Rug Cleaning Process

Regular professional cleaning prolongs the life and appearance of your valuable rug.  Proper cleaning will remove embedded soils and stains, help to return the rug to its prior luster, color, and design clarity through an improvement in overall appearance and useful life of the rug. This page will walk you through our process of cleaning rugs.

1. Inspection: First we learn about the history of the rug and what your specific concerns are whether it be for appearance, odor removal, maintenance or full restoration.  Then we do a thorough inspection or the rug and the fringe looking for any pre-existing conditions.  Click here to see the conditions we inspect for.  Finally we will help you decide which cleaning method is most appropriate for your rug and give you a price estimate.
2. Cleaning Authorization: We will review risks of cleaning and ask you to sign a cleaning authorization / release (Click Here To View PDF)
3. Pre Test: Before cleaning begins we identify each rug with a tag and the clients name test for colorfastness.
4. Vacuuming / Dusting: Then we pre-vacuum and dust the rug to remove dry soils.  A study done by the Eurkea Vacuum Cleaning Company revealed that a 9×12 rug can hold up to 87 pounds of soil without looking dirty. Most oriental rugs are made with wool fibers that naturally hide soil, this is why many old rugs still look okay. However, the dry gritty soil is silently damaging your rug.In village and tribal regions where rugs are made, the dirt and sediment is simply beaten out of the rug using a large stick and some elbow grease! This is a great way of extracting the grit out as it breaks the hard, encrusted layer of dirt found deep down in the backing of the rug. You might have even seen your Grandma using this method when you were little. Well fortunately times have changed. Referral uses a rug duster called The Rug Badger. It harnesses over 40,000 harmonic vibrations a minute, vibrating out even the most stubborn soil and sediments caught deep in the fibers of your precious rug!!! Some rugs can hold up to one pound of dirt per square foot before it will “look” dirty. Cleaning a rug with pounds of fine grit and dirt in the foundation creates mud…so dusting is an important first step to the wash process.

   Watch the Rug Badger in the video above. You will be surprised how much dirt is removed!

5. Cleaning: 
   
   1. Surface Cleaning:
      This method of cleaning can be done at our office or many times on site in your home by adjusting the cleaning temperature & pressure and by using cleaning solutions that are safe for natural fibers. Our trucks carry airmovers so we can speed dry rugs on location after cleaning. We do not over wet the rugs so there is no need to worry about damaging the floor surface under the rug.
      
   2. Full Immersion Wash:
      This method is appropriate if there are pet urine stains and odor or the rug has been damaged by smoke or a flood. Your rug is actually fully immersed or given ‘a bath’
      Some rugs can not withstand a full immersion wash and may be better suited for surface cleaning.
6. Fringes: If your rug has fringes, attention is given to cleaning them.
   

   
7. Grooming: Next we groom the fibers and fringes to facilitate drying and restore the nap.
8. Protector: We can apply Carpet Protection to help protect your rugs from resoiling or permanent stains.
9. Drying: Then we speed dry the rugs.
10. Post Inspection: All rugs get a thorough post-cleaning inspection for quality assurance.
11. Wrap: We roll the rugs, wrap and secure them in craft paper or plastic wrap, if needed, to protect them from re-soiling until they arrive at their final location.
12. Care Tips: We will provide you with a complimentary bottle of our spot cleaning product, Spot Out, that is safe for cleaning up small spots in between professional cleanings.  You can also learn rug care tips here.