Today I am very much enjoying my job. I just had a client bring in five area rugs for cleaning and we had a great discussion about them. I gave her a little lesson in the different types of area rugs she had. I pointed out the reasons why her area rugs were Persian, Turkish, Afghan, Tibet, Pakistan. Her area rugs are very unique. The weaver changed colours half way through the making of the rug, but it doesn't detract from the look of the rugs at least her and I didn't think so.
Everything I said I liked about her area rugs was the same as her reasons for liking the rugs as well. I didn't take any pictures of them yet because I have been busy and now they are at our cleaning plant, so it will have to wait until they come back clean. The pictures will look better after the cleaning. I enjoy sharing my knowledge about area rugs and in turn hearing the clients stories about their rugs. I love hearing where they got them, the personal history and why they love their rugs.
I wanted to talk about how to treat spots. When we spill something on an area rug, or anything else for that matter, our technique can do more harm than good. When attempting to remove a spill we usually scrub at it and do not think about it what we may be doing to the fibers. Rubbing at a spot in a circular motion can leave a permanent texture difference, especially on area rugs. The best motion to use is straight lines going north to south and then east to west. This way we are going in the direction of the area rug fibers.
Another tip is to make sure the spot remover you are using is safe for wool. Most spot removers are made for synthetic fibers, so look to make sure it has the wool symbol or says it is safe to use on wool. No matter what spot remover you use ALWAYS do a colour fast test first, wet a white cotton towel and press it hard onto the area rug to see if there is any transfer of colours. If you get transfer the colours will bleed and that is permanent!
Spot removal is one of those area that I don't like to give advice on because it always comes back to bite you. These tips are suggestions only and I take no responsibility for the results, neither does Luv-A-Rug. There are too many variables to give advice on spot removal. What was done to the area rug in the last 6 months? What else has been tried to remove the spot? Did the manufacture add something to the rug when it was made? Every area rug reacts differently even if they are made the same and have the same spill happen. Unfortunately there is no magic way to remove spots it always seems to come down to luck when you try it yourself.
Stains on the hand are permanent. They may lighten but they never go away, that is way they are named stains. Re-dying can be done to the area, that will fix the issue, but can get pricey. Please avoid using baking soda on wool. The bi-carbonate can leave a yellow stain.
A safe spot remover is the one that we, at Luv-A-Rug, make ourselves. Come on in and pick up your free bottle of spot cleaner today!
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary
