Is Process Important For Cleaning Rugs?
Process… Process… Process…. It’s important to us and it should be important to you, especially if you’re paying a premium to get those rugs clean. The process for area rug cleaning is much different than the process of carpet cleaning. With proper education, tools and equipment the final result of cleaning a rug is much different than the final result of cleaning a carpet. Wool rugs, Persian rugs, Oriental rugs, Turkish rugs, Area rugs, Kilims, Shag rugs, Throw rugs, Silk rugs, looped rugs, Heirloom rugs, all rugs generally speaking are smaller and more nimble, so you can apply different techniques and processes to get them clean, really clean, restored clean.
Nine Step Process
How many steps do you need to clean a rug? How many different ways are there to wash a rug? These are good questions. Rugs are cyclical in regards to materials that are used to make them. Today’s most common fiber type is Viscose, bamboo silk and rayon. Viscose, rayon and bamboo silk are cellulosic fibers and need very special attention. Wool is still cool and is ultimately the best natural fiber type God created. Wool and silk rugs are the most durable and most expensive rugs you can buy. There are wool tufted rugs, Handwoven wool rugs, Handmade Orientals, Synthetic rugs, Kilims, Karastans, Dhurries, polyester rugs and area rugs constructed from all fiber types. Why is all this information relevant? Rugs of today and rugs of yesterday, because of fiber type and color fastness, need special care, handling and precaution to wash them well. Will a nine step process help clean your rug? Yes, but you need to have specific rug cleaning knowledge with cleaning experience and legitimate rug washing equipment to deliver professional results? Let’s mention all the steps.
Rug Cleaning Steps
1. Pre-inspection: As we mentioned there are fiber types of today that need special care and special considerations. The pre-inspection allows us to identify problem rugs or problem areas on your rug. There are rugs that are hand-woven or machine made, both have their own areas of concern. Pre-inspection helps us identify rugs that have loose or crocking dyes from rugs made with higher quality dyes that may not bleed during our wash cycle. Pre-inspection helps us identify rugs that are suffering from dry rot, rugs that have had a poor washing experience or rugs that have had dyes migrate into other parts of the rug. It also helps us be aware of cat or dog urine, even though in most cases urine is very easily found. It also helps us identify machine tufted wool area rugs with canvas backings that are failing, previous or pre-existing rug damage that may need to be repaired. Moth larvae? Moth damage? These are all issues we can identify in the pre-inspection. The pre-inspection enables us to make better choices on how to clean your rug successfully.
2. Colorfast dye test: Some rugs depending on where they are made are notorious for dye bleeding or crocking. Unstable dyes can migrate into areas of your rug that they’re not supposed to be. Doing a color fastness test helps us so we know what to expect when cleaning your rug.
3. ID Tagging: We don’t want to lose your rug so keeping track of it is important. We tag every rug for your comfort and ours.
4. Dry soil removal: This is probably the most important process in the cleaning pie to achieve restored clean to your rugs. We use multiple tools to rid your rug of dry soil. We employ harmonic dusting, tumble dusters, air dusters and the old fashioned vacuum cleaner. If a rug cleaning plant does not utilize these tools they are not giving you premium quality for a premium price. Your rugs will not be as clean as they should be if these tools are not used, we guarantee it.
5. Washing: How does one wash or clean a rug? Another great question. Water flow is absolutely essential in getting your rug clean, but water can be a problem too. At Parrot we take a hands, knees and feet approach to getting your rug clean. We are handwashers from the days of old but incorporate modern day machinery and technology to help gently remove insoluble and dry soils from your silk rug, wool rug, area rug, looped rug, machine made rug, Shag rug, Persian rug, Oriental rug, Chinese rug or any rug that you may own. We are not an automated rug washing plant, so that means we wash your rug independently of others with care.
6. Rinsing: The final rinse is key. High flow rate of water carries all the bad away from your rug then we use a rug centrifuge to thoroughly evacuate all the water from it. Once the rug has been spun it’s already almost dry. If a rug cleaning shop does not use centrifugal extraction/rinsing then you are not getting premium quality for your dollar spent.
7. Fringe cleaning: Detailing and cleaning the fringe is part of the process so lets get that fringe clean.
8. Drying via controlled drying room: Once your rug goes through the centrifuge it is close to being dry. There’s a very low percentage of water left. We utilize de-humidifiers, fans and heat to remove the remaining moisture and get your rug dry and ready for packing.
9. Post inspection and detailing: After your rug is done and dryed we do a final assessment and inspection of your rug/s. If we believe something isn’t right or your rug isn’t clean we will most definitely make it right or clean it again. We guarantee a thoroughly clean rug. We guarantee the most clean rug in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
It’s important when hiring a rug cleaning company in St. Paul or Minneapolis to clean your rugs that they are actually capable of achieving restored clean. In our opinion it is literally impossible to deliver a really clean rug without professional rug washing equipment. You can possess all knowledge about rugs, your ancestors could be the finest rug weavers in the entire world but that doesn’t change the science and physics of cleaning rugs. We believe we have great systems and processes along with the highest quality and most modern equipment to achieve the ultimate clean which is restored clean.
Our doors are open so come visit us. You want to see how we wash your rugs?