The Persian Rug Cleaning Process

Vacuuming..?

• Merely vacuuming the rug or manually beating it will not remove all the dry soil. We use an industrial dusting machine which 'shakes and beats' the dust and debris out of the foundation of the rug at speed. We are one of only a handful of companies in the South Africa to use a mechanical beating system.
• So remember, we don't just clean rugs to improve the appearance on the surface. Mechanical Beating is the most effective way to extend the life of your rug by removing the abrading dry soil which acts as sandpaper and causes natural fibres to break down.

Thorough high pressure wet clean
Not just a surface clean...

Using cold water and pH correct shampoos. Agitation is needed using specialist machines with soft brushes. This system of washing is the safest and most effective way to clean the rug as it doesn't rely on using hot water or steam, in line with wool safe guidelines, or indeed any harsh alkaline chemicals. Full water saturation also means the rug is cleaned all the way through to the backing and the fringes are thoroughly soaked. We do not just give the rug a surface clean using extraction machines designed for wall-to-wall carpet care.

Advantages of a full immersion wash...

• The most thorough system of rug cleaning: The entire rug is immersed in water
• Very safe to fibres: The water acts as a 'buffer' when using specialist soft brushing machines for agitation
• Wool safe guidelines observed: Only  pH correct shampoos and cold water used
• Fringes: Leaves much cleaner fringes than with any other cleaning system

We carry out all these procedures....

• We shampoo both sides of the rug
• We shampoo the fringes
• We use oxygenated high pressure water through the rug to open fibres
• We use air compression  to remove emulsified soil
• The next step in the process utilises pressurised clean water rinsing to remove all cleaning residues before drying.

Why rugs must be rinsed properly...

• After the full wash the rug will need to be rinsed with fresh water, using our water injection system. Without a thorough rinse process the rug will retain emulsified soil and shampoo in its fibres. This will leave a sticky residue which will cause rapid re soiling of the rug once dry.
• You wouldn't dry your clothes before thoroughly extracting the excess water, would you...?
• Once the rug is rinsed all excess water is vacuum extracted from the rug. A rug which is left soaking wet for too long can develop a whole range of problems such as distortion, browning, and dye migration to fringes to name a few. 
• Your rugs safety is our priority at every stage of the cleaning process...

Hanging & Drying

Once rugs have been fully rinsed of all excess moisture, must be hung to dry.

The quicker they dry, the safer...

Rugs which are left drying for days in humid conditions are at a much greater risk of developing unwanted results such as browning and dye bleed. Our approach is to hang rugs in our drying area. Because they are hung up, air is able to pass over both sides of the rugs.

Fringe Finishing & Grooming
Attention to detail makes all the difference....
Pile Grooming

• Once cleaned, the nap needs to be groomed with soft brushes in the correct direction before the rug is finished. This procedure ensures that the pile will reflect light in one direction and minimise shaded areas after drying. The more thorough the grooming process, the better the appearance and feel of the rug once dry.
• Fringe Finishing
• Once rugs have been cleaned and dried the fringe are inspected to ensure that it is as clean as possible. However if for any reason after cleaning the fringe remains slightly soiled, we use specialist solutions to enhance its appearance and  re-clean by hand.

Nobody likes the look of a discoloured fringe...

• We feel that a rug is not 100% clean unless special attention has been paid to the fringe. We can rectify common fringe discolouration problems such as dye migration and cellulosic browning. Because fringe is very often made of cotton, specialist procedures need to be used in order to enhance its appearance without causing long term structural damage. Your rug’s safety is always our priority and so we never use chlorine bleaches which unfortunately are still being widely used in the industry.