Washing a rug is labour intensive and a heavy job. You may think you can hose it down and the same will be achieved, I consider it to be skilled work to return the rug to its previous glory. Below is a guide of the step by step process we take with each and every rug we bring into clean.
Rug Cleaning Services
The Process
Initially all rugs are beaten to remove the excess dirt, a simple test to find out how much is inside the rug is to roll back and forth a small corner onto white paper. Then any weak or loose areas are secured to ensure the damage does not increase.
The beating is carried out in a machine with rollers but in certain cases maybe laid down upside down first onto a grid on the studio floor and walked on for a few days naturally as we work to remove the excessive amount of dirt first.
Then tests maybe carried out to ensure against colour run although in the main our skilled team have enough experience to 'just know'.
The wash bath is then prepared using softened water to ensure against the colour run and a Turkish mild soap for the detergent. Being mild it doesn't strip the natural oil or lanolin from the rug.
A full immersion enables the rug to be washed front and back, which loosens the grit and helps dilute stains from within the rug .
The pile is brushed in the direction of the rug and lightly scrubbed to loosen and open up the fibres.
The water is then extracted from the rug in a large machine prior to hanging the rug to dry and remove all moisture as its the moisture left in a rug that can cause them to rot and rip like paper.
Once dried the rug is then beaten and brushed again prior to any rolling ready to return.
Silk rugs and part silk rugs are a similar process with additional work carried out as silk can rug easily, mattes the fibres and therefore requires additional treatments hence these are piece price.
Our team are highly skilled with many years of experience, they will take time and care with your rug to bring it back to it’s former glory.
Stain Removal
To minimise the damage do not look to self treat with a stain remover or vinegar or white wine! This can create colour bleached spots and or a chemical reaction. Instead prior to bringing the rug to us sluice the rug with a neutral ph value water if possible, such as soda water, to remove the excess and blot with plain white kitchen roll.
All stains are technically possible to remove, but can outweigh the value of the piece, leave a definitive ring around if in a plain area or at times are just too stubborn without using harsh chemicals which may cause other problems. If it is impossible for a stain to be removed from rubbing through home chemical treating, we remove the affected area and restore appropriately.