How to Quickly Identify the Best Rug Cleaning Service for
You and your rugs
If you own an oriental rug, handmade rug or fine area rug, the response to these 5 questions will help you figure out if a rug cleaner can truly meet your needs.
There are multiple ways to dust, wash and dry a rug. But you should be able to judge the rug cleaner’s expertise from his or her answers. “Why do you do that?” is always a good follow up question.
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Cleaning rugs doesn’t require a big rug cleaning plant. I started out by cleaning one or two rugs a week. And I know a rug dealer who washes rugs in the summer, in his back yard, and does a fine job. But it does require a thorough knowledge of fibers, dyes, cleaning chemistry and rug construction.
A word of caution. If the cleaner proposed to clean your rug with carpet cleaning equipment and “special” chemicals: Beware. Watch this 5 minute video to see the difference between carpet cleaning and rug cleaning.
“What type of rug is this?”
Different rugs require different cleaning procedures and finishing techniques. A 35 year old Persian Kashan, an Aubusson needlepoint rug embroidered in China, and a designer specified, machine woven, bordered, Wilton weave rug each present the rug cleaner with some distinct and different requirements.
“How do you dust the rug?”
If you have a handed knotted rug or machine woven rug, it probably contains a lot of sand in the foundation yarns. When you walk on the rug, the sand left in the foundation scratches the rug fibers turning them into dust. The rug cleaner must have equipment needed to remove dry particulate matter (sand) from the foundation of a hand knotted or machine woven pile rug.
“How do you clean the rug?”
Unless you will be happy with a surface cleaning, the rug cleaner must have the skills, knowledge and physical resources to wash your rug using cold water and cleaning agents appropriate for wool. Rugs are washed for the same reason you wash your clothes. It’s the only way to get them clean.
“How do you dry the rug?”
Wool can hold 5 times its weight in water. Quick drying prevents mold and mildew growth and decreases the opportunity for unstable dyes to “bleed”.
“Do you guarantee pet odor removal?”
If you have pets, you will want this guarantee. Even if you think your pet never “does anything”, you might be surprised. Wool can hold up to 30% of its weight in liquid and still feel dry.
