lot requirement, entirely residential zoning, and homes dating back to the early 1900s, the town has grown into a quiet stronghold of Bay Area estates. Many were built by San Francisco families who moved south after the 1906 earthquake. Others came later, but the character stayed the same: large, private homes set on manicured grounds, many held by the same families for generations.

What this means for rug care is significant. Hillsborough homes don't just have "a rug in the living room." They often have ten or fifteen rugs across multiple formal and informal spaces — oriental runners in long hallways, large-format hand-knotted pieces in grand foyers, antique Persians in libraries, Chinese silk rugs in dining rooms. Many of them are family heirlooms. Some are serious investments. All of them need the kind of expert care most cleaners can't provide.

Cengiz has been working with collections like these since 1989. He opened Boga Rugs in San Francisco in 2007 and has been serving Peninsula clients ever since. If you live in Hillsborough and you care about your rugs, we'd love to help.

Our Cleaning Process

Every rug we clean is hand-washed on our shop floor. We never use steam cleaners, in-home equipment, or shortcut methods on hand-knotted rugs. Our process:

1. Pre-inspection and documentation
2. Color and dye testing
3. Mechanical dusting to remove embedded grit
4. Submersion hand wash with compressed-air agitation
5. Decontamination (when needed)
6. Thorough rinsing
7. Controlled drying on flat racks
8. Post-detailing and final inspection

For significant or antique pieces, we document every step with photographs and provide a written condition report both before and after. Full process details →

White-Glove Hillsborough Pickup & Delivery

Our pickup service to Hillsborough is designed around how our clients actually live:

• We come to you. No need to load a rug into a car or arrange transport. One of our team members will drive down from our San Francisco shop at a time that works for your schedule.
• In-home inspection first. For valuable pieces, we inspect the rug in place, photograph it, and provide a written estimate before moving it. You review the estimate before any work begins.
• We work with house staff, property managers, and estate managers. Many of our Hillsborough clients coordinate through their property managers or housekeepers. We're comfortable working with whoever handles your household — just let us know who to contact.
• Gated estates and security protocols. If your home requires advance notification, guard gate access, or specific delivery protocols, tell us when you schedule. We've worked with most of the security and concierge services in the area.
• Discretion. We don't post about the homes we visit or the collections we work on. Your privacy is part of the service.

The initial visit, the written estimate, and the pickup/delivery are all free. There's no commitment until you've seen and approved the quote.

What We See in Hillsborough Estates

After nearly two decades of servicing Hillsborough clients, we see certain patterns come up repeatedly:

Large-format rugs that other cleaners can't handle. Hillsborough homes often have formal rooms, two-story foyers, and ballroom-scale spaces that call for 12x15, 14x20, even 16x24 rugs. Most local cleaners don't have wash floors big enough to handle these pieces. Our shop is specifically set up for large-format cleaning. If you have a huge rug that nobody else will take, call us.

Multiple rugs, scheduled service. Rather than one-off cleanings, many Hillsborough clients prefer a standing service arrangement — we rotate through the house over several visits per year, cleaning a few rugs at a time so you're never without your full floor plan. We can design a schedule that matches your calendar and budget.

Estate collections with documented provenance. Many Hillsborough families have inherited significant rug collections from parents or grandparents — sometimes with original appraisals, sometimes with family stories, sometimes with no documentation at all. We can help organize, photograph, and value what you have. For collections that need formal documentation for insurance or estate planning, we offer a full inventory assessment service.

Insurance requirements on high-value pieces. Hillsborough homeowners insurance policies often require regular appraisal updates on significant rugs — typically every three to five years. We work directly with insurance brokers and adjusters on documentation, and we can arrange certified appraisals as part of a cleaning visit so the rug doesn't need to move twice.

Sun and climate damage on formal-room rugs. Hillsborough homes get more direct sunlight than fog-bound San Francisco neighborhoods, and the Peninsula climate is drier. Both factors accelerate dye fading on rugs in formal rooms with large windows. We can recommend rotation schedules, UV-filtering treatments, and preventive care protocols to slow the process. We can't reverse sun damage, but we can help you avoid more of it.

Water damage from irrigation systems and indoor pools. Estates with indoor pools, water features, or extensive irrigation sometimes have rugs in rooms that absorb ambient humidity. If you've noticed musty smells, foundation dampness, or unexpected weight changes in any rug, have us take a look — foundation moisture is reversible if caught early.

Moth damage during long absences. Many Hillsborough clients travel extensively or spend months in second homes. During long absences, rugs in closed rooms can develop moth activity that goes unnoticed until significant damage is done. We include a full moth inspection with every cleaning and can recommend preventive treatments for rugs that will be left undisturbed.

Free Estimates

Every rug is different, and so is every quote. Your estimate depends on the rug's fiber type, size, age, condition, and what it needs — so we never quote sight-unseen from a price list.

Here's what we offer instead:

• Free in-home or in-shop inspection — we look at your rug, not a spreadsheet
• Written estimate before any work begins — no surprises, no hidden fees
• No commitment until you approve — you review the quote and decide

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does pickup and delivery take from Hillsborough? A: Most Hillsborough pickups can be scheduled within 3-5 days. For urgent situations or tight timelines, we can often arrange same-day or next-day service. Delivery back to your home happens once the cleaning (or repair) is complete — typically 5-10 business days for standard cleanings, longer for restoration projects.

Q: Is there an extra charge for Peninsula pickup? A: Not for Hillsborough. Our pickup and delivery are free to Hillsborough, Burlingame, and most of the San Mateo County corridor. We consider the Peninsula part of our standard service area. For more remote locations farther down the Peninsula, please call to discuss.

Q: Can you work with my property manager or house staff? A: Absolutely. We regularly coordinate with property managers, estate managers, housekeepers, and security teams. Just let us know who to contact and whose authorization is required. We'll handle the scheduling and logistics through your preferred point of contact.

Q: Do you handle insurance claim work? A: Yes. We work directly with insurance adjusters on water damage, fire damage, and theft cases. We provide the documentation insurance companies need, and we can coordinate with your broker on valuation questions. Many Hillsborough clients first come to us through an insurance claim and then stay as regular customers.

Q: Can you appraise my rugs for estate planning? A: Yes. For estate planning, insurance, or family transitions, we offer a collection inventory service where we photograph, document, and provide preliminary valuations for every rug in the collection. For pieces requiring formal certified appraisals, we work with qualified appraisers who provide IRS-acceptable documentation.

Q: Are my rugs insured while in your care? A: Yes. Every rug in our possession — during transport, during cleaning, and during storage — is fully insured for its appraised value. We can provide a copy of our insurance certificate on request.

Q: What if I have multiple rugs that all need cleaning? A: We can handle multi-rug projects two ways: (1) pick up everything at once and clean in batches, returning them together, or (2) rotate through the house over multiple visits so you're never without your full floor plan. The second approach is popular with Hillsborough clients. Ask about our scheduled multi-rug service.

Schedule Your Consultation

Bring Discretion and Expertise to Your Collection

If you have rugs in Hillsborough that deserve professional care, we'd love to take a look. The first visit is always free, and there's no commitment until you've reviewed our written estimate.

Call (415) 567-1965 or Request a Free Pickup

Monday through Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:45 PM.