Finally I air dust the front face fibres of the rug to get the last small particles of dust soiling that is locked into the fibres. Using air to remove as much soiling (Dry particulate matter) before I wash the rug. Natural fibres such as wool do not show abrasion like other synthetic fibres do! But that does not mean that the surfaces of the fibres are not abraded. Wool does an excellent job of hiding soil but because the fibres do not show the abrasion, it is not apparent. One of the biggest problems is that most of us will not clean something unless it looks dirty. The dry soil works its way down to the base of the fibres and as you walk on the rugs that soil has a way of chafing or sawing at the base and as I stated above, the rug will eventually become threadbare.

Fringes are cleaned by hand using specialist cleaning methods and chemicals with WoolSafe for wool or haitian cotton cleaner for cotton fringes and so on,they are then immediately dried.

I gently scrub up the rugs using a lot of shampoo designed especially for Oriental rugs. In this step, there could be a variation in chemistry depending on the type of rug and the d
yes used. It’s an extension of what we do to clean our own hair?

1) Thoroughly wet hair,

2) lather with shampoo,

3) rinse and

4) repeat.

As a professional rug cleaner I often wet, lather, rinse and repeat. Whist cleaning both sides of the rug as well as the backing material permits me to do so. Applying a conditioner where needed depending on the fibre.

The rugs are taken to our drying room, rugs are hung vertically by one end. By hanging the rug by one end the shrinkage is greatly minimized. Even though the rug is not dripping after it has gone through the wringing process it is still holding water and is therefore heavier than when it’s dry. Most Oriental rugs have wool in them, it can hold up to 25% of its weight in water without feeling damp.

Being a WoolSafe Approved Fibre Care Specialist, E113267. I know the weight of the damp rug hanging by one end keeps a pressure on the rug that minimizes the contraction or shrinkage of the rug. Not all rugs should be hung due to their construction, this is picked up in the ID inspection process. With floor drying or flat drying there are some that need to lay flat to dry due to their construction. When operating the drying room it is heated to anywhere from 30°C to 40°C depending on the types of rugs being dried. There are large fans that move the air and rugs to maximize the rapid drying process, along with dehumidifiers to remove the excess moisture from the air. A large thick rug can be dry in a few hours.