Shaneybrook's museum approved restorative thorough hand washings
Technology daily changes and improves our lives. Unfortunately, not all technological innovations are truely improvements. The "carpet cleaning" industry is probably one of the best examples of this.
Shaneybrook's proudly embraces developments in technology that improve conservation and preservation techniques, handling of goods, and the treatment of goods. Today there is still only one singular method to successfully washing and thoroughly cleaning a rug, carpet, or textile -- the old-fashioned way.
The Shaneybrook process begins with a detailed examination of the rug, carpet or textile. Our conservators assess over 40 individual criteria, including condition, stains, odors, frayed or wear damaged areas, how the rug has been treated or cleaned in the past and an assessment of the materials and dyes used in making the item. These and many other factors help our cleaning team establish a beneficial conservation and preservation plan. Once a proper conservation and preservation plan is agreed upon by our conservation team and the client, our conservation team begins the work order.
A typical cleaning begins with a dust cleaning to remove as much of the gritty non-soluable dirt as possible. The non-soluable dirt contributes significantly to deterioration of the item. Grit slowly tears and grinds fibres and shreds spun fibres apart, often breaking the fibres during use.
Age, method of previous cleaning (if any), thickness, strength of structure/weave, condition of pile and material fibres, heat source residue/materials (oil, coal, dryness of fibres from forced air electric heat), amount of dirt, sand, grit, grease, animal hair oils, etc. All these must be taken into account when determining our "plan of attack".
Proper cleaning detailed in a photographic essay.
Using several rugs as examples of the many different matters of concern... a newer Karastan type rug or imported oriental may be heavily soiled and be structurally stable. A fairly aggressive commercial vacuum can be used to beat dirt out of the rug before the rug is wet down and washed. An older piece may require small structural repairs or stabilization, or it may be necessary to secure the item within two layers of nylon screen attached to non-stressing frame before any dust removal or washing can be considered. Similarly, an older American oriental or arts and crafts axminister or wilton rug may have its original mill labels. Most of these tended to be cloth or paper with a printed design and information. Many of these valuable labels will disintegrate or tear during washing. A screen will be carefully quilted over and around the label to preserve the label and prevent the entire label or sections from being rinsed away during washing.
Whether the rug, carpet, or textile is fairly new, old, or ancient, it is important to understand the item is soiled with many different layers (and possibly different kinds) of dirt. When dust cleaning and/or washing the item, each layer of dirt has to be carefully removed. The top most layer must be removed before the next layer and so forth. This can be a time-consuming and laborious process. The most important concern is to get the dirt out of the rug and give the item a new lease on life.
Now that all the pre-washing concerns have been addressed, the item can be submerged in ph controlled natural-spring water. This is most often accomplished with conservation tubs or (in the case of most rugs and carpets) on our specially designed large washing platform. Water is sprayed across the surface of the item to moisten the pile or surface fibres. This allows any loose soluble dirt to be washed off while allowing moisture to penetrate into the structure of the item. Once the item is completely wet, the pile or surface fibres are washed. This first washing can be accomplished with short or long natural bristled brushes, nylon-fibre brushes, or by literally messaging the fibres by hand. Each item has its own unique needs and concerns; our cleaning methods take all these variables into account.
Proper cleaning detailed in a photographic essay.
When washing, we most often use Orvus paste soap. This protein and lanolin based natural soap conditions the fibres in the rug and naturally returns the original lustrous character and richness of colour to the fibres. This is the only soap that is recommended by the National Institute of Textiles, the AIC, and conservation staffs at the most well-known museums and institutions. Orvus is the only soap that does not change the character of the fibre or in any way damage the fibre or dye.
Again, using the example of a rug or carpet, once the first washing of the pile or face-surface is completed, a long handled brushed aluminum squeegee is used to push the excess soap and freshly loosened dirt and grime from the rug or carpet.
An industrial strength web-pickup vacuum is then used to pull the remaining loosened dirt and soap from the pile or surface fibres. The combination of squeegee and vacuuming is extremely effective and greatly speeds up the time necessary in removing layer upon layer of dirt from the rug or carpet.
In the case of other textiles, natural or nylon fibre brushes may be used, but even the soft bristles may be too aggressive for the materials and/or item. In these cases, the nylon screen approach or gentle finger and hand message may be required. Rinsing and/or gentle vacuuming through the nylon screen and/or frame will be most effective removing dirt or soiling while keeping the item stable and even without creating any tension on the items materials or structure.
Now that the front of the item has been washed, the item is turned over, face down and the wetting and washing process beings again. Shaneybrook's is the only rug and carpet cleaner in the entire country that cleans the back of the rug. Washing the back of the rug or carpet (or textile) is essential to removing all dirt from an item. Even the tightest of weaves eventually find dirt, grit and grime working its way through the structure. This washing removes the excess and loose dirt first and then allows the soap to penetrate into the foundation fibres, slowly conditioning with the natural protein and lanolin mixture. This process can reverse and treat dry-rot and stiffness of the structure caused by sizing, environmental conditions (such as heating) and general neglect. Orvus leaves most dry-brittle materials amazingly subtle and flexible.
Proper cleaning detailed in a photographic essay.
After the back of the rug is completed scrubbed, the rug is sprayed with water slowly allowing the soap to run through the foundation. This allows the soap and water to rinse dirt out of the structure and out through the pile, in the exact opposite method of how the item was soiled. Layer-by-layer the dirt slowly starts to rinse free. Grit and dirt from between the foundation fibres which normally would have no way to ever get free is slowly broken down and washed free.
The rinsing process eventually exhausts itself and no more dirt will rinse free. The item is turned over, face-up again and then vacuumed as before (to pull water and even more dirt from within the weave).
Most cleaners would now end their process feeling they've already spent far too much time on the item and choosing to work on volume rather than quality. Our staff often laughs and would proudly say: "now we're just getting started".
Without the excessive weight of the water, the rug, carpet, or textile is light enough to be turned over yet again, often being moved to an area where water can be rinsed through more effectively. Water is sprayed over the back-surface of the item and the water repeats the process of pushing soil, dirt, and grime out of the foundation and base of the pile/surface fibres and flushed out/off of the pile/surface. This thorough rinsing process will continue, often for hours until the water runs clear.
When the rinsing of the back is completed, the rug is turned over surface-up again. The squeegee pushes all remaining water from the pile/surface and the item is vacuumed once again. By now, layer-upon-layer of dirt has been scrubbed, dissolved, washed and rinsed free of the item. A lustrous sheen starts to emerge and the original colour strength is vibrantly showing. But we realize that the item could still look even better.
The pile/surface is wet again and the scrubbing brushes are soaped up and washed across the item one more time. This "final washing" still somehow manages to find loosened dirt coming from within the structure of the rug. The washing and scrubbing continues to no more dirt can be found. The squeegee again pushes the soap and dirt off the rug and yet another very slow vacuuming pulls dirt and water from inside the rug and the pile/surface.
Proper cleaning detailed in a photographic essay.
Not finding any more dirt, soil, or grime to be washed out of the rug, the final rinsing begins. Water is sprayed in heavier concentration across the pile/surface. The bubbling of the water as it hits the surface shows that there is no more dirt to be found and only the remaining soap is rinsed free. This last rinsing usually takes about 45 min. on an average 9x12 room sized rug. Once completed, the rug, carpet, or textile is vacuumed one more time to remove as much water from the item as possible. This last vacuuming will remove the weight of the water to allow the item to be moved without adding tension to the weave/structure of the item. It also helps speed up the drying process.
The item is laid out flat on our specially designed and patented drying racks (small four foot square modular units resembling trampolines). The item can dry naturally.
Most people trust when they take their prized rug, carpet, or textile to a "respectable oriental rug dealer" or "reputable rug cleaner" that the methods being used are in the best interest of the rug. Unfortunately this assumption couldn't be more incorrect. 99% of all rug cleaners only surface clean your items (by steam extraction or "plant" method or a combination of both), though they often purport to doing the work by hand. The few that do wash by hand never clean the back of the rug or thoroughly rinse their detergents and chemical soaps from the rug. If your rug dealer/cleaner claims to do their work by hand, make arrangements to sit and watch their process as its being done. If you get an excuse or a run-around, you'd be think before leaving your item in their hands.
The average rug dealer/cleaner uses commercial surface cleaning machines similar to the consumer Hoover and Bissel machines. Rugs, carpets and textiles are cleaned in only 5 to 15 minutes using harsh chemical detergents designed for cleaning only modern petroleum based synthetic fibres (like those in 99% of all wall-to-wall carpets). When the item is completed, it is hung in a drying room and bombarded with forced hot air. Hanging the rug causes all the dirty water remaining in the foundation and base of the pile/surface fibres to run to the ends causing the rug to stretch, buckle and sometimes tear. The dirty water runs out the ends of the rug leaving the fringe and salvage looking miserable. To brighten the fringes and salvages, the cleaners then treat the ends with bleach to whiten or light it accordingly, making it appear bright and clean. The bleach dries out cotton fibres (disintegrating wool fibres). Cotton foundations wick the bleach into ends of the item and quickly begin the deterioration process. The rug dealers and cleaners don't mind the damage at all. The deterioration of the fringe and foundation will allow him the opportunity to replace your fringe (and charge you for it) the next time you have your rug cleaned. If this sounds devious and unethical, it is.
Shaneybrook's does not use or employ any steam extraction methods, detergents, optical enhancers, or chemical cleaning agents during our cleaning processes. All other cleaning methods significantly cut short the process leaving dirt, soil, grime and soap in the item. This causes the time to look dull, so other cleaners use optical enhancers and agents to reduce some of the soap residue. These agents are left in the item causing deterioration of fibre and dye. Soap residue, in combination with other chemical agents contribute to and accelerate dry rot of pile/surface materials and foundation materials which become dry and brittle over time.
Optical enhancers are used to create an artificial "sheen" to the pile or surface fibres of an item. During the cleaning, the harsh commercial detergents and cleaning chemicals weaken and strip dye from the fibres. Optical enhancers are added to the cleaning solution to penetrate the fibre and wick the dye to the surface of the fibre. This gives the impression of greater colour vibrancy and intensity. With each washing, dye is wicked to the surface of the fibre and removed from the rug causing the colours to fade out of your item(s).
Shaneybrook's is a Textile Specialty Group member of the A.I.C. (The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works) and an associate professional member of Conservators In Private Practice.
In keeping with the ideals and goals of these organizations every member of our staff is sworn to uphold the AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice.
Please also see the AIC Guide: Selecting a conservator.
Shaneybrook's is also recognized by the National Institute of Textiles (Washington DC).
A.I.C. - the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works.
