This is NOT a silk rug. It is made of a material that will discolor when coming in contact with water. Most cleaning products will turn it a vile yellow color that can never be removed. It is akin to rayon, viscose, art silk (art stands for artificial) silk. I recommend against buying any rug that contains 'banana silk' or any viscose-related materials. (There are online sites available that vividly demonstrate why viscose is not a rug-suitable material.)