Rug Cleaning

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> How to Prepare for Your Cleaning

Available Cleaning Methods

Wool, nylon, olefin, acrylic and polyester are used both in carpets and rugs. However, rugs (in contrast to broadloom carpets) are more likely to be made of delicate yarns such as wool, silk, or cotton.  Many rugs in the US are handmade rugs imported from around the world.  Also popular are rope or braided rugs, hooked rugs, and chenille rugs.  Wolfe Flooring has your solution whether you have an Afghan chubi, a Persian kelim, a Greek flokati (or, flocati), a Chinese soumak, an Indian dhurrie, or an American Karastan rug.

As mentioned, rug yarns are often more delicate than carpet yarns. We take this into account by using gentler cleaning solutions and

testing for color fastness

and modifying our techniques for each rug. Wolfe Flooring provides a few types of rug cleaning methods to better meet the needs of our different customers. The most popular method is our

truck mounted steam cleaning

. Steam cleaning is safe on all water safe yarns that have stable dyes. Temperatures are adjusted to maximize cleaning and minimize risk based on rug type. That standard includes most rugs. The following manufacturers of carpet and rugs products endorse steam cleaning (a.k.a., the hot water extraction method) as provided by Wolfe Flooring: DuPont, 3M, Queen, Honeywell (formerly, Allied-Signal), PatCraft, Designweave, I.I.C.R.C., C.R.I. (Carpet & Rug Institute), Wear-Dated by Solutia (formerly, Monsanto) and others.

A few rugs on the market these days are made of materials that cannot be safely or effectively cleaned:  kraft or wax paper, denim braided, jute, hemp, seaweed, grass, leather, and some silk.  In fact, if normal methods are used on these rugs, the results could be ruinous.  Customers should report fiber composition if known or documented on your purchase receipt.  Other factors that must be considered is whether a rug was re-colored or given a complete antique wash, tea wash, or herbal wash to over-dye the original colors.  The washes are sometimes done with dyes which are not permanent.  Other complications today are rugs fabricated using water-soluble adhesives.  Thankfully, these problems are rare, but as you might imagine Wolfe Flooring assumes no responsibility for manufacturing defects or dye instability.  We will test for color loss; however, dye migration may not be immediately evident.

We also provide a completely dry method and a hand cleaning method. Let us make a quick note about these other two methods before continuing the description of our steam cleaning. The

completely dry method

is for rugs with unstable dyes. A Certified Pile Brush is used to remove pet hair and other debris. The

hand cleaning method

is for rugs with very delicate structures. Gentle shampoos are carefully worked into the rug's yarn and then rinse out. For more information about these alternative methods please contact our office.

The Process

Each steam cleaning customer receives the same proven cleaning process. If the cleaning is done on-site, this process is modified to meet the needs of the customer.

1. Review scope of job and examine areas of special concern
2. Measure for total square footage and linear footage if the rug has fringe
3. Establish firm price
4. Test the rug for colorfastness
5. Safely shake sand from the rug
6. Apply heated rug pre-conditioner with the Hydro Force
7. Allow time for the pre-conditioner to begin to breakdown oils and soiling
8. Agitate the rug nap with pre-conditioner as needed
9. Extract and rinse with premium rug detergent powered by our truck mounted Prochem unit
10. Address areas of special concern
11. Groom the pile and fringe with a

    carpet rake

12. Hang the rug in secured storage to air dry
13. Clean the fringe the second time for added brightness
14. Hang the rug in secured storage to air dry
15. Review job's success with customer
16. Finalize billing

Other frequently desired products and services

• Completely flush the rug and apply enzyme treatment to eliminate organic odors (e.g., pet urine)
• Apply Teflon Advance™ by DuPont® soil protection
• Apply mildewcide to kill or prevent mold and mildew
• Remove stains with special chemicals and the heat transfer method

Equipment

It is critical to have the right tools. Therefore, we use a complete array of powerful and technologically advanced equipment.

Wolfe Flooring provides steam cleaning by Prochem. Prochem is the

largest manufacturer

of cleaning equipment and accessories in the world. The Bruin II is a sophisticated steam cleaning unit designed by Prochem to clean all types of residential and commercial facilities. The Bruin II is a

dual-wand unit

, which means our cleaning system has suction ability strong enough for two technicians to clean off the same unit at the same time. The following are key features and benefits we are able to provide you.

• The Bruin II has a liquid cooled Kabota three cylinder

  gasoline engine

  , a very heavy engine necessary to provide the incredible extraction ability for which the Bruin II is designed. 
• The

  suction (or extraction) power

  is well indicated by the length of hose the Bruin II can efficiently use, that being 400 feet. That's the length of a football field plus another 100 feet. The vacuum strength of our cleaning system allows us to flush a lot of fluid through a rug and still leave it only damp.
• The

  application pressure

  of the spraying jets is 3.4 g.p.m. at 1,000 p.s.i. That means we're capable of pressure washing a sidewalk. When providing steam cleaning, high application pressure allows us to penetrate through the rug yarn to get the deeper sediment.
• Our cleaning system has a

  temperature range

  of up to 230 degrees, which is literally the ability to produce raw steam. Such a high temperature would never be used on rugs, but high temperatures is the age old technique for residue removal whether you're cleaning laundry, dishes or rugs. Be assured that we adjust the temperature as needed depending on the individual rug.

Cleaning Solutions

We use minimum residue cleaning solutions specially formulated for maximum results. (Low quality products leave residues that cause fibers to re-attract soiling more quickly.) About 95% of our supplies are from Prochem (i.e., the world's largest manufacturer of cleaning equipment and accessories) and other name brand manufactures including DuPont, Unsmoke, Matrix, Chemspec, and more. The cleaning solutions is a place where some disreputable companies choose to cut corners. We do not! Click to read more about the safety of our products. Click to read more about additional products available like spot remover, odor elimination, soil protection, underlayment and more.

In Preparation for On-Site Your Rug Cleaning

Please allow us to communicate a few important points that should prove very helpful if you're having your rugs cleaned

on-site

.

CAUTION!

Once we begin your rug cleaning, we will apply special pretreatments and rug solutions that are VERY SLIPPERY. Please take special caution when stepping off of the rug onto a hard surface such as ceramic tile until the rug is completely dry. Also, the vacuum hose and solution line and other tools can pose TRIP HAZARDS. PLEASE BE CAREFUL.

CHILDREN AND PETS.

Please secure your small children and pets from following us out of your home while the exterior doors are open.

DRYING TIME.

The drying time for most rugs is between 2 to 8 hours, depending on the thickness of the rug, the yarn type, the volume of air circulation, the temperature and the relative humidity in the room. You may wish to improve the drying time by setting the temperature to about 70 degrees and turning on ceiling fans. Colder air will draw moisture out of your rug. Small amounts of moisture may remain at the base of the rug yarn beyond 8 hours.

FURNITURE STAINS.

Some furniture made of wood or metal can create permanent stains if placed on a damp rug. It is best to allow the rug to dry without any furniture on it. If circumstances require us to put your furniture back on the damp rug, we suggest that you not remove the protective plastic slips or Styrofoam blocks that have been placed under your furniture until the rug is fully dry. We also suggest that you not sit on the furniture protected by Styrofoam blocks until the blocks are removed. Readiness can be determined by sticking your fingers deep into the nap to feel for moisture. (CAUTION! Plastic slips and Styrofoam blocks can pose a serious risk for children and pets.)

RESOILING.

After we leave, the rug will be damp. It's best to avoid foot traffic until the drying is complete. Rugs resoil more quickly while damp.

PRODUCTS.

If you purchase additional spotting products or bottled treatments, please use them according to the directions on the bottles.

FREQUENCY.

There is no set rule as to how often rugs should be cleaned. Frequency of rug cleaning varies due to the quality of the rug, the amount of foot traffic, whether the rug is protected by Scotchgard™ or Teflon™ or not, the frequency of vacuuming, the number of young children and pets, etc. Rugs should generally be cleaned before the soiling becomes noticeable. Sand and grit accumulates at the base of the rug pile before it's noticed at the top of the rug tufts. Sand and grit are abrasive to the rug yarn, thus shortening the rug's life span. Your customer care guide/warranty supplied by the manufacturer may specify a maximum length of time in between professional rug cleanings.

FUTURE SCHEDULING.

If you would like your rugs cleaned on a routine basis, you may call our office at 813-989-2101. Please mention to our representative that you would like your rugs cleaned on a 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, or 18 month basis. The need for cleaning will vary significantly between residential and commercial customers.

Click on

cleaning guarantees

to learn more.
Click on

commercial clients

to read a special note about your commercial cleaning.
Click here for

Rug Maintenance

.