How To Care For Your Rugs
If you are interested in preserving the beauty of your rug or carpet and in securing the greatest possible value from every dollar you spend for rugs, then we are certain this guide will prove valuable to you. It is intended to help increase the comfort, enjoyment and longevity you look for in your floorcoverings.
Introduction.
"How do I know the rug I'm choosing is a good buy?" "How can I be a good judge of construction?" "What is the best color and size for my room?" Perhaps those are questions you've asked yourself when you were ready to buy a new rug. Naturally, knowing not too much about rug manufacturing, some of those questions might have seemed to you a bit hard to answer.
Well, they're not, once you're armed with a few simple facts and buying hints. First of all, your best assurance of quality is to buy a rug made by a reputable manufacturer, in a reputable store. Secondly, you can be your judge of quality by remembering these few simple facts: wear in a rug depends generally on three things -- the compactness of the weave, the thickness of the pile and the materials used by the manufacturer.s of the pile and the thickness of the rug. A closely packed pile naturally prove more comfortable underfoot. Your best judge of the worth of the materials in the rug is the reputation of the maker. Look at the labels for complete information.
sThe best color and size for your particular needs depends, of course, on our room and furnishings. If you are lucky to have a knowledgeable salesperson, they may be helpful on these points.
In general, it is wise to remember that in rugs, as in everything else you buy, you often get what you pay for. It is a good economy to choose the finest possible quality your budget can afford, because you will get longer wear, added beauty and finer, clearer color and designs. It is also wise to choose a good quality rug for a room that receives much traffic, such as your living room. For rooms that aren't used often, such as bed rooms and guest rooms, less expensive grades are good choices.
A full knowledge of what to expect and what not to expect from your floorcovering will be valuable in helping you get satisfaction from your rug or carpet. Following are a number of points that may help to clear up confusion in your mind and assist you in taking better care of your rugs.
Shading
Carpets and rugs, like all pile fabrics, are subject to shading. The pile in a new rug often stands nearly vertical, but as the rug is used the pile fibers become inclined or bent under the pressure of foot traffic or the movement of heavy furniture. Shading appears because the fibers in different sections of the carpet bend in different directions, and cause a variation in light reflection. There would be no shading if every pile tuft inclined in the same direction.
Shading may occur in both plain and figured carpets and rugs. It is often more noticeable on plain color carpets because of the wide expanse of color, unbroken by any pattern. On figured rugs shading becomes most noticeable when there is little contrast between the colors or shades in the pattern. Hard-twist or frieze carpets, looped pile carpets and other textured weaves show shading to a lesser degree than the cut-pile or smooth surface types.
Naturally, you are interested in what you can do to counteract this condition. One way to minimize it if it appears on a plain colored rug is to make sure the lay of the pile is pointed away from the light. A proper rug cushion also helps prevent excessive flattening of the pile, and a good vacuum cleaner will do much to lift and straighten crushed pile tufts. Shading is difficult, if not impossible to remove permanently, but thorough hand-washing and/or wet shampooing is sometimes effective.
Shading is not a manufacturing defect. It is an inherent feature of pile fabrics and is used deliberately in luster type carpets and rugs to enhance the richness of the coloring. Because it is not a defect, claims on shading are not entertained by carpet manufacturers.
Soiling
Regardless of where you live, or how carefully your home is cleaned, your decorative fabrics are sure to absorb a certain amount of soil. And because of their function your rugs and carpets receive the greatest amount of soiling, since various types of dirt carried into the house on the soles of shoes are deposited on the carpet. Further, since rugs are pile fabrics having a depth of 1/8th inch or more, dirt not only collects on the surface but works its way down into the fabric. Then, under pressure of foot traffic, it becomes embedded in and around the pile tufts.
As you probably well know, it is always easier to remove surface direct from a carpet than embedded dirt. Therefore, an efficient vacuum cleaner should be used when possible so that the dirt and dust deposited on your rugs will be removed regularly before it has a chance to work its way down.
Soiling naturally shows most rapidly on light colored carpets, such as whites, neutrals beige or ivory and pastels. Even with the daily and weekly care recommended, the light colors will probably become soiled in most locations. This becomes especially serious when light colors are used where traffic is heavy, or where oily residue on shoes is tracked in from blacktop pavement. Oil, grease and tar content of dirt particles causes them to cling tenaciously to the pile fibres, and even daily use of a good quality vacuum may not remove all of them.
This oil and grease dirt also causes some discoloration in light colored rugs. For instance, a delicate rose carpet, as it becomes soiled, will gradually lose its rose tone and change to a neutral taupe shade. A light blue carpet may change to a dull gray-green. Such apparent loss of color often causes alarm with homeowners, because it is mistaken for permanent discoloration or fading. However, the original color and tone can be restored by professional cleaning or shampooing. Thorough cleaning of this type is the only remedy for such a condition.
Under normal conditions, monthly surface brightening combined with regular cleaning with a good quality vacuum, has proven effective in keeping light colored floorcoverings looking bright and new. Where such carpets receive heavy wear, or in commercial installations, a more instensive cleaning pogram is needed.
Discoloration of this type is not considered a justifiable claim by manufacturers, for the reasons stated above.
Many rugs today are comprised of nylon, poly, acrylic or oil based carpet fibers (like olefin and "virgin" olefin). These fibers are used by many modern mills as they are exceptionally strong and can be woven into rugs at extremely fast speeds, particularly fast when compared to natural fibers like wool and cotton. These modern synthetic fibers quickly soil as the molecules of the fiber, on a microscopic level, are sticky in and of themselves. Fibers that are already sticky mean only a nightmare for the consumer as they soil extremely quickly and are exceptionally difficult for even a professional to properly clean.
With these thoughts in mind, you will do well to carefully select the color and fiber content of your rugs and carpets in rooms and hallways no matter what type of traffic they will incurr.
Fading
There has been tremendous progress since the 1930s in the development of better quality dyes. It is nolonger necessary to protect the great majority of floorcoverings against exposure to sunlight, under the conditions normally found in most homes. The exceptions are those delicate tints in which only a small percentage of dye stuffs is used. Among these, light shades are probably the ones to be watched most, and should not be used where exposure to sun is excessive.
Laying or Installing Rug or Carpet
Allowance for Reversibility
If you are an average homemaker, you switch your furniture around in your room every so often, for the sake of a new decorative plan. Don't forget to turn your rugs around too! Not only for appearance, but becuase reversing rugs makes them wear more evenly. Traffic can be distributed over the entire surface, and unsightly worn spots that might develop in one place can be avoided.
Reversing the lay of a rug or carpet is also helpful in preventing shading. This works the same for carpets placed in thresholds or corridors and hallways.
Rug Cushions and Padding
Do you know that the condition of the floor on which your carpet is laid can have a lot to do with the way the carpet will wear? Yes indeed, rough or uneven floors, or those with spaces between the boards can develop worn spots in the rug, when it is pressed down into them by foot pressure. 
A good rug cushion or pad under the floorcovering is the answer the this problem, as it smooths out the floor's irregularities, and absorbs the shock that the carpet would have to take. You need a cushion even more to reduce local wear, if your carpet is run over a raised place in the floor, such as a door sill or a sliding door trolley.
Most households prefer a thick rug cushion or padding to add a more plush feel or depth to footsteps. While this may be desireable for feel it often creates too much play in the floorcovering sitting ontop of the cushion or pad. In most cases, a 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch thick pad is the most you would want to use. Thicker padding will cause foot pressure and traffic to stretch and pull the rug. Once a traffic pattern is established on a rug or carpet with too thick a pad, the floorcovering will start to develop buckles and wear in and adjacent the traffic area.
In the same fashion that too thick a pad will add and speed the wear of a rug, so will placing a rug or carpet on top of another rug or carpet. There are several rug pads manufactured with this function in mind -- these limit the slide, push and pull between the rugs, but they are only partially successful in reducing the damage incurred by the upper most rug. These specialized pads, like Magic Stop, try to mimic a glue or adhesive holding both carpets together (though they usually contain no glue or adhesives).
It is recommended that rug cushions which have a raised design on one side be laid with the design side DOWN and the smooth side up.
Stair Carpet
If you now have stair carpet in your home you know the terrific wear it undergoes. As a matter of fact, the friction and wear on stair carpets is several times more severe than that received by floorcoverings in other parts of the home, since the pile is constantly shifted back and forth under the pressure of foot traffic. Because of this, carpet with dense pile surfaces are recommended for stair use. And special methods of installation are advised.
Wear is exceptionally rapid at the edge of the stair tread, and stair carpets should be installed with underlays or rug cushioning of some type at these points. Sponge rubber, such as Rug Anchor, underlays have been found particularly suitable for this purpose because they keep their thickness and resilience.
For best results, stair carpet should be cut a foot longer than necessary, with the extra length folded under in one or two risers at the top or bottom. The carpet can then be shifted an inch or two upward or downward when it begins to show wear over the nose of the tread. When moved downward in this manner, the carpet can be shifted several times before it will be necessary to replace it, with the most worn sections being comparatively hidden on the risers. The excess at the foot of the stairs can be folded under the riser at the bottom step after each shift.
Carpet manufacturers will be glad to provide sspecial instructions on stair carpet care to hotels, theatres and other institutions, where wear is excessive.
The Care and Maintenance of Your Carpets and Rugs
When The Carpet Is New
If you've ever thought that is was necessary to avoid the use of a vacuum cleaner on a new rug or carpet -- and many, many homemakers have -- you'll be interested to know that there is no reason to do so. You can use a cleaner on your rug from the very first moment it's laid on your floor -- and without any ill effects whatsoever.
A new rug or carpet will "fluff" to a certain extent, because there are short fibers left in the pile when the yarn is cut. These gradually work loose, but this does not injure the life or quality of your rug, and it will stop as soon as the loose fibers have been removed.
Occasionally during the early life of your rug or carpet a tuft may protrude above the surface. Never try to pull this tuft out, as you may injure the fabric. Instead, clip the tuft close to the pile, with sharp shears.
Your new rug or carpet may also have a spot where several tufts are missing. Tufts may also be damaged or removed in service. When this happens, and when the areas are small, the tufts may be replaced by sewing in the proper colored yarns. The store from which you bought the rug will be glad to get replacement yarns and repairing instructions from the manufacturer.
A carpet frequently receives much wear in one or two spots, such as in front of a favorite chair, or at the entrance to a room. While a carpet or floor-size rug is new, plan to protect it against such localized waer, which produces an unpleasant appearance long before the carpet has given full service. Scatter rugs may also be used to protect these spots. Or, reversi ng the rug, as explained above, is also effective.
Regular Care and Cleaning
Your rug is one article of furnishing that needs and deserves regular cleaning. This will insure maximum durability for the fabric, and assure a continuation of the color scheme and decorative effect so carefully worked out when the floorcovering was purchased.
In many cases, proper regular cleaning will promote a rich lustre from the pile by continually conditioning and adding moisture and life to the fiber.
Three things enter into the proper maintenance of your floorcovering. These are: daily cleaning, weekly cleaning and periodic care. The frequency of cleaning should be determined by the color and design of the carpet, the room in which it is installed and the exposure of the room. Other factors to be considered are the number of children, if there are any pets and the use given the rug.
Daily and Weekly Cleaning
It is recommended that a vacuum cleaner be used for a short time every few days to once a week on each carpet or rug in your home. Vacuuming every day or few days is especially desirable on frequently travelled areas, or near an entrance from a street. After the rug has been vacuumed, finish it with attention to allowing the pile so that all includes in the same direction.
At least once a week all carpet areas should be given a thorough cleaning with a vacuum cleaner. If the areas are heavily travelled this should be done twice a week. Rooms which are little used should also be cleaned at least once a week to remove dust deposited from the air and to help prevent moth infestations.
Never shake small rugs by gripping them at one end and snapping the other. This may break yarns in the back and cause the pile to loosen and/or come out. It may also break the fringe, salvage or serging.
Periodic Care
Surface Brightening
Carpets and rugs which are allowed to retain dust and dirt will gradually change in appearance. This may seem to be wear, fading or discoloration. When this happens with a relatively new rug or carpet, try cleaning an inconpicuous section of the surface with a mixture of weak soap (such as Orvus) and water, noting the difference -- do not use solvents or detergents. If the condition is due to surface soil accumulation, this type of cleaning will reveal it.
Sometimes it may be advisable to brighten the entire surface of a carpet or rug, or to remove spots of soluable grease and fat. Organic solvents can be used for this purpose without damage to the fabric or colors. The room, however, must be well ventilated.
Absorbant powders, such as baking soda, may also be used effectively for surface brightening. Cleaning materials of this type have an important advantage over fluid cleaners. They do not leave a ring and therefore the contrast between the cleaned and uncleaned portions of the carpet is less noticeable. Strong soap and solvent solutions are to be avoided because of slow drying and the deposit of residual fats which tend to collect dust rapidly. Ammonia solutions may change or remove colors, and are to be avoided.
This cleaning program is adequate for most carpets and most exposures, but certain fabrics may require additional cleaning. In this group are light colored or white rugs and luster type rugs in which the luster is produced by complete cleanliness of the fibers all the way to the base of the pile tufts. In such cases the cleaning should be entrusted to an expert who uses adequate methods.
Small repairs
If the tape binding on your carpet becomes loose, the manufacturer will be likely be glad to end you instructions for its repair. For this reason, identification labels on rugs and carpets should be kept on, for reference purposes.
Where small areas of the rug's surface have been crushed by furniture or the shuffling of feet, you can bring the pile back to normal by applying a hot iron on a damp cloth. Brush the pile briskly after this, and repeat if the crushing is excessive. Rug corners which curl can also be remedied by applying a hot iron on a damp cloth to both the face and back of the carpet.
Spots and Stains
If you've ever accidentally spilled something on a new rug or carpet, or tracked in something that stained the carpet, you well know the feeling of disappointment that resulted. But there's really no need to be too alarmed. Most spots and stains can be removed satisfactorily on locations by using commercial cleaning solutions or organic solvents which will not damage the rug or its colors. Most quality carpets are produced with dyes that are extremely resistant to changes by foreign materials, especially if these materials are removed quickly. When spots or stains do happen, as they will in the best regulated homes, you can remove them as follows...
1. Act quickly, to "catch" the spot before it has a chance to set into the body of the carpet. The short lession on how to get out carpet stains: act fast! The longer you delay, the more difficult removing carpet stains becomes. And there are no stain-proof carpets.
2. Use a clean absorbant cloth or white blotting paper to blot up liquids as soon as possible. If semi-solid materials have been spilled scrape up the excess with a spoon, a dull knife or spatula. Blot liquids - do not rub them in! Repeat if necessary remembering to remove more of the stain, but do not scrub the area or you may damage the carpet and set the stain in more permanently.
3. If the carpet has been wet through to the back, blot the pile surface as dry as possible with an absorbent cloth or blotting paper, and if possible, raise the carpet to let the back dry. For rapid drying, place a small fan to blow air along the back or under the rug where wet.
4.. Dried solids should be broken up and vacuumed. Repeat until it is all gones, then rinse with water and blot dry.
5. If the nature of the stain is unknown first sponge the spots with water.
6. Solvent cleaners are preferred on frieze or twistpile carpets. If water or water solutions are used, avoid excessive rubbing on the pile surface when it is wet.
7. Stains caused by household pets or by spillage of alkaline substances such as soap or cleaning solutions can sometimes be treated successfully with a warm dilute solution of white vinegar. Carpeting in the green, blue and rose taupe shades need particular protection if used where household pets may cause stains, or where other substances may be spilled frequently.
A Carpet Stain Removal Secret
One of the most useful tools for removing carpet stains is a shop-vac or small wet-dry hand vac. With a wet / dry vacuum cleaner, you can quickly suck up spills, but more importantly, you can repeatedly flush the area with water and suck it out. This is much more efficient than blotting with a cloth, and less likely to cause damage to the carpet. In most circumstances, flushing is only recommended with cold or luke warm water.
Of all the carpet stain removers, water is the one to try first! Virtually all others can damage your carpet. Many of them are caustic, like bleach, and will remove the dye from the carpet if not used properly. They generally don't become inert, so they continue to damage your carpet over time if they are not rinsed out completely, so again, try water first.
When Water Won't Remove Carpet Stains
Many of the commercial carpet stain removers work well, but some are designed for particular types of stains, so read the label. Also, some will work better or worse on a particular type of carpet, so pre-test the product in an inconspicuous area. To do do this, apply several drops of the solvent to your carpet, then press a white cotton cloth on the area for fifteen seconds. Examine the cloth to see if there is color transfer from the carpet, and examine the carpet for color changes or other damage. If there is any color transfer or damage at all, try a different stain remover.
To treat a spill or carpet stain, apply the cleaning agent to a white cotton cloth and work it into the spot gently. Work from the outside towards the center, so you don't spread the spot, and don't rub too hard. Blot the stain after a few minutes, then re-apply the solvent. A shop-vac or small wet-dry hand vac, if you have one, works better than blotting. Continue in this way until you no longer get a transfer of the stain to the cloth. If this doesn't remove all of the spot, other carpet stain removers can be tried.
Once you have removed as much of the stain as possible, rinse the area with cold water. Blot up the water or use your shop-vac or small wet-dry hand vac. Repeat, until you are sure all of the stain remover is out. You can use a stack of plain white paper towels with a weight on them to soak up the last of the water. Also, a fan will help speed up the drying time. Fast drying prevents any remaining stain that is deep down in the carpet from wicking up to the surface.
Woolite, Orvus, and Dawn dish washing detergent (a few drops in a cup of water) makes a decent carpet stain remover. It works especially well on greasy stains (maybe a teaspoonful to a cup of water). Use Woolite, Orvus or the original blue Dawn, and follow the process outlined above.
Specific Stains
Specific recommendations for carpet stain removal are listed below for each type of carpet stain. It is recommended that you read that page first in any case, so you are familiar with the general guidelines for carpet stain removal.
Acidic Substances: Strong acids are found in batteries, some tile cleaning compounds, and some drain cleaners. Refer to the page; How To Clean Carpet Stains: Acids, for detailed removal instructions.
Bleach: Bleach stains on carpet can't be removed, since the dye has actually been removed from the carpet. A carpet cleaner that does dyeing can spot-dye the bleached area to match the surrounding carpet.
Blood: Blood stains on carpet will come out if you get to them quickly. Heat will set the stain, so use only cold water with your cleaning solution. For complete instructions, see the page; Blood Stain Removal.
Burns: See the page; Carpet Burns - How To Repair Them. This covers genearl burns and cigarette holes.
Chewing Gum: See the page; How To Remove Chewing Gum From Carpet.
Coffee: Use carpet coffee stain removers sold at Walmart and other stores. You can also try white vinegar. Heat the area with a hot, wet cloth, dab with vinegar, rinse, extract, and repeat. Dry the carpet well when you are done.
Dye Stains: Dyes from medicines, foods, cosmetics, crayons and other household products can each react differently with carpet. If the stain is permanent, it may be possible to hide it by spot-dyeing. Call a carpet cleaner that does this.
Fingernail Polish: Apply non-acetate fingernail polish remover to a white cotton cloth and dab the area, working from the edges towards the center. Leave it for a few minutes, then blot it, rinse it, blot it, and repeat if necessary.
Ink: See the page; How To Remove Ink Stains From Carpet.
Kool Aid: See the page; Kool Aid And Other Red Stains In Carpet.
Mustard: Depending on the type of mustard, it may be necessary to cut out the stain and insert an undamaged piece of carpet. Try general cleaning procedures first.
Red Stains: See the page; Kool Aid And Other Red Stains In Carpet.
Red Wine: Extract the remaining liquid (blot or vacuum). Apply white wine. This recreates the initial conditions, especially on old stains, making it easier to remove. Extract and repeat, or do this in conjunction with a commercial spot cleaner. Rinse well and dry the carpet quickly.
Rust: If it is a fresh stain, try general cleaning procedures. Professionals can remove almost all rust stains, but the chemicals used are somewhat hazardous for casual use.
Urine: See the page; How To Get A Urine Stain Out Of Carpet.
Wax: See the page; How To Get Candle Wax Out Of Carpet.
Further Care
Moth Protection
Moth damage should have few dangers for you if your carpet is exposed to light and air every day and regularly cleaned with an efficient vacuum cleaner. The spots to watch, however, are those portions of the carpet which extended under chests, cabinets, and other heavy furniture which is not regularly moved for cleaning. The turned-under portion of wall-to-wall carpeting is also subject to attack by the webbing moth and carpet beetle.
Thorough and frequent cleaning with a vacuum cleaner is the best way to prevent moth damage to floorcoverings in use. Occasional cleaning of the back, when possible, is also advisable. Heavy furniture should be moved now and then, and the carpet under it thoroughly cleaned. These recommendations apply to stain carpet as well.
Moth proofing treatments are sold by many stores and may be provided by a local professional rug cleaner. To date, none of these have proven to be completely effective and most remain nothing more than a gimick to gain a customer's money.
If rugs are to be stored, or if certain rooms are to be closed for a lengthy period, the floorcoverings should be completely and thoroughly cleaned, face and back with a vacuum cleaner. They may be sprinkled or packed with moth-repelling material such as napthalene or paradichloro-benzene. Please note, there are significant health related dangers to the use of these products.
Should you have to resort to storing a rug or carpet, allow about one pound to each 9x12 foot rug. Roll the carpet and immediately wrap in a heavy breathe-able brown kraft paper. Fold at least 1 to 2 feet of excess paper inward before completing the roll. This will create a seal preventing a hole at either end of the rug. Seal the edge by wrapping the end of the roll with a quality tape.
Woolen lint, hair and dust accumulation in floor cracks and under the quarter round and base board provide a fertile breeding place for moth larvae and carpet beetles. Dog or cat hairs, if allowed to accumulate, will also furnish food for these insects. A program of good house-keeping, which includes regular cleaning, will prevent such sources of moth infestations.
We do not recommend insecticide treatments, fog bombs or other chemical methods of pest repellent inside your home. Proper cleaning can resolve 99% of all insect problems relating to your rugs or carpets. The health risks are simply too great.
Recommended Methods of Professional Cleaning
General Comments
There are many types of carpet and rug soil that may require special treatment, and there are also many methods of professional cleaning in vogue. However, the following suggestions are made with the average problems of the average homemaker in mind, as they relate to the usual methods of professional cleaning. While these recommendations will no doubt provide the greatest safety to floorcoverings in general, it is true that there are special cases where deviations from these general suggestions may prove useful. Such deviations should be used by you only on the advise of a reputable commercial cleaner, and at his or her responsibility.
Educated Opinion
Before continuing, Shaneybrook Inc. does not recommend or promote surface cleaning and/or most in-home cleaning methods. Shaneybrook soles promotes thorough hand-washing methods. For further information, please visit the cleaning services section of our website.
Dust Cleaning
Although dust cleaning is usually used before shampooing or solvent cleaning in commercial plants, it is frequently used alone, and with no additional processing. Compressed air is sometimes use, but more common are mechanical beaters, which, if in good condition, remove all or most of the heavy soil without damage to the rug. WIth proper equipment dust cleaning is safe and effective. It may remove most of the heavy soil but does not restore brightness of color to the fullest extent.
Solvent Cleaning
Not many plants are equipped to solvent-clean full size rugs, although where such equipment is available results are satisfactory and shrinkage and loss of surface texture are kept at a minimum. Solvent cleaning removes the natural oils from many natural fibers and can leave a rug brittle.
Shampooing (Hand Washing)
This is perhaps the most common process for rug cleaning. It is also considered the most satisfactory, from the standpoints of actually cleaning and brightening. Briefly, shampooing involves wetting out the rug with soft water. Then both face and back are shampooed with a solution of natural soap or synthetic detergent. Both face and back are then thoroughly rinsed, so that the soil and soap are completely flushed out. The excess moisture is then extracted with a squeeze roll or vacuum, and the rug is dried.
Thorough rinsing is imperative, to make sure that there is no residue of dirt or soap left in the pile. Residue and dirt artifacts are the most common complaint when rugs are improperly washed.
Next to insufficient rinsing, the most dangerous practice is the "acid rinse" which is often conducted by "oriental rug dealers" as an attempt to make rugs look older. Acid rinses are also called "antique wash" and "antique rinse". This results in breaking down the dyes and fibers of which the rug are made.
Forced hot air drying often continues damage started by inproper washing and/or rinsing. Temperatures should never exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit and careful attention must be maintained to control temperature and exposure to the heat over time.
In addition to the forced hot air, rugs and carpets are often hung to promote drying. If the rug or carpet is not properly cleaned and rinsed, the dirt soiling a rug often runs to the lowest hanging end of the rug. This can cause stretching and tearing of rugs and carpets as the weight of the water detrimentally impacts the foundation fibers that comprise the rug or carpet. When hanging is combined with forced hot air drying, breakdown and bleeding are also likely to occur.
Standard practice for disreputable cleaners is to use these above improper methods resulting in damage to the ends of rugs and carpets, particularly fringes. If fringes are soiled by dirty water running over and through them when hung and heated, bleach will be used to quickly strip the dirt from the fringe fiber. This most often results in the bleach disintegrating the fringe fiber and even wicking the bleach up into the foundation of the rug. The disreputable cleaner will often use this method to gain a surging or fringe replacement job from unsuspecting clients.
Reputable rug cleaner's plants will have alternative methods of drying, including natural flat drying techniques (though these are rare due to the extensive amount of space often needed).
Reputable rug cleaner's also take steps to limit and control shrinkage which occurs when any rug or carpet is properly cleaned. Shrinkage can range from 1% to 10% depending on the closeness of weave and certain other factors. This can be prevented by stretching the rug with appropriate professional equipment. Natural drying techniques can also be used as an alternative or in conjunction with the aforementioned professional equipment. Natural drying at room temperatures often dramatically reduces shrinkage which is more often associated with heating drying methods.
Shampooing often leaves some types of floorcoverings with less than their original stiffness. Some professional cleaners will encourage "resizing" the back of a rug (this is a form of starching). Most cleaners have suitable formulas, but if there is any question, the manufacturer of your rug will likely furnish this information on request.
Floor Shampooing (Surface Cleaning)
When carpeting is laid wall-to-wall, it is often impractical to take it up for proper cleaning. In these case, floor shampooing is frequently used. Generally speaking, this is a dangerous practice, and in the past has been the most widespread and serious cause of cleaning difficulties. It is, however today's most common of all cleaning methods.
With on-the-floor shampooing rinsing is impossible, and a residue of the cleaning material cannot be avoided. Due to chemical reaction between soap and dyed fiber, the soap breaks down leaving a residue of greasy material which causes rapid soiling and matting of the pile. This condition is minimized by use of some synthetic detergents, although even with these materials there is some greasy residue.
In addition to the residue left behind in the rug or carpet, the only method of drying is evaporation. This causes airborn exposure to the chemicals being sprayed and/or shampooed into the rug or carpet. Even with proper ventilation, the chemicals remain airborne for a significant period allowing exposure to the cleaner and the homemakers family and pets. Additionally, moisture is often trapped at the base of the rug or carpet foundation, if not beneath the rug or carpet. Though many synthetic detergents have inhibitors bonded with the detergent, rotting, mold and mildew are often given a thriving environment which is likely to lead to numerous problems for both the rug or carpet and the members of the household.
Where, for practical reasons, floor cleaning is imperative, the synthetic "sulphated-aliphatic-alcohol" detergents are recommended. These should be used in a machine which provides for close control of the quantity of cleaning solution and which removes any excess immediately after shampooing. With these precautions, the dangers of floor shampooing are at least minimized.
Re-Dyeing
Many types of floor coverings in good condition which have been indelibly stained or faded can be re-dyed to their original or other colors by commerical rug cleaners with facilities to do this.
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