Frequently Asked Questions About Oriental & Area Rugs

Referral has experience cleaning various styles, types and fibers of rugs from around the world.

1. Some conditions cannot be corrected with cleaning. Our results may be limited by the conditions and nature of an item being cleaned.  We cannot be held responsible for pre-existing conditions, manufacturer / use related problems or limitations caused by unusual conditions.  Preexisting conditions are noted upon initial inspection but some conditions may not be noticed until during / after cleaning or upon closer examination.
2. Urine Stains / Odor: There can be no guarantee on odor removal, ever. The only way urine odor can be removed from a rug is by fully immersing the rug.  Urine can damage the dye/fiber bond causing the colors to bleed and causing the deterioration of fibers.
3. Occasional Cleaning Effects: In rare cases cleaning can cause shrinkage, buckling, cellulosic browning, texture change, splitting / fraying / deterioration / disintegration of worn or aged fibers, delamination / backing separation, texture change, discoloration of the backing, latex odor, and / or the appearance of white knots. Additionally, pooling / shading may become more highlighted with cleaning.
4. Colorfastness: Colorfastness varies depending on the materials and dyes used in manufacturing. We test rugs for dye stability before cleaning and take appropriate precautions to mitigate dye migration.  However on occasion the dyes in a rug behave in a way that we could not anticipate.  Fugitive / Migrating / Bleeding dyes could occur during cleaning.
5. Fringe: Heavily soiled fringe requires a more aggressive cleaning method which could result in the fringe tassels untying or the end of the rug to pull away/unravel.
6. Specialty Spotting: We cannot guarantee 100% removal of all spots / stains.  This especially applies to natural fibers because of their absorbency and sensitivity.  Previous use of store bought spot cleaners with high alkalinity can damage the fiber or discolor/bleach the color. Aggressive products required to remove some difficult stains have the possibility of removing color.

To view our complete rug inspection and cleaning release form click here. If you have any concerns about a particular piece you own, we will be more than happy to discuss the potential risks involved more thoroughly and to greater length with you over the phone. Please Contact Us!

Yes, A full immersion wash with a deodorizing solution will remove pet urine odor.  However, some risks may be involved.

We do offer a rug pick up and delivery service to and from your home. If this is your preferred method call our office to schedule an appointment at 260-483-4383.  Then if possible, move any furniture off of the rug before our arrival and have the rug vacuumed.

No, please bring only the rug and leave the rug pad at your home.  If you need new rug pad we can cut one to custom fit your rug.

1. Vacuum the rug
2. Clear furniture off of the rug so its ready for us to roll up

We do not repair rugs at Referral.  We have contacts in the United States that could assist with extensive repairs.  Locally in Fort Wayne you can contact:

1. Bob at Aarons Oriental Rug Gallery  (260) 422-5184 www.aaronsorientalruggallery.com for repair of hand knotted rugs.
2. Patty with A to Z Binding  (260) 691-3515 for Binding/Surging of carpet remnant edges or installation of new fringe.

It depends.  If your rug is being surface cleaned  it can be done at our office or it may be able to be cleaned on site, right in your home.  When cleaning rugs on location at your home we like to clean rugs over a wall to wall carpeted area if possible.  The most through cleaning method, full immersion, is accomplished in-plant and is necessary for pet urine odor removal, heavily soiled fringes, or rug dusting. Click here to learn more about our rug cleaning process. You may drop your rugs off directly at our office / cleaning facility at 2901 Parnell Ave, Fort Wayne, IN 46805. When you arrive we can help you load and unload the rug into our garage located in the rear of our building.