Victoria, BC source for Cleaning and History of Area Rug Carpets

Save your wool rugs get your air ducts cleaned

2011-08-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

Now you maybe wondering how getting your air/furnace ducts cleaned will save your wool rugs. It is simple MOTHS!

All spring and summer when you haven't been using the heat, organic dust, hair and allergens have been collecting in the ducts. When you turn on the heat in the fall all of that dust and allergens gets blown in to your rooms along with any moth eggs and larva that may be feeding on the dust.

Clothes Moth Larva eating a wool rug

Not only is breathing in all that dust not healthy, but the moths need to find a new source of food. It will be your wool area rugs. Moths like dark, undisturbed, dirty areas of rugs. When you have furniture on your rugs or have your rug near air/heat vents this makes for a great place for them to eat your rug without you knowing it until it is too late.

In Victoria the clothes moth runs rampant damaging wool area rugs all year round. In the month of July 2011 alone Luv-a-rug received over 20 rugs that had moth damage. That is too many rugs, in my opinion, to have been victims of the clothes moth.

It isn't because of poor cleaning habits by the owners, it is caused by the female moth being sneaky and laying her eggs on the back of the rugs, but mostly because the rugs were not cleaned before they were stored and improper storage.

When I talk about storing a rug I don't mean in a storage locker or garage. When I say storing a rug I mean not using a rug for weeks to years and just having it rolled up or folded and put out of the way. No matter what the reason for you not using your rug, puppy training, renos, moving, too big for your home, you need to get the rug cleaned and wrapped properly so that moths and other pests don't make your rug their home.

Summertime is the best time to get your air/furnace ducts cleaned because it isn't busy right now. Once the colder weather hits everyone will be getting their homes ready for winter. There is nothing wrong with getting things done early.

Luv-A-Rug recommends Sunny Carpet and Air Duct cleaning. In Victoria call 250-384-7951, in Nanaimo 250-755-1128, in Duncan 250-746-1888, in Parksville/Qualicum 250-954-3491.

Here's to clean, moth damage free rugs, RugloverMary,

Customer Service is about Service- A Shag Rug Story

2011-06-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

At about 2:20pm, June 2nd 2011, a lady came into Luv-A-Rug carrying her rolled up shag rug. I greeted her and told her that she had a great coloured shag. It was a charcoal grey and cream polypropylene shag rug that she bought from Scan Design in Millstream Village.

She said that her rug was new and it had a small yellow spot from where her friend had dropped a hotdog with ketchup and mustard on it. She wanted to know if we could just spot clean the area.

With it being a quiet day I said that I would try just using our own spotter and see what would come off if she had the time. She said yes she did, so I sat down and started spot cleaning the area.

As I was doing it I explained to her that whenever she had to clean up a spot on her shag to always wipe from the bottom of the fibers to the top as to now cause the pile to distort.

We sat there on her shag and had a good discussion about her shag, Scan Design and coffee tables, as she had ordered one from Scan design to go with her rug. I had also found 30 cents and 3 bobby pins in her shag and I explained the best way to care for her shag.

I said that Shags needed to be vacuumed and cleaned more often that regular pile rugs and once a month she should turn her rug upside and vacuum the back. Here is a video I did showing the best way to vacuum a shag rug.

I spent about 10-15 minutes sitting there chatting and cleaning the mustard off each individual fiber. With a shag that is how you remove spots and spills is to WIPE EACH FIBER FROM BOTTOM TO TOP. When you wipe against the fibers you are spreading the spill further and it makes the fibers fray open and not lay right.

I succeeded in removing at least 90% of all the yellow mustard from her rug and made it almost invisible when you looked at the rug. I had good success because the rug was a synthetic fiber, she did not try to remove the spot herself and she got the rug to us the next day after it happened.

The client was thrilled that I could get the spot out and explained how to take care of her shag. She was also happy that I wouldn't charge her for me doing it. It was such a little thing to do and took no time to do it that I didn't feel right asking her to pay. She also said that when she did need her rug cleaned that she would be bringing back to Luv-A-Rug. That is the best compliment ever!

She asked the best spot cleaner to use and my answer was water and a white cotton towel. Vinegar is good for urine, salt is good for red wine same with dry oats for wet spills, baking soda is BAD! as a spot cleaner for rugs. Adding anything else just makes a layered sandwich and can make a spot into a permanent stain.

Next time you get a food spill on your rug don't rub deeper into the rug. Wipe in the direction of the fibers in straight lines, blot, and if possible keep the area damp until you can get the rug in for cleaning.

Here's to spot free area rugs, RugloverMary

Have you taken your rug for a test sniff?

2011-06-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a comment I got on one of my previous about rugs with odours. I went to comment back and then realized that I had written a lot and decided to make a post of it instead. Here is the comment from Captain Rug Wash located in Plymouth, Devon, UK

"Great post Mary, I have many customers coming to me with smelly rugs. And I always have to tell them about the way they make the rugs and the latex used. I love the map you have as the background of your Blog. Keep up the good work Mary, I'm looking forward to the next installment.

With warm regards Captain Rug Wash"
Here is my response:

Thanks for reading my blog, I just popped over and viewed yours Andi. I hope that your Rugcare.TV is going well.

I have had a few tufted rugs come in last week that I could smell right away and when I mentioned it to the client they said that they couldn't smell it. Which to me seemed hard to believe since I was a few feet away and could smell the latex glue off gassing. In defense of the clients I have to say that when you get used to a smell in your home it is hard to notice it.

When one lady came in to pick up her clean tufted rug and she said that she did notice there wasn't a funny smell any more when she sat in her favorite chair. It was because the rug was not there. She asked about what kind of rugs she should buy and I showed her that any rug where you can see the pattern on the back is best and where in Victoria BC she can go to find good rugs to buy.

It would be nice if there were regulations enforced about the quality of materials companies used to make hand tufted rugs, but there is not...yet. If we as consumers would let rug galleries and manufactures know that we want quality area rugs then hopefully they would stop selling and making poor quality rugs.

Now not all hand tufted rugs have a bad smell and shed, but there are too many out there that the good ones get missed. I have written many blog post about hand tufted rugs and how to check to see if the one you want to buy is good. here is my checklist when buy rugs:

First make a claw with your fingers and scratch the rug in a circle and tug on the fibers, this will give you an indication if the rug will shed a little or a lot. All wool rugs will shed a bit, but if you can make a small fur ball of fibers you may want to keep looking.
Second bend the front of the rug back so you can see the bottom of the fibers and smell, yes smell, the rug. This will let you know if the rug has an odour from the latex glue. Also smell the back of the rug too to get a full sense of any pre-existing smells.
The last thing to check for is if the rug is crunchy sounding. To check this bend the corners up and down to listen for a cracking sound from the latex glue. Some glues dry out quickly and make the rug crunchy sounding. This may cause the rug to leave fine white dust on your floor. This dust is the glue breaking down and it never stops.

Clean of a tufted rug with any of these problems, shedding, smell or white dust, does not fix or stop them from happening again. When your tufted rug has any issues, it will always have these issues. That is why it is so important to really look, smell and touch the rug you want to buy. This goes for new rugs and second hand rugs.

You wouldn't buy a car without test driving it, or try on a new pair of shoes first so why buy an area rug without testing it too?

Here's to fresh smelling rugs, RugloverMary

Luv-A-Rug gets Rid of many different Odours from Area Rugs

2011-06-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

Today we have the theme day of smells and they are not pet urine smells. On this sunny day of May, Luv-a-Rug has received a Turkish rug that is a week old and got wet from an salt water aquarium.

The rug resides in a law firm here in Victoria and yesterday it was discovered that the fish tank had a leak and the rug was soaking up the water. There is no colour bleed. The lawyer who owns the rug rolled it up and called us immediately to pick it up, which we did first thing this morning.

Other than the rug smelling strongly of salt and algae there is no other water damage. Once we do a thorough rinse of the rug and dry it completely the rug will be nice and fresh to enjoy again.

The next smell we had was a carpet from a trunk of a car where gas additive leaked. The owner of the car tried to wash out the spill, but it wasn't budging. The smell got to be to the point where she couldn't have the carpet in her car at all.

She brought it to Luv-A-Rug for a deep cleaning. We can do a thorough wet wash on the trunk carpet because it is synthetic nylon. The only cleaning concern is there are three pieces of stiff under pad glued to the under side of the carpet. These may or may not remain glued on. This was explained to the client and if they do come off we can easy re glue them, or if they fall apart the client knows she can replace them.

Luv-A-Rug cleans car mats as well, if they are removable from your vehicle.

The third smell to come into Luv-A-Rug was a hand tufted rug with a strong latex glue smell. When they make hand tufted rugs they glue the fiber loops and the cotton backing on and this glue can give off a smell from moderate to very strong.

If your hand tufted rug has a latex smell it cannot be removed since it is part of the rugs construction. The best thing to do is when you are purchasing a rug with a cotton backing is to fold back the fibers and smell the rug. That way you will know before if the rug has an odour already.

No matter what odour your rug may have due to spills, pet accidents, or flooding chances are Luv-A-Rug has cleaned them all.

Here's to your rug not having an odours and being clean and healthy, RugloverMary

Area Rug Cleaning Gone for the Weekend

2011-05-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

So , it is Friday May 20th and the long weekend has started here for a lot of people in Victoria, BC. The community plaza where our office is has been pretty dead today, so how does one pass the time and be productive when all I really want is to be out enjoying the day?

Well first I vacuum and clean and organize everything I can, second I browse rug blogs and leave comments on ones that appeal to me and third I read one of the most definitive area rug books by Ellen Amirkhan and Aaron Groseclose, A Comprehensive Guide to Oriental & Specialty Rug Cleaning. I am trying to learn how to identify all the different types of Persian rugs.

I am having a hard time retaining all the different characteristics of Heriz, Shiraz, Tabriz, Bijar and many more Persian and Tribal rugs. To learn more about these Persian rugs the best website is by Barry O'Connell and that is where the above link will take you to.

I may never be able to remember how to tell the different Persian rugs apart, but just the fact that I know to identify between Persian, Turkish, Chinese, British Indian, Belgium is more than most people can do. I do know what a Hamadan Persian rug is and sometime I see a Nain Persian come in for cleaning, but because I don't see every type of Persian every day I tend to lose the identifying factors after I read them.

I, however, do not have a favorite type of Persian rug. I am embarrassed to admit this, but I like a Persian rug based mostly on the colours and design. Being in the rug cleaning business I feel like I should love all Persians because of the history and workmanship and I do appreciate that about Persian rugs. What I don't like is the almost over use of the colours of red and navy. After you see a hundred or so of red and navy Persians in a few months you grow bored of that combination no matter quality and history.

Now for those of you who own a Persian rug with the red and navy colour palette don't think that I hate your rug it is just not my choice of rug to personally own. We all have reasons for liking the area rugs we do and that is one of mine.

Here is to a nice and safe long weekend for those who get one, RugloverMary- picky Persian lover

Great Customer Care from Dyson

2011-05-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

It is good to know that there are still big companies that stand behind their products. Luv-A-Rug has recently found that out with Dyson Vacuum cleaners.

Just under three years ago, when we had to move locations, we bought a Dyson Vacuum cleaner from Mr Sweeper Vacuums. We loved our Dyson right away. It worked great at getting All the small fine dirt off our carpet in the office.

Now to be fair we do use our vacuum more than the average home owner, so after three years the bristles on the brush wore down. On Tues. May 3rd I called the Canadian Customer Service of Dyson and explained that we needed a new brush. The guy I spoke to said that they required us to send in our Dyson to get it replaced. I replied that it was just the brush that needed to be replaced and we had no problems with doing that ourselves.

He said that a new brush would be sent out and we should receive it in 7-10 business days. It arrived on May 10th, which is only 5 business days, a nice bonus.

Now changing the brush on our Dyson required two people, a screw driver, a few swear words, a few pinched fingers and five minutes. The reason it takes two people some effort to change the brush is you have to make sure the drive belt that rotates the brush doesn't snap back into the vacuum.

All went well and we have our Dyson vacuum working like new again. It is nice to know that when you buy a product and register it for the warranty that the company stands behind their warranty.

Here's to happy and clean carpets, RugloverMary.

Clean Rugs Equals Very Happy Clients

2011-05-03T17:04:00.000-07:00

It is so nice to see the sun on a more regular basis these days. My dogs have enjoyed going to the park to play instead of just the usual walk around the block. Hopefully you have been able to soak up some much needed rays as well.

Yesterday we made a couple of ladies very happy when they saw how beautiful their rugs looked after cleaning.

The first lady had a small beige 4x5 synthetic rug that came more grey than beige. When I rolled out the rug for her to see it after cleaning she looked at the rug longer than expected.
I asked her if there was something wrong with her rug.

She answered, "No. I just didn't know what the pattern colours were since it was so dirty." She had forgotten how pretty the deep red and sage green floral pattern was.

The second lady had a 9x12 wool Chinese hook rug. We have cleaned it for her in the past. Her dog had vomited very bright yellow on the rug and it was going to be a few days before she could get it to us. She lives up island, so she blotted up what she could using a small amount of a gentle laundry soap and a damp towel.. When I unrolled her rug there was no evidence of any yellow spots on her rug. She was thrilled.

That is the best part of my job is seeing people fall back in love with their area rugs.

Owning an rug is an investment and getting it cleaned helps prolong the beauty and usage of it. Not all is lost when something gets spilled on, a pet accident, or your rug gets flooded. Luv-A-Rug has cleaned just about every kind of accident that can happen to your rug.

Here's to many, many more happy clean rugs, RugloverMary

Luv-A-Rug's New Anniversary

2011-04-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

Today is April 26, 2011 and it is a new special day for Luv-A-Rug.

Three years ago, we had to find a new location after a fire damaged our building on Oak Street. It was very sad and unreal knowing that after over 20 years Luv-A-Rug had to find a new home. We did find a new home on June 9th, 2008 at 4144 Wilkinson Rd.

For me personally it was the first time I had to deal with a fire. Even though I had only been working for Luv-A-Rug a year at the time of the fire, it still hit me very hard, the boss was harder hit because Luv-A-Rug is his baby.

We would like to thank all of our loyal clients and welcome our new ones who have brought us their great area rugs for cleaning and repair in the last three years. Because of you we kept strong and made it through this awful ordeal. We look forward to cleaning many more rugs for you.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

A Narrow Point of View

2011-04-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

It bothers me that bad things travel like wild fire and good things get over looked. It really bothers me when people have narrow views, and don't look at the whole picture.

I follow the blogs written by Dr. K Sobhe who owns a rug gallery where he and his family sell, clean and repair area rugs in Los Angeles Ca. He is very educated and respected. On one of his blogs he got an anonymous comment that was overall not very nice.

The commenter said that Dr. Sobhe was too good to clean area rugs for Americans. The comment was very narrowed minded and false. I hate that I am playing into the trap and spreading the negative vibe even more, but I also feel like it needs to be out there so that people will stop judging each other.

I really wish that we looked into each other eyes and heart and not at the outside. Our self worth should not depend on our nationality, gender, the clothing labels we wear, the car we own, or the area of the world we live in.

I am sure that there are people living in poverty in Africa that are happier than most Canadians because their happiness isn't dependent on material stuff or status. We need to get back to the simpler things of love, family, nature and just being happy with who we are.

It also doesn't matter who you are that determines what you are passionate about. I am a woman and I love watching hockey, sports cars (mostly Mustangs), cooking, area rugs, poetry, science fiction, crocheting and shoes. According to this anonymous person I shouldn't like anything that is outside my gender or race. Sorry not going to happen. I don't want to live in the dark ages.

They mentioned that they would only buy area rugs from Iranians, but never get them to clean them, wouldn't the people who make the rugs know better than anyone how to clean and care for them?

You cannot group together certain types of people and say that they are all good or all bad, just like you cannot say that all area rugs can be cleaned the same way. We are all different and some day it would be great if we could all be equal.

Here's to a non-discriminate future, RugloverMary, passionate rug lover.

Luv-A-Rug working in Chaos

2011-04-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

Luv-A-Rug has a new look this Friday April 8th. It is only temporary though. There is a new business going in next door to us and they need to do some repair work to our adjoining walls.
The guys have taken all the precautions necessary to make sure that we will have as little disruption as possible.
That is why we have a lovely plastic wall. The office looks so much bigger when there isn't a lot of rugs in here. After they are done it will look the same as before.

It is a good week for them to do it as there are not a lot of rugs waiting to go home. It should only take 3-4 days for them to get it all done, which is good I am not looking forward to all the banging and dust.This will be my first renovation that I have to go through. Yes I know, shocking, but I have never had to live through my house, or place of work being renovated. Lucky I know. I hear the stories of renos gone bad from our clients and hope that I never have to go through that kind of stress.

Next week, April 12-16, when you come in to Luv-A-Rug don't worry we are still running business as usual of cleaning and repairing your area rugs.

Here's to a speedy reno, RugloverMary

How many times does your rug need to be cleaned?

2011-04-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

This past week I have noticed that I keep surprising our clients when I tell them how long it takes to clean their area rugs. Here is a typical conversation with a client dropping off a rug for cleaning:

Client, "When will my rug be ready?"

Me, " It can take 4-7 days depending on how many times your rug needs to be cleaned."

Client," Really? So you clean it more than once?"

Me, " Yes we clean it as many times as needed to get all the dirt and/or odour out."

Client, " That is good to know. I appreciate that you thoroughly clean my rug."

Your area rugs may not look that dirty, but once we start our cleaning process of vibrating your rug and cleaning with wool safe soap and warm water a lot of dirt is removed. Because we go deeper than steam cleaning we can guarantee that your rugs are clean and healthy after Luv-A-Rug cleans them

Since not all rugs are made the same,the cleaning is not the same either. The staff at Luv-A-Rug cares about your rugs, we know that area rugs require special care and cleaning.

So how many times does Luv-A-Rug clean your rug? We repeat our cleaning process until your rug is clean.

Here's to many happy clean and healthy area rugs, RugloverMary

Spring Clean Now!!!

2011-03-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

Why wait for nice weather to start your spring cleaning?

For the last couple of weeks now I have been sorting through the piles of stuff that collects through out the months. I figure why not start now before the nice weather comes because once the sun comes out I will want to be outside, not inside. In doing my little clean up I have found out I have an abundance of yarn I need to start using before I buy more.It is funny how quickly hobby/craft items build up.

It is easy to get the winter blahs and when the weather is nice we get more energy, but if you begin now to start the small cleaning jobs you will have more time to spend outside absorbing that vitamin D we love so much. I don't know about you, but I get in the mood to purge my stuff down once or twice a year. I get sick of looking at the little piles of "junk" that seem to pop up everywhere. I look around at all the stuff I have and wonder why I have it, I don't use it, but I don't want to get rid of it either.

A circle starts and before you know it you are buried under mounds of "stuff" and your family threats to set fire to it all, just to get rid of it. A little extreme, but you know how fast things can pile up when you don't sort through it.

With April beginning in a few days, now is the time to start cleaning your home. Start small by getting the rugs cleaned in the room that you don't use very much right now, clean the inside of your windows, freshen up your spring clothes, sort through the junk drawer, I know the scary junk drawer. I have plastic drawer trays in my junk drawer to separate the "junk" and to keep it organized. I also have 4 plastic basket in my freezer to keep it organized. I use two for meat, one for veggies and fries and one for wraps, buns and misc. It makes it easy to find stuff in the freezer.

In a previous blog post I outlined an easy way to break down spring cleaning to get it done in a less stress fashion

It can be difficult to get your rugs cleaned before the snow or rain stop, but it is necessary to get the salt, dirt and grim out of them. With Luv-A-Rug multi-stepped cleaning, we get the deep down dirt and grim out, so you know your rug is clean and healthy to use in your home.

If you have larger rugs to get cleaned, Luv-A-Rug picks them up and delivers them back to you. We do this on Saturdays, so book now to have your rugs cleaned before all the spring cleaners come out of hibernation. 250-590-6210/1-800-886-2802.

Here's to purging the old clutter and starting fresh for spring, RugloverMary

Luv-A-Rug is making your Rugs lovable

2011-03-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

Most of the time when an area rug comes in to Luv-A-Rug for cleaning it isn't easy to get a distinct before and after photo. Then there are perfect rug candidates that show how a rug that looks ready to be tossed can be returned to beauty. Here is such a rug. It is a hand knotted Chinese rug 3x5 feet. The lady had bought it for the amazing price of $5.00 and paid just under $75.00 to have it cleaned. Not a bad investment in a rug that has had better days.

She was very happy that her newly acquired rug could be used in her home.

When an area rug becomes that heavily soiled it can be hard to tell how it will look after cleaning. Sometimes there could be hidden stains, the wool may be discoloured, or the rug refuses to look any different after cleaning. The best thing to do is to not let your rugs get to that point.

For the best cleaning results, clean up spills right away with a damp towel, get pet accidents cleaned quickly, and get your area rugs cleaned at least once a year. For rugs that get walked on daily getting them cleaned once every 6 months works best.

Luv-A-Rug's Rugbadger gets rid of the hidden dirt that you can not see and that vacuums leave behind. Bring your area rugs to us for the best deep cleaning. 250-590-6210 or see our website.

Here's to happy clean area rugs, RugloverMary

Pet Urine and Area Rugs

2011-03-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

Today we received two hand tufted area rugs that were used as indoor bathrooms. It is never good to find out that your beloved four legged baby has been mis-using your rugs.

Why our pets like to always go on the rug is not clear, maybe they know rugs will absorb just like outside does. All I know for sure is that Luv-A-rug cleans a lot of area rugs that have pet urine accidents.

If the accident is still wet (this is a professional secret tip) use a wet vac to vacuum the spot. Using towels can push the urine deeper into your rug.

Do not use baking soda on area rugs for pet accidents or any other kind of spill. It can discolour your rug permanently.

Watch out for spot removal treatments that are not wool safe, most are made for synthetic carpet, always read the label. Always check for colour bleed and with an area rug professional cleaner before attempting to deal with pet urine yourself.

Once the urine has dried it becomes harder to remove. If you don't notice right away that your pet has a new bathroom it can cause permanent damage, and becomes a great place for moth larva to eat.

Do not wait until the puppy is trained until you tend to the problem of accidents, the longer you wait the more permanent the smell and staining becomes. Either remove your rugs completely while training or buy an inexpensive rug to replace your good ones.

The best way check to if your rug has been used as a bathroom is look and smell the corners of your rug, look at the back of the rug for staining, pets like to use spots near furniture and near doors. Even the most trained pets can have an accident so check rooms that you don't use much to see if your rugs have been mis-used.

When you do find pet accidents on your rugs get them professionally cleaned. Taking your rug outside and hosing it down can cause damage to your rug, it is not the best way to get rid of pet urine.

For pet accidents in Victoria BC call Luv-A-Rug 250-590-6210/1-800-886-2802

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary-pet urine accident fixer

Think Your Area Rug is too Small to Clean?

2011-03-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

Think again.

Luv-A-Rug has cleaned every size of area rugs that adorns the floors, walls and tables of Victoria BC. Today has been the day of small rugs being brought in for cleaning. The smallest rug is 9inches by 2feet. Yes, little rugs need cleaning too.

If you have small rugs in your camping trailer, motor home or boat-Luv-A-Rug can clean them. We also clean car mats, any size of mat and rug that is removable.

I wrote a blog post a couple of years ago about the smallest rug Luv-A-Rug has ever cleaned. It was 8x15 inches, a small little treasure brought home from vacation.

You may be thinking; "Why get a professional rug cleaner to clean such a small rug, it will fit into my home washing machine?" Yes it will fit, but area rugs are not made to go into a home washing machine.

We had a small rug that was washed at home and then it came to us to get repaired. The colour bleed and rippling is expensive to repair, on this rug we machine bind the edges to keep it form unraveling any further.

Your area rug was not made to be submerged in water for a long period of time, it can have damaging effects on your rug and washing machine.

The cost of repair to your washing machine and replacing or repairing your area rug is not worth the risk.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary-making small rugs shine

Is your dirty handbag/purse an embarrassment?

2011-03-01T14:49:00.000-08:00

Ladies, is your favorite handbag close to getting replaced? Wait! before you start searching for a new replacement bring it into Luv-A-Rug, Victoria BC, for a cleaning.

Here is a handbag we recently cleaned that had a slushee drink spilled in it.

Our client bought the handbag while she was living in Hong Kong with her dad. Her handbags has a lot of memories for her and makes her feel good when she uses it.

This is the second time she has had Luv-A-Rug clean it for her, the first time was a couple of years ago when she returned to Canada. She knows her handbag is getting older, but it is the only one she can easily live out of.

She was recommended to bring it to us by a local dry cleaner. Since we hand clean items we can clean just about anything. We have cleaned luggage where a bottle of flavoured liqueur broke and luggage where a cat had peed because it was mad at his owner for leaving.

Dry cleaners cannot clean a lot of the finicky item we use every day such as: luggage, handbags, golf bags, decorative cushions, canvas, fabric wall hangings and many other items.

If you don't know if it can be cleaned bring it to Luv-A-Rug at 2-4144 Wilkinson rd 250-590-6210 and we will give you a honest cleaning evaluation.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary-I look forward to seeing your hard to clean items.

Have You Made Your Cleaning Resolutions?

2011-02-18T15:01:00.000-08:00

Every New Year we make resolutions to lose 15lbs, start going to the gym, quit a bad habit, but we don't make cleaning resolutions. Yes I said cleaning resolutions.

When was the last time you looked around your home and knew that all the furniture, curtains, walls, area rugs were clean and healthy? It is okay if you said never or when they were new. We are all guilty of not cleaning the big stuff until we have to.

I have come up with a solution to clean you entire home and not get overwhelmed. It will take commitment and a little planning but it will be worth it when you know that your whole home is clean and healthy.

The first thing to do is write a detailed list of what needs to be cleaned.
Such as:

Curtains and blinds in living room, kitchen and all bedrooms
Couch and chairs in living room
Area rug in living room, bedroom, and front door
Walls need to be cleaned
baseboards needs to be cleaned and repainted
tops of door jams (these hardly ever get cleaned)
reorganize Christmas decorations

Try to keep your list to no more that 6-8 big things so that your aren't doing a big job every month and get overwhelmed and frustrated.
When you finish your list it will seem like a huge undertaking, but here is how you break it down to make it easier and less stressful.

First divide 3 sheets of paper into 4 squares and write the months one in each square as pictured. Next you need to decide what you will clean each month.

This will depend on the number of things you have on your list, when you have the money to afford them, and if companies have cleaning specials.

At this point you may start to feel overwhelmed, don't despair it is a small hurdle, don't look at the whole picture just at the task at hand.

I wrote each task in my sample, but it is best if you cut out small pieces of paper and write each task from your list so it is easier to move the tasks around.

Place each task on a month that works best and write, if possible, the day or week the cleaning will be done. If the cleaning coincides with an event or special day write it down as well.
In my march entry I wrote to take in area rugs for cleaning during March Break/ Spring Break.

When you are planning to use a cleaning company try to schedule it in their slow periods. For instance book your blind or curtain cleaning in February or March before the spring cleaning rush starts.

The next step is to assign each task to who is going to do it. Whether it is to book the pickup of your area rugs, be at home when the cleaners come to clean your furniture, or do the actual task.

Also if you know how long a cleaning job will take write that down too. An example would be carpet cleaning 2 hours, area rug cleaning 5-7 days. The more information you have pre-planned out the less stressful the task will be.

Under my January entry of buying storage boxes and reorganize Christmas decorations I have mom and daughter doing that task. If you live alone get a few friends together and make a chart like this where you all help one another get everything clean.

Work with everyone strengths, for instance if you don't like to scrub walls but like to vacuum assign that task to someone else.

As we all know life has a way of throwing us curve balls, don't panic if you cannot get a task done when you had schedule it. Keep your list short and within reason and if need be break each cleaning task into smaller tasks.

If you need to clean out the garage and your garage is packed full start with the small job of removing all the boxes or tools. If you take everything out of the garage at once all you have accomplished is moving the mess to another area. When you are writing your plan down take into consider the size of the cleaning job, the time it will take to do and how many people are needed.

This outlined plan is to make it easier to get the big jobs done, but it may not take you a whole year to get them done.The first time you do this space things out until you know the time and resources needed for each cleaning task. Each year you do the planned cleaning it will get easier and quicker.

For area rug cleaning, repair, blind cleaning, cushion, sail, and boat canvas cleaning call us at Luv-A-Rug 250-590-6210 or toll free 1-800-886-2802 or e-mail us at luvvie@shaw.ca
We offer pick up and delivery of large rugs and multiple rugs.

Moths are a popular pest for wool area carpets

2010-10-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

Today I was messing round with the settings of my blog and found something very interesting. When you are on the dashboard of your Blogger blog under the title of your blog is the list of settings, design, and stats, click on stats. Here you will find a wealth of information such as:

How many people looked at your blog today, weekly and monthly
What blog posts has the most visits
How people found your blog
Where your readers are located

I clicked on the "more" tab beside the traffic sources and found out what keywords and phrases people are using when they find my blog. I also found out that people from all over the world are reading my blog not just in the US and Canada, but also in Russia, India and Spain. That is pretty cool for my little rug cleaning blog to be read that far away.

The most reoccurring search terms used are larvae in rugs, carpet moth images, larvae found in carpet or more specifically MOTHS.

I have written many times about moths and for good reason. Next to pet accidents, moths are the most common problem for wool area carpets. A lot of the rugs we get in for moth treatment, the owners didn't know their rug had moths.

Whenever we receive a call from a client who is inquiring about rug cleaning and they mention that their rug is in storage or just sitting in the basement the chances of their rug having moths is high. Any wool rug that has not been cleaned before storing is prime for moth larvae to eat and cause damage.

When a rug is brought to Luv-A-Rug for cleaning we would prefer that you not vacuum the rug before hand. If you vacuum your rug we may miss seeing the evidence of moth larvae activity, and the eggs may still be in your rug. Getting rid of the eggs is very hard because they are attached to the bottom of the wool fibers and vibrating the rug may not loosen them, then your rug is returned home and the eggs hatch and the larva start eating your rug.

Here is more about the life cycle of a clothes moth, prevention and elimination.

Always vacuum your entire rug and get your rugs professionally cleaned at least once a year.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, your moth larva specialist.

Area rugs and Internet searches

2010-10-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

This blog post is for anyone who has a business, doesn't matter the type of business, and uses the internet to get clients. If you say that you don't use the Internet to get clients you really should. The Pew Research Center did a study and 58% of people do an online search for products and services they are considering buying or using. That is 1 out of 4 Americans, can you afford to not have an online presence?

Two years ago Luv-A-Rug had to move from our previous location and because of our strong internet presence our clients are still finding us for area rug cleaning. We are still finding directory websites that have our old address, just today I found some old information floating around. Clients find our old address online and get frustrated when they go to the wrong location. Even if you haven't changed locations, like we did, is your companies information correct on all the online business directories?

To find out type your company name into a Google, a Yahoo, a Bing, and all the other search engines and see what comes up. With new business directories popping up almost everyday it is good to check to see if your listing is correct. Depending on what source the directory is using it could have the incorrect information and then you could be losing clients.

With other companies doing the same thing as you are, you need to make sure perspective clients can find YOU first.

When someone does a search for where to buy area rugs, I want them to also find Luv-A-Rug even though we clean rugs not sell them. Why? Because then when it is time for them to get their rugs cleaned they remember our name. Plus we give advice the different types of rugs and where to buy them in Victoria, BC. If you keep your business focus too narrow then you could be losing out on a huge audience of clients.

People like to find out about companies before they call or visit. It saves a lot of time when they can compare products and services at the same time instead of calling. Make sure that they find you when they do an Internet search.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary-not just for area rug cleaning.

What influenced your choice of area rug?

2010-10-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

There are a few factors that influence your decision to buy the area rug that you did:

Size of room
colour of room
budget
colour preference
the mood you were in when you went shopping
the reason for buying the rug
where you are using the rug

When you start looking for a rug knowing what size you need for the room is a must. It saves a lot of running around, returning of original rug bought and the headache of having to choice another rug.

The colour and design of the room you are needing the rug for aids in the colour and design of the area rug you choose.

Before you start to narrow down the style and size of rug you want first go window shopping for the size of rug you need. Try to go to 3-5 different rug galleries to get an idea of what you will be looking at for budget. Some times we go shopping with a maximum budget number in our heads and when we start looking at the rugs we like we get sticker shocked or cannot find a rug to fit our budgets that fits our needs for the rug.

Colour preference can be a big hurdle to overcome, especially when there are two opinions involved. If you and your partners taste differ drastically, then one of you will always be unhappy about the rug purchased. Do a Internet search of different types of rugs and see if you can settle on a design and colour palette before going shopping. Or go window shopping to discover what you like in an area rug. Just because you love the colours teal and dark brown together doesn't mean you may like them in an area rug based on the type of weave or design. With so many different choices you may find that what you buy a rug that is completely different from your usual style.

We all know of the shopping Murphy's law, when you are needing a particular item say like red high heels we know there are times we can look in a hundred stores and not find a pair we like, same goes for area rugs. Or when you aren't in the mood to shop or in a bad mood, our shopping habits change. If you are armed with the size and colour and if you know what type of rug you want then it helps when you go to purchase a rug, no matter what mood you are in. Being prepared helps any stress from building up and clouding your decision making.

When you need an area rug there is a definite purpose for it. Buying an area rug isn't usually an impulse buy, it is an invest to protect your floors, to brighten up a kitchen, for the back door, to keep your feet warmer in the colder months. Depending on what room you are using the rug in can determine what type of rug you buy. You wouldn't buy a Silk area rug to be used at your front door, you need a rug that can stand up to a lot of use such as a synthetic or a even certain wool rugs can work well.

Another and probably just as important as budget when it comes to buying an area rug is children and pets. they also play a huge part in the type of rug you buy. You may not want a viscose rug when you have small children or a puppy. Viscose works best in low used room like a bedroom. A Synthetic rug such as a polypropylene or olefin or nylon rug, you should be able to see the pattern on the back of the rug, can stand up to just about everything children and pets can throw at it.

There would be a lot less rugs thrown out and less angry rug owners if rugs came with a label saying where certain rugs worked best. I could write for days about all the different types of rugs and the more appropriate rooms they work best in, but I am keeping this to why we buy the rugs we do.

No matter why we are buying an area rug, remember that it needs to be cleaned professionally at least once a year, you need to vacuum the entire rug often to avoid moths, the rug getting too dirty and to keep your rug looking ts best for years, and any rug can add texture, colour, warmth, or be a piece of floor art.

Why did you buy your rug? Was it just because you needed one or did you fall in love with your rug and had to have it? Please share you reasons and stories about your favorite rug or your story of woe of buying a rug that didn't work well in your home.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, your source for area rug buying.

A Green Disposable Society?

2010-09-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

I was chatting with a client today when she came to pick up her clean rugs. She was telling me how her friends said for the amount of money she paid for cleaning she could just get two new rugs. They were right for the $50.00 she paid to get her two small rugs cleaned and protected she could have replaced them with new ones, but.......................
Let's look at the bigger picture and impact of throwing out the rugs she had. The small scatter mats she has are pieces of synthetic carpet that have been edged to make rugs, they are not bio-degradable and most likely the rugs she would buy to replace them would also be synthetic and not bio-degradable. So what are the benefits to the environment or to her wallet? There wouldn't be any benefit, but we are a disposable society and if it costs the same to clean a rug as it is to buy new, we tend to buy new. Which is kinda sad.
I recently watched a show on TV about how cities were built around, over and because of trash. It is truly amazing the amount of stuff that we throw away because it is easier to replace than to clean or repair. How can we say we are environmentally minded when most of the things we use are not made to recycle?
If you ever want to try the experiment to see how much trash you generate just stop taking out your trash for 2-3 weeks. See how fast it builds up. After the time period sort through the bags and see how much stuff didn't need to be in the trash due to recycling or buying differently. Make a date to tour your locate landfill site to see what they are doing to control our trash and what you can do to help reduce the amount you contribute. It is eye opening. I stopped buying a particular battery operated toothbrush because there was no way to replace or recharge the battery. That didn't seem like a very environmentally friendly product to me.
Back to area rugs, It happens a lot that people are shocked at the cost of cleaning their rugs, but in the end it is cheaper than buying a new area rug every time the current one gets too dirty. With regular vacuuming, cleaning up spills when they happen, rotating your rugs, and getting your rug cleaned every 1-2 years is better for your wallet and the environment. It is hard to say that we are a "green" society when most of the things we use are disposable.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, thinking green cleaning for area rugs

$250.00 party!! What a deal......or is it?

2010-09-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

Throwing a big end of the summer party for $250.00 can seem cheap for some, or expensive for others. It would depend on what type of party you were having.

Lets say you decided to have a few dozen friends over cause your parents were away for the evening. Oh yeah you can see where this story goes.This scenario did recently happen and I am not sure what shape the house ended up being like, I did not ask, but it seems like the rugs got the good end of the party.

The mother of the teenager who throw the party needed to make sure her rugs were clean and healthy. Luv-A-Rug can ensure that her rugs are clean and healthy. As for the poor guy who has to pay for the cleaning, well hopefully he has learned that when you throw a party roll the rugs up and hide them out of the way first.

The rugs in question were a Persian runner, a Turkish runner and an old Turkish rug. Luckily the rugs just had a few liquid spills and no permanent stains.

To all those who like to throw small, 25-200 people, impromptu parties while their parents are away be advised that things will get spilled, people don't always keep everything they consume inside them, something always get broken, and ask yourself if you can replace and pay for what might get broken or stained?

Parties are fun, but can cost more than you may want.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Area rug cleaning has expanded on the net

2010-08-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

Ruglovermary is trying to be everywhere when it comes to sharing my knowledge about area rug carpet cleaning. I have recently joined www.hubpages.com which is an online community of people who write about everything you could ever want to know. If you cannot find the right answer on a topic you can ask questions and people will answer them for you.

I have written two hubs already, one on Clothes Moth, yes another article on moths. Fall is approaching and we will be bringing out our wool items soon. I talk about how to keep them safe and hole free when storing wool items.
I also have written one about Wool Area Rug cleaning. I was reading some of the other hubs about rug cleaning and I found that they were too general or didn't cover everything about cleaning Wool rugs.

There is a lot of information about area rug cleaning and carpet cleaning, the trick is to find out what is true and what works without ruining your rugs. I try to be honest cover all bases when discussing rug cleaning. There is so many little things that are hidden about area rug carpets that there cannot be one cleaning method that works for all area rugs, especially now since there are so many different types of fibers used to make rugs.

So, join me on hubpages to learn and write about your passions.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary your knowledgeable wool rug cleaner.

Area rug knowledge for everyone in Victoria BC and beyond!

2010-08-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be nice to know how to tell the different types of area rugs apart, to know the benefits and issues of them and to know what rug works best with kids and pets?

I try to explain that about each rug that I write about, but it isn't all in the same place. You have to go through a lot of blogs to find what I wrote about different kinds of rugs. You can always buy books about rugs, but where do you find the time to read them and then try to understand everything.

On this beautiful sunny day in Victoria, BC a fabulous lady brought in her 3 hand knotted wool area rugs for cleaning. We got talking about area rugs and the different types and she suggested that we give a course on area rugs. Do it at that local college on Saturday mornings she said. What a great idea!

No one offers such a course or seminar that I have heard of. When you go to area rug galleries they will tell you the story behind the rugs, but not all staff know about cleaning and care of the rugs. It isn't after you have used an area rug and take it in for cleaning that you learn anything about your rug.

Here in Victoria at Luv-A-Rug we explain the type of rug you have, where it was made and any other interesting tidbits about it. If more people had our knowledge there would be a lot less rugs that get tossed into the landfills every year.

There are some glitches in doing such a course, but overall it would be a great service to provide.Until there is such a course for area rug knowledge, I am here plugging away about area rugs.

If there is anything you want to know about area rugs do not hesitate to leave a question in the comment box, or if you live in Victoria, Vancouver Island the Gulf islands or anywhere else around the Salish sea give me a call at 250-590-6210/1800-886-2802 and we will be happy to answer your questions.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, Your Victoria, Vancouver Island and Salish sea, wool area rug cleaning expert.

Even more shag area rugs

2010-07-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

Shag rugs are all the rage and can be found in every shape, fiber type, fiber length, and colour. They add a punch of colour and texture to any room at affordable prices. Shag rugs are also one of the most difficult types of area rugs to clean.

Shag rugs are the Divas of the area rug world and need extra attention and care to keep them looking their best. I know I keep writing about Shag rugs, but not everyone has gotten the message that Shag rugs need to be cleaned and vacuumed more often that a short pile rug. Here is another video showing a good way to vacuum a Shag rug.

The fibers of a Shag act just like velcro and dirt and debris easily get trapped in them. Shaking the rug helps, but it is best to do when the rug is upside down that way the dirt goes onto the floor more so than in the air. If you have any furniture on your Shag move the rug every few weeks to see how dirty it is getting. It doesn't take too long before your nice off white Shag to become grey from being walked on.

If you have pets it is a good idea to check under the rug to see if they are using it as a bathroom. When you have a coloured shag there may not be any evidence of urine on the front of your rug, but the back of the Shag will show any stains. Pets love shags too, but not always the same way you do.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, Victoria's Shag rug cleaner.

Area Rugs, the Internet and Animal Behavior

2010-07-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

Nothing gets me madder than all the false information that keeps getting perpetuated over and over again on the Internet. Today my beef is with pet behavior and why they keep using the same area rug as a bathroom.

It is widely believed and told by experts that your pet will go back to a previous peed on rug because of the smell. This is FALSE! Why do I say this? I see it every day.

If it was just the smell of the previous urine they wouldn't go back to the same spot after you changed the rug. It isn't because of smell it is because they got away with using the rug as a bathroom. They now know this is where they can go. It becomes habit for them.

Smell comes mostly into the equation when you have other dogs visit your house. They smell the urine from your dog and they mark the spot with their scent.

It is frustration when you are explaining this to clients and they look at you like you know nothing. I just had that happen and it compelled me to write about pet urine and area rugs. The best part is that her issue was about dog smell and not urine. I found this out after I told her that is wasn't smell that made them go back to the rug and after the client had that look on their face that said you are lying and know nothing.

There isn't a lot that can be done about dog odour if your dog lays on the rug, except get the rug cleaned more often that once a year. Please do not use air fresheners to mask the odour. Air fresheners open up a whole new set of health issues.

If you do see your pet pee on your area rug it probably isn't the first time they have done it. Check the back of your rug for urine stains, they will look like yellow water marks on the back of most rugs. If you cannot see any urine stains because of the colours, design, or type of backing your rug has, get down and start smelling other area of your rug. You may be surprised at what you find.

Pets, especially dogs love area rugs just as much as we do. Rugs are a good warm, soft place to go to sleep and they can also be a convenient indoor bathroom. A good thing to do to deter your pets from going near a rug is to sprinkle some cayenne pepper on the rug. Dogs usually don't like to smell pepper, so they may avoid going near your area rugs. This is a good trick to use when you bring a new rug home and when you move to a new house. Dogs like their routines and every time their routines get messed with they will act out.

Now as with most advice it is never set in stone and not every dog will react the same way, but there are a few things that you can count on:

New Puppies will always find your rug the perfect place to pee
Even if you only own one rug, your pet will always vomit or pee on it if they have to go
Water and vinegar are safe to clean pet urine spots

Even the best pets can have accidents all we can do is clean up after them and try to not let them make it a habit.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Can you afford to throw away your rug?

2010-07-10T15:27:00.000-07:00

Do-It-Yourself cleaning can lead to a new rug

It seems easy enough to wash your small rugs yourself, but done wrong it can cost you. This little 2x4 cotton tufted rug became a casualty of a quick DIY cleaning. The red, pink and blues ran into the yellow areas, and the soft texture of the cotton became very crunchy when it dried.

The best way to clean a cotton tufted rug s to use a damp white cotton towel, after you have tested to see if the colours are stable. To test to see if colours are stable take a damp white cotton towel and gently rub each colour separately. If you get any colour transfer on the towel it is not advisable to wet the rug.

A lot of things can wrong when you attempt to clean some rugs yourself. You may be trying to save money on cleaning, but if you cause permanent damage to your rug it will cost you more to replace it. Always take caution before you grab the hose and clean your rug.

If you are in doubt about if your rug is worth cleaning bring it in to Luv-A-Rug, we will be honest and let you know if your rug is worth cleaning.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Shag Area Rugs.......Good or Bad?

2010-07-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

At Luv-A-Rug we see many shags come in for cleaning every week most of them have become the dogs or cats litter box. To little Fido a shag rug looks and acts just like outside so why not use it. That is not why you bought the shag rug, you bought it because it may have invoke a sentimental childhood response, plus they look really good in the store display.

Shag rugs don't have to be a temporary if they are used in the right areas in your home. Shag rugs are perfect for a bedroom on in an area that isn't walked on a lot. The more a shag is walked on the quicker it can wear out and become unlovable. Just like any other kind of rug they make good shags and bad shags. The quality of a shag can depend on the way it is constructed, either glued, woven, or sewn together. It can also depend on the manufacturer and their quality standards.

When thinking of purchasing a Shag rug think about where you will put it in your house and how much use it will get. Also give the fibers a little tub or rub your hand in a circle over them to make sure it isn't going to shed easily.
This Shag rug is one of the newest fiber textures. It is felted wool and the fibers are almost two inches long and half inch think. These rugs are beautiful to look at and so cushy to walk on.

These kinds of shags do not stand up well in high traffic areas. Keep in mind that the fibers mushroom out after being walked on for awhile and this cannot be fixed.

Shag area rugs are the high maintenance area rugs. You need to vacuum them and get them professionally cleaned more often than regular area rugs. Vacuuming can be bothersome, but by turning the rug upside down and vacuuming the back first and then using the upholstery brush on the top fibers you will remove a lot more of the loose dirt, plus you may find a few lost treasures too.

Shag rugs are an easy way to give any room a burst of colour and texture, just keep in mind that they require more attention and care when it comes to keeping them looking their best.
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Area Rug Repairs

2010-06-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

Rug repairs includes more than just worn away fringes

Anytime you need to have a repair done to your area rug it can be hard to imagine what it will look like. To take some of guess work away we have added a new page to our website.

As we do more repairs more pictures will be added. Even when we do the same repairs to different types of area rugs the end results look different. Our most popular repair is fringe removal and adding a binding ribbon edge or a serged/overcast edge. Depending on the type of rug you own can determine which works best for your rugs.

Along with removing fringes we can also add machine sewn machines to you rugs. We have three different styles in three colour choices. When your rug is valuable we prefer to do authentic hand repairs to keep the integrity and look of you rug.

We have also shortened rugs to fit in a new room, or to remove moth damage or even where a puppy has chewed a corner off. When you have left over carpet pieces from getting new wall to wall carpet installed we can bind the edges to make little scatter mats for you. When you want left over carpet turned into scatter mats they can be square, rectangle, round and even oval in shape. If you give us the dimensions we can cut it.

When you need new carpet cut for your boat we do that too. Bring in your existing piece for a template and a new piece of carpet and we cut to exact size and bind the edges. Luv-A-rug does a lot more than just clean area rugs. Bring us your rug that isn't in perfect condition and we will see what we can do to make it lovable again.
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

My Boss HATES Jute!

2010-06-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

What is your rug hiding? More than you know

The other day my boss got a call from a women in the View Royal area, in Victoria, requesting our free Saturday rug pick-up service for her rug. She bought a 6x9 British India (Indian Aubusson) at Jordan's many years ago.

Well today my boss must have been bored because he came in and asked me if there were any rugs that he could pick up rugs today (Friday) instead of tomorrow. I said sure, how about this order in View Royal it was close to our shop on Wilkinson Rd, so my boss picked up the rug and just brought it in for inspection.

What I found most interesting about this area rug is not that it is rare or valuable, but the material the foundation is made of, JUTE!

This wool rug has jute weft fibers, the foundation fibers going from left to right, and this is a big problem for most inexperienced carpet cleaners.

Fact is that if this rug is "washed" in an immersion process the rug will go all brown and ugly from natural dye from the jute. That is just one of the reasons for why we NEVER clean your rugs without first testing for colourfastness, shrinkage and then examining your rugs fiber types and construction.

At Luv-a-rug we will NEVER clean your rugs with any other rug. They are all cleaned individually and we always use clean water for every rug we clean.

In-fact we custom match your rug to what is safest and most effective for the rug. We have all cleaning processes from full immersion washing to complete dry cleaning with no chemicals.We use wool safe soaps and everything is thoroughly rinsed out.

Here is the back or the fore-mentioned rug, can you see the jute weft fiber that will leach into the rest of the rug and make a huge mess? (probably no and that's why we are Victoria's Area Rug cleaning experts.

Luv-a-rug is proud to have the only certified "Rug Master" in Canada, the owner and operator, Dusty, plus we are a "Wool-safe" approved firm.

Not all rugs are made the same, even when they are the same type, such as British Indian, so why should they all be cleaned the same?

Feel free to call me anytime for your rug cleaning concerns, 250-590-6210 or 1-800-886-2802

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Roadside Rug Treasure!

2010-06-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Is your rug worth cleaning?

Treasure can be found every where from the bottom of the oceans to the end of some one's driveway. It all depends on how you define treasure.

Today I got a call from a very nice sounding lady that was delighted that she had found a FREE rug on the side of the road. She went on to say it had a label that said it was an award winning rug! I would have offered to arrange a pick-up service, but as the rug was not big she said she would bring it in herself.

Well, she just dropped off her runner and we are now going to clean her area rug and apply our protective finish to it. I thought I should blog about for several reasons:

1. For a free rug it isn't a bad rug. This rug is in fact a synthetic, Olefin fiber, machine power woven, but still worth cleaning because as she told us, ""it is not too big and the colours are just right for my small living space"

2. She said, "I am Dutch and I can't stand to think that it has someone else's dirt in it" so it was imperative that it gets properly cleaned even though it was a free rug.

3. She had phoned around to other companies in Victoria for cleaning pricing, but she chose us because she liked my phone manner (I'm blushing), our cost was lower and our cleaning process is thorough.

We get asked all the time by clients if their rugs are worth cleaning, our answer is, "If you like the rug, if the colours and size fits your space, then any rug is worth cleaning." It doesn't matter if you paid thousands of dollars or zero dollars, any rug is worth cleaning if you use the rug.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary Victoria, BC synthetic rug saver.

What does new machine fringes look like?

2010-05-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

At Luv-A-Rug we do a lot of rug repairs, most of them are re-edging or fringe removal or replacement. When fringes get too dirty, old or frayed they can make a rug look older and dirtier than it is. The easiest thing for us to do is to remove the fringes and do a serged edge or a binding edge. Both look great, but it depends on the thickness, colour and your personal preference as to which one we do.

It isn't easy to picture your rug with no fringes, they have always been part of the rug. We try our best to explain, but it really comes down to trusting our judgment.

When it comes to fringe replacement we actually try to discourage it. Why you may ask? It is a matter of the fact that the fringes are cotton and in a few years they will get dirty and the vacuum will eat them away. Then you're back in the same boat as before having to re-do the fringes. Of course we will replace the fringes if that is what you want. We understand that not everyone likes the look of rugs without fringes.

Here is a video of what machine sewn on fringes look like.

Note: Even though most area rugs can have the fringes removed it doesn't mean that they all should. Some rugs are valuable and should have the fringes taken care of by hand. We have turned away removing fringes from older rugs due to the age and value of them. The value I refer to is not the value you paid for the rug, but the value that age, type of rug and collectors have put on your rug.

You may be thinking that the customer is always right, but not always when it comes to area rugs. Not everyone knows a lot about their rugs. If we did a machine repair to your antique rug it makes it worth nothing, now who is responsible? Not you, but us because we should have known that your rug was an antique and we ruined it. Just watch that Antiques Road Show. Pretty much every show you hear, " If this item hadn't had this "insert repair" it would be worth thousands, but it is worth nothing"

That is why you should always have only knowledgeable professionals take care of your area rugs. Not just to make sure they don't ruin a possible antique, but to make sure they know what they are doing and talking about.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

When art, food and rugs collide

2010-05-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

Art is interpretive and food, just don't eat it.

I find it wonderful and a bit weird when artistic mediums collide. Anything can be made into art if there is someone to appreciate it.

I came across this blog about the Gummi Bear rug. Yes! those little yummy gummi bears are now and area rug.

I am a big fan of gummi bears, I like mine either cold on ice cream or soft and chewy. YaYa prefers hers as rugs. It hurts a bit to know that these gummies cannot be eaten, but what a great way to use them.

There is also a guy in the USA that makes pictures out of the Easter treat Peeps.

Just goes to show that anything can be used as an art form and also turned into an area rug.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

How much is too much to pay for an area rug?

2010-05-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought you paid too much for your area rug?

It can feel that way when you go out rug shopping and everything you love is 3 times more than you expected to pay. You may go to an auction house to buy rugs and get a great deal, but what would you buy if you have an unlimited budget?

If you are an avid collector, wealthy, live in a foreign country, and have to have the best and rarest of items you may consider buying one of the following area rugs:

The first rug you may choose to purchase is the Pearl Carpet of Baroda. Last year it went for 5.5 million at auction. It is made with pearls, and precious gems.

It was commissioned in c1865 as a gift for Mohammad of Medina's tomb. It never made it to the tomb. It is now in a private collection somewhere in Qatar.

Now obviously this rug is never meant to be a floor rug, but it is a great example of the amazing workmanship that goes into making a rug. It is a very extravagant example and makes me wonder more about the person(s) who made the rug more so than why it was made. I also wonder if this is a one of a kind rug. Did the weaver(s) make any other pearl and gem rugs that no one spoke or wrote about? Were the weavers killed after it was finished so that they couldn't take credit for it and make more pearl rugs? Many questions, no answers.

For most admirers of the rug they will only look at the beauty and rarity of the rug and not really think too much about the weavers.As we all know it is about the people in the spotlight more so than the guy who makes the set.

The other rug that might tickle your fancy is the "Vase" Kirman (Kerman) rug. It was just purchased for a cool ten million dollars at auction.

It is rumoured to also reside in Qatar. This rug is 5x11 feet and is also master-crafted. You may have noticed that the most valuable and rare rugs have little history about them. Not knowing why a rug as made or it's exact origins adds mystery and we all love a good mystery.

Some day if you find yourself with more money than you know what to do with I would suggest moving to Qatar and starting your on rare item collection.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

What type of Moth eats your Wool rug in Victoria BC?

2010-05-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

There are two main types of moths that eat wool. Here in Victoria, BC we see the Cloths Moth. These moths leave their larva casings behind after they have turned into an adult moth. The casings look like flat pieces of rice and can be the same colour as the rug depending on what colour of wool they were eating.

The other main type of wool eating moth is the webbing moth. I have never seen evidence of the webbing moth in Victoria before this week.

This week we had 3x5 wool area rug come in from Toronto, ON Canada. The owner lives in Victoria and had it flown out here. Since I am not used to seeing the webbing moth it would have been easy for me to over look the evidence. It is a good thing that I did months of research into moths and what to look for.

On the back of this rug it looked like weird dirt, for lack of a better word. Here is what the webbing moth leaves behind as it eats a wool rug.

As much as we would like to not think about moths damaging our rugs, it does happen. Here are a few things that you can do to help prevent a moth attack on your wool area rugs.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, your local rug cleaning expert, and moth hater in Victoria BC, Canada

Did you know that Area Rugs do not like Air fresheners?

2010-04-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

There is more than a pretty smell in air fresheners

Have you ever wondered why most cleaning products do not have an ingredients list? The reason given is that it is the companies trade secret formula. If they put the ingredients list on the product then their product would be copied.

I find that reason weak, very weak. It is all about companies having the upper hand in the consumer market. No matter what company is making the cleaning product the formula is pretty much the same. The thing that varies would be the amounts of each chemical in the product. Hence why brand names may work better than the off brands.

Here is a link to an article about an US Senator is trying to get a bill passed to make it mandatory for all cleaning products to have a full ingredients list on all cleaning products.

The major companies that make cleaning products say that they test each ingredient to make sure it is safe to use. What they don't mention and may not test is what is the effect of using each chemical for years. What does that do to us? And what about the combination of chemicals, does that cause a bad effect on us? So many questions that those companies do not have to answer.

I had a lengthy conversation with to ladies awhile back about how using air fresheners, furniture polish sprays, hairspray, an such can effect area rugs and furniture. If you use such products in your home they get absorbed by your area rugs and furniture.

Let's say you are cleaning your wooden coffee table, the first thing you do is spray the table with cleaner. The over spray lands on your rugs, your couch and you also breath it in. Over time it does build up. The best way to use spray cleaners is to put it on a white cotton towel first then wipe the table.

That is how ALL sprays and spot cleaners should be used. Put the cleaner or spotter on a white COTTON towel then BLOT, DO NOT rub in circles. Cirlces cause pile distortion to happen and then you are stuck with that flaw in your rug.

I have mentioned many times to clients that if we had two of the exact rugs with the same wine spill they would react differently to cleaning. There are too many variables between owners with what they clean their homes with, spray in the air, the food they cook and what part of the city they live in.

We once had a couple bring in their 8x10 Viscose area rug after red wine got spilled on it. They were playing Wii and found out that when the game says make sure your arms are not near items and people, that you should make sure of that. The only thing they did was blot up the wine and put salt on the spot. We were very successful at removing the wine and the clients was very happy.

A few months later the same couple was having a dinner party and the dog wagged his tail and knocked over a full glass of red wine. Again they blotted and added salt. In comes the rug again for cleaning. This time some of the wine had stained, not enough to jump out at you, but enough that the clients knew it as there.

Same client's home, same rug, maybe not the same brand/type of red wine equals different cleaning results. Cleaning products, air fresheners, scented candles, using the plug in fresheners, and even perfume all can effect the air quality in your home, your furniture, and your area rugs. David Suzuki wrote this article about air fresheners not being so fresh.

I did a bit of looking online on why there were no ingredients list on cleaning products and found a whole new horror. I found out that a lot of the things we use everyday contain bad chemicals that have been linked to cancer, breathing problems, and in children death.

Before you freak out, like I did, and throw every cleaning product, shampoo, and such out Pause.......Breathe........Assess.

We cannot all live in the middle of the woods protected from all the bad things as good as that may sound. Everything can kill us if we over indulge, we just have to start being more aware of what is in the products we use and eat and buy better products. Not only will that make our home better it will make the world better too.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

How to Find a Good Secondhand Magic Carpet

2010-04-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

Where is the best place to get a second hand rug?

Auctions are a popular place to get a great deal............most of the time.

Depending on what you are looking to buy you can get the deal of the century or a big flop.

Here is Victoria, BC we have two Auction Houses, Lund's and Kilshaw's, who auction off area rugs. We get a lot of the rugs bought at the auction for cleaning and a lot of the time the buyer got a great deal for the size and type of rug purchased.

But what about the other kinds of area rug Auctions? The auctions held in hotels, warehouses, a van in the alley, the here today gone tomorrow kind?

Those are the auctions where you take your chances. That is where the shady sales person lays and waits to take your money. Most times with the fly by night auctions there are people planted in the audience to bid up the price.

They are friends or family of the host of the auction and they are purely there to make you spend more. Sounds bad and it is. Those kinds of auctions often have poor quality rugs, but offer them up as high end or antiques.

It is ALWAYS buyer beware in those kinds of auctions. It is always best to remember if it seems too good to be true it probably is.

Sometimes area rug stores will have or host an auction. That is a safe auction to go to as long as the rug store is reputable. Here is Victoria, BC Caspian Oriental Carpets would have the occasional rug auction. It is a great way to show off new rugs.

Another popular place to buy used area rugs is online. Whether it is through Craigslist, usedvictoria or any other area rug selling website ask to see the rug before committing to buying.

Try to see the rug in a well lit area to check for spots, stains, worn down areas.

Ask if you can get the rug evaluated before buying.

Bring the rug to Luv-A-Rug and we will tell you what kind of rug it is, give you an estimated value, and what the cleaning results will be and price of cleaning with no obligation.

Also ask if the rug has been around pets. Pet urine smells and stains are difficult to remove from a lot of area rugs.

It is better to know what you are getting into before buying because not all ads are honest and sometimes the seller doesn't know what kind of rug they have or the cleaning results.

Buying a second hand rug is a good way of saving money if you are careful.

You can reach us at 250-590-6210 and at #2-4144 Wilkinson Rd at Interurban Tues to Fri 9:45 to 5:30 and Sat 8-3:30.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Fresh new look

2010-04-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

As you can see I changed the look of my blog yet again.

Is this template more enjoyable to read or should I just leave well enough alone?

I like to keep the look of my blog fresh and easy to read.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Live Moth Larva

2010-04-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday of this week, a wool hand tufted area rug came in for cleaning. The client told me that the rug had been stored for awhile.

When I hear that a dirty rug was stored I look for moth activity. I didn't find moth damage, I found something much more exciting.

I found live moth larva eating the rug!

I grabbed my little video camera and taped a great little video showing the little guys at work.

When I went to upload the video I ended up deleting it instead. Yup, I was smart. Since the rug was already in our moth treatment there was no way to re-do the video until next time I get a rug with live larva.

I was really excited to show you the larva because these guys had just hatched. Some of them were very small, smaller than the width of the wool fibers.

This little guy was the biggest one. He was close to cocooning, judging by his size.

I found at least 10 larva, but there were more I am sure.

Since it is really hard to find the eggs we must do our moth treatment to all rugs we find with evidence of moth activity. It takes just one male and female egg to hatch and you rug can be damaged.
Here is one of the smaller larva. When I started moving the fibers around with my pen, most of the larva disappeared.

Moth damage isn't usually caught in this early stage. It isn't until they have eaten a noticeable hole or a professional has pointed it out the empty larva casings.

When I unrolled the rug I had disturbed them and they started to move, it is easier to notice them, since dirt doesn't wiggle around.

I noticed the one first and after I found him, finding the smaller ones was easy after that.
There will be no noticeable damage to this rug because they were caught early.

I am glad that the client had mentioned that the rug was in stored. If he hadn't said anything and I forgot to ask, the unhatched eggs would probably have survived the cleaning and damage could have occurred.

How could the eggs survive the badgering and cleaning process?

The female moth attaches the eggs to the bottom of the wool fibers with a glue like fluid. This makes the eggs hard to remove by vibration and vacuuming. The eggs are very small, less than 1 mm in diameter, and up to one hundred can be laid by a single female moth.

Moth's do serious damage to wool area rugs that is why we will not clean an area rug if we find evidence of moth activity.

Remember to vacuum your entire area rug often and get it professionally cleaned at least once a year.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

COMPLETELY OF TOPIC, but it needs to be said

2010-04-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

This blog has absolutely nothing to do with area rug cleaning or work. Lately I have been trying to keep my blog post professional, but something has happened and I need to impart some not-so common sense.

I am not writing specific details about the situation to protect the people involved.

A bit a background about myself:

I am a huge STRESS MONKEY. If there is stress to carry I am there. When I have enough of my own or am feeling generous I take on other people's stress as well. I stress about everything, relaxing isn't in my dictionary very much.

I received a personally message from someone I thought as a friend telling me that they were very disappointed in me and they have stopped being my friend. Apparently they had written a public note to me explaining why they were disappointed and then they deleted it.

I have no idea what they wrote I can only guess what they are referring to.

Needless to say, but I am very upset at this event and need to release my emotions.

This all started 6 years ago when something bad happened. A grudge has been carried. Life has moved on.

Bad things happen to us all.

We make some not so great decisions along our journey.

LET THEM GO! Scream your anger at the wind and let it carry away the anger, pain , and hurt.

You don't have to forgive and forget, but don't carry around the anger and pass it on to others.

I don't dismiss the anger and pain the other person feels, but I shouldn't be penalized by association. Deleting me from their life causes more pain and anger and yet another grudge.

I don't know if it is worth trying to explain my side of things or just let it be. They won't trust me anymore and without trust there can be no relationship.

I am not sure of how to handle this situation. I know that any kind of communication will be ignored. It is just a shame that this had to happen and I didn't get to say my side of things. I don't think the outcome would have changed, but at least they would know where I stand.

Thank you for listening to my way off topic rant.

Holding grudges is silly, it hurts you WAY more than the person you are angry at.

RugloverMary

Great Service & Great Clients

2010-03-31T12:04:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we delivered a clients area rugs back to her. We had cleaned them all and did machine binding on one. She was so happy with our service that she wrote blog post about it.

She found Luv-A-Rug through my blog, which is awesome in itself. It just goes to show how having a strong Internet presence helps your business.

For me personally it makes e feel good knowing that my blog helps Luv-A-Rug and that people enjoy reading it.

Here is the link to her fantastic testimonial

To all the business people who write blogs and are getting discouraged that they are wasting their time:

I know how it feels to pour your sweat into blog posts and feel like it useless. I also know that people do read my blog and it adds a human touch to your website.

Not everyone who reads my blog leaves comments, but most do let me know that they do read it, especially when they call Luv-A-Rug and they get to talk to the actual author.

Keep pouring your heart out in your blog. It is worth it!

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Silk or Art Silk?

2010-03-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

This is horrible to say, but whenever someone says they have a Silk rug I doubt that fact. Silk area rugs are few and far between. Most of the time it is a faux Silk or Art Silk.

Here are what the fake silk rugs can be made with:

Art Silk (ARTificial)
Faux Silk
Mercerized Cotton
Rayon or Viscose
Man made Silk

Whenever you see a label that says man made silk it is not real silk. Only Silk worms can make Silk. Plus Silk rugs usually do not have a label on them.

With a little bit of knowledge you can avoid paying too much for a Fake Silk area rug.

True Silk rugs also do not fade like this one here. The front is gray and the back is black. A sure sign that this is not Silk. This rug is very soft and when new was very shiny.

Manufacturers are very good at making a rug look like silk, it is only the bad dealer that sell them as silk.

The best way of telling a real from fake silk rug is to look at the fringes, but you need to look very closely. It is hard to see in the photo, but the white flat part of the fringes is folded over.

On a real Silk rug this part is flat and comes out from the bottom of the rug. The fringes on a real Silk rug are the foundation of the rug and are always silk.

It is little details like this that as a buyer you need to look for.

On this rug the flat part is cotton and then silk was pulled through to make the fringes.

I caught it because the colour and texture of the cotton and silk are slightly different.

The fringes (tassels) are silk, so if you only look at the long part of the fringes you would be sold that this was a true silk rug. That is until it started to rapidly fade or someone mentioned to you that it was not real silk.

Again it is small details to look for. There is no way of telling if this rug was made to be sold as a real silk rug, but if a crooked dealer wanted to this is a good rug to sell as "real Silk".

True Silk area rugs are uncommon, we don't see very many here at Luv-A-Rug. When we do get in a silk rug for cleaning they are amazing to see. The workmanship that goes into them is unreal, so many knots and the details are amazingly fine. For me real silk rugs should never be walked on. They should be used as wall art.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Client Compliments = Humble Rug lover

2010-03-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Today I had a humble, thankful moment.

A couple came in to pick up their clean wool area rug and we got chatting about area rugs.

I had talked a bit with the husband last week when he dropped the rug off. I had mentioned that when shopping for a new rug to smell and rub the rug. Sounds silly, but with some of the new hand tufted rugs they can smell bad or shed and neither is desired in an area rug.

The rug they own had come all the way from Texas, USA. They got the rug at an amazing price because it was a custom order that someone didn't like. The rug came with them to Victoria, BC and now to us for cleaning.

They asked me about where to buy rugs in Victoria, which lead to a deep discussion about the different types of rugs, how and where they are woven.

I showed them some different types and what made that rug a Persian, or Turkish and so on. When I get talking about area rugs I can go on for awhile. It is something I enjoy learning about and sharing with clients.

The client made the comment that I was lucky to be able to do my passion as a job. I found that amusing because the job came first then the passion grew from there. I knew nothing about area rugs three years ago, but I love learning new things and I absorb everything quite quickly.

My boss has said that I learned about area rugs faster than anyone he has trained before. I have been given many great compliments about my knowledge of area rugs and I am always grateful.

Thanks to all the people who listen to me go on about area rugs, RugloverMary

Is Stain Guard good for your Area Rug?

2010-03-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

After Luv-A-Rug cleans your area rugs we can apply our Non-Toxic Protective Finish.

Our protective finish is a polymer that we spray onto the dry rug.

When it dries our Protective Finish helps your rug not get dirty as quickly, makes spills easier to clean up, and we guarantee it for 6 months.

Our Finish can last up to two years, but if your rug gets dirty or gets a bad spill we will clean your rug for free within 6 months. No hassle, no run around.

Our Protective finish is perfect for kitchen rugs, and living room rugs, but all rugs benefit from our Finish no matter which room they are used in.

Kitchen rugs absorb a lot of spills and odours every day, with our Protective Finish guarantee you can get it cleaned every 6 months to keep it fresh, healthy and beautiful.

Our Finish doesn't change the texture, softness, colour, it doesn't leave an odour, and it doesn't leave a residue. When it dries, it fills in the nooks and crannies of the fibers and becomes part of the fibers.

It is wool safe, kid safe and pet safe.

The extra cost of getting the Protective finish is well worth it.

Have any questions about our Protective Finish call Luv-A-Rug at 250-590-6210

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

When is the Best time to Clean your Rugs?

2010-03-09T16:51:00.001-08:00

A common question we get here at Luv-A -Rug is: How often should I get my rug cleaned?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency cleaning should be done:

3-6 months...with young children and pets

4 months...two people smoking in home

6 months...young children no pets

6-12...two people non-smoking

This is in a ideal world that we would clean all the soft surfaces in our home with that frequency.

Where you use an area rug greatly depends on cleaning frequency.

An area rug used in the kitchen should be cleaned at least every 6 months. A kitchen rug is absorbing lots of spills and food odours, so it should be cleaned often.

Any area rug that is used by children and pets should be cleaned at least once if not twice a year. Every day your area rug is collecting dust, food bits, pets dander and oils, drool, and things you just don't even think about.

Vacuuming doesn't get rid of all the dirt in your rugs. Your needs a good deep thorough cleaning to get rid of the impacted dirt.

A rug in a bedroom can be cleaned every year or two, but the whole rug should be vacuumed at least once a month. If any of the rug in under the bed or has large furniture on it that can become a prime target for Clothes Moth's.

Remember that moth's like dirty, dark, undisturbed areas of wool rugs and that includes under the edges of the rugs. Keeping your rugs as clean as possible saves you money.

You save money by not having to deal with a moth infestation in your home. When your rugs have evidence of moth activity, it costs more to get it cleaned and have a moth treatment done. If the damage is too much you then would have to replace the rug.

Another good time to get your area rugs cleaned is just before you go on vacation. Bring them in a day or two before you leave and when you get back you have clean rugs. That way you are not having to live without your rugs for a week.

Plus if the unthinkable happens and there is a flood or burst water heater or aquarium break down, your rugs won't be damaged.

When you are moving is another great time to clean your rugs. We can pick them up at one address and deliver them to the new address. If you have to store a rug we can wrap it for storage after cleaning it.

Are rugs that are used every day should be cleaned once or twice a year. Rarely used rugs can be at least every two years with regular vacuuming.

If you think that getting your rug cleaned that often is a waste of money, think of your rug as an piece of clothing you that you wear every day. Every day it is collecting spills, dirt, dust. After awhile it is going to start to look and feel gross.

When you need your rugs picked up for cleaning, give Luv-A-rug a call at 250-590-6210 and we can arrange it.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Experts are Me

2010-03-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

Today I felt like a area rug blogging expert. I will be the first to say that my success with blogging is 75% trial and error.

I signed up for some free blogging advice from actual blog experts and put to use their tips. Sounds simple enough, but when I started out I was a bird in the wind. I am still going back through my old blogs and tweaking them.

Every time I upgraded the look of my blog I have to re-format the older ones. The down side to that is I have written a lot of blog entries. The good thing is that they are easier to read.

I received an e-mail asking me to link to another area rug blog yesterday. I read the other blog and decided to give tips instead of linking to it right away. It is a new blog, started in Feb 2010, so I passed along where I got my tips from. That way the author wouldn't be writing for almost two years before coming across how to write a better blog like I did.

It feels good to pass along what I have learned about blog writing to someone else. I am not by means a go to person in blog writing, but I will share my knowledge.

I am better with area rugs. Ask me anything and I can either tell you or direct you to where the answer is.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Using Snow as a Area Rug cleaner?!

2010-02-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

Once a week I cruise on over to Google Blog Search and do a search for area rug cleaning blogs.

I find out what others are writing about and find topics I may want to write about as well. A lot of blogs recommend using equipment and cleaning solutions not made for area rugs, especially WOOL area rugs.

It is perceived that rugs are just like synthetic wall to wall carpet. That is true if you had left over carpet made into a rug. Hand knotted and machine made area rugs require specialized care and cleaning.

I know those blog post exists to help save money, but if your rug gets ruined by using unprofessional advice and you have to buy a new one how does that save you money?

Getting your area rugs cleaned by a professional rug company can cost more than you expected, but it is done right and your rug will last longer and be healthy.

Today I read a blog about cleaning your wool area rug in the snow. It is a practiced way of do-it-yourself cleaning in European countries for decades.

The blog describes step by step how to clean your rug with snow, I am confused as to how this process deodorizes the rug. Snow is froze water with no emulsifiers (detergents), degreasers or enzymes to scrub away the causes of odour.

What they show is our first step in rug cleaning, without the snow. Luv-A-Rug turns your area rugs upside down over a grid and vibrates out the loose dirt, debris, allergens. This is done with the Rug Badger an we call it Badgering.

We an just badger your area rugs, but when we do this we also tell you that Badgering doesn't remove spots, stains or odours.

When you do search for ways to clean and care for spills on the Internet, keep in mind that not all information is correct. Not all cleaning products work for every rug.

When a wet spill happens it is best to BLOT it using a WHITE COTTON towel and keep the area damp and get it to your professional rug cleaner as soon as possible. The sooner we can get to a spill the less likely it will become a stain.

Read the labels of the spot cleaners, if it doesn't say wool safe or have the wool safe symbol on it it will not be good for your wool rug. We hear stories where it may have worked once, but there are too many factors to gurantee it will always work every time.

Here is a letter written to Barry O'Connell of www.spongbongo.com about using snow as a great way to get off loose dirt, lint and pet hair. He doesn't say that it will do anything more than that.

The other sites I looked at all say that it is a great way to get rid of the loose dirt without getting the rug too wet. When you remove the loose dirt from your rug it will look brighter because it is the loose dirt that makes a rug look dull, unless it is a synthetic rug.

Synthetic rugs look dull from walking on it regardless of how much cleaning is done to them. The fibers lose their sheen as soon as they are walked on and there is no way to replace it.

If you live in a place that gets a lot of snow and want to freshen up your area rugs, this is a good way. Just keep in mind that for a deep sanitizing clean you need to take your rugs to a professional area rug cleaner.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

A Round Persian? Oh Yes!

2010-02-17T16:17:00.001-08:00

This is a very unique hand knotted Persian area rug, Tabriz woven. Not only is it round, which is rare, it has a scalloped edge.

Here is another history of Tabriz area rugs from the Rug Rag

This rug is just over 3 feet in diameter, the fringes were longer when it as made. This kind of round rug would have been used on a table.

Using little rugs as table decorations has fallen out of fashion, what is a shame really. Some area rugs made today are too beautiful to walk on, using them as table coverings would be a better use.

Next time you find an area rug that you love but it too lovely to walk on consider using it as a table cover or wall hanging. Area rugs do make great wall hangings as well, since they are works of art.

Another great idea for flat woven area rugs is to make them into pillows or cover a chair cushion. Even if an area rug is too stained or worn to be used as a rug doesn't mean that the rug is ready to be tossed.

I love seeing your treasured, unique, old, and history rich area rugs. I would love to feature your rug on my blog.

Bring it in to Luv-A-Rug on #2-4144 Wilkinson Rd. 250-590-6210 or e-mail pictures to mary.luvarug@shaw.ca

When sending pictures I need:

One of the whole rug, as much as possible
A close up of the back, if possible with a quarter in the picture as well
A close up of the fringes where they connect with the rug (front or back doesn't matter)
A picture of any details that you enjoy or that stand out.

Please include your name and e-mail and size of rug(s). I do not publish our personal information or use it for malice spam.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

A Blue Chinese not a Sad Chinese

2010-02-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

This is an 8x10 foot wool hand knotted Chinese area rug.

What I love about this rug is the subtle details and the colours. It is a treat to see a Chinese rug that breaks with the traditional look.

A more typical Chinese area rug design features floral or dragon motifs.

The deep blue that the Chinese rug weavers use is amazing. I don't see it used in a lot of their area rugs, which is a shame. Most Chinese rugs are pastel in colouring.

The simplistic design of this rug makes you look at the border. It is considerable sized border, but it doesn't make the rug look out of proportion. It is very well balanced and doesn't distract the eye. This rug has a calming effect to it. I find it very inviting to enjoy.

The designs in the inner corners draws the eye in. I find myself looking at the border of the rug more so than the center of the rug.

This area rug would look great in a bedroom or living room. It doesn't feel like a rug I would out in a dining room.

You may feel different, but for me it is too soft looking for a dining room setting. Having chair legs moving over this rug would soon leave wear marks.
This is the best design detail of the rug. There are six of these surrounding the center medallion. This is what makes so special.

I am a true believer that the simple and subtle details that make a rug desirable.

Area rugs are pieces of art and not everyone sees or likes the same things about the same rug. I find this rug to be one of the many treasures from the orient.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

I am Back with more Moth Prevention

2010-02-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that there hasn't been any blog posts from me in awhile. I was deep under the weather for the last two weeks of January. That is not too bad because last year I was sick the whole month of January. I think I am prone to getting ill in January because of the stress I put myself through in December. It is amazing the effects stress has on the human body. Some day I will learn how to relax.

I turn a year older at the end of this week, not really looking froward to that, but there is nothing I can do about that. I look younger than I really am, so that is one good thing about my birthday... I can fib about my age. At least for a few more years. :)

Since the weather has been a lot milder and not as much rain as usual there hasn't been the rush of flooded area rugs this year. It is, however, the year to get the big area rugs cleaned.

Since most large area rugs (8x10 and larger) aren't always cleaned every year or two they tend to become prime targets for moths.

To make your large area rug less attractive to moths vacuum the entire every few months. Every day your rug is collecting dust, dander, debris from the air. If you have some of the rug covered by furniture and cannot easily vacuum this area that is where the moths will go.

Moths love dark, dry, warm, undisturbed areas. To make your rug less desirable it is best to:
-Vacuuming often
-Clean up spills when they happen
-Regular professional cleaning
-Examine the edges front and back

Moths are sneaky, they can crawl 2-6 inches under the edges of your area rugs. This is what moth damage looks like on the back of an area rug. As you can see it is subtle and can easily be overlooked.

When moths are eating the rug from underneath you will not notice until you vacuum and see missing fibers.

To help prevent moths from hiding under the rug:
-Vacuum around baseboards and under the edges of the rug.
-Rotate your area rug a few time year.

If you do find that your area rug has been eaten by moths not all is lost. Luv-A-Rug can help. Our non-toxic moth treatment kills any remaining eggs and doesn't harm your rug in any way.

Prevention is always the best policy and the vacuum is your best defense. Keeping your area rug clean is the best way to ward off moths.

Here is more information on Moths and moth prevention.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Acrylic Shag

2010-01-13T16:21:00.001-08:00

Here is a video of me talking about an Acrylic Shag area rug. These shag rugs are in the rug buyer's beware group.

They are very beautiful rugs, but really shouldn't be used in a room where they get used a lot. If area rugs came with a label telling of where to use this rug it would say in a lightly used area.

They stain very easily, so they are not great for pets or in an area where they could get food and drink split on them.

I know that they are very beautiful, shiny and new, but they don't clean well and they hold in a lot of dry dirt.

The fibers can also be easily pulled out either by hand or by the vacuum. Plus these rugs are hard to vacuum.

We have to do it by hand here at Luv-A-Rug before we clean it.

Once you start to walk on this type of fiber (acrylic) it quickly looses it's beautiful sheen.

Next time you are walking through your favorite Home store and you see one of these beautiful shag, ask yourself where would you use and if it is practical for your household.

Thinking about where you will use the rug greatly determines what type of rug you should buy.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Airport Body Scans: oh what a debate

2010-01-05T17:15:00.000-08:00

I cannot help but write about the new proposed body scan machines in the airports. I have read many news articles on the machines from a couple of sources. It was basically the same stuff just worded differently, but that is how the news goes.

My favorite thing about the articles is the picture they showed of a man standing in one of the machines and a picture of what a scan would look like. Under the picture the caption reads, "...image... is not from a scan of the man"

Why show a false picture? If the government wants people to want the body scans it would be best to show actual results.

I understand why people are apprehensive about what the scans reveal and what may be done with the scans, but I also know that the age of innocence has passed. We no longer live in a society of trust and honesty.

The whole issue of privacy is another contention. Privacy is an illusion. How can we believe, in this age of technology, that privacy still exists? Don't get me wrong, if I was a celebrity or high profile person I would not want my body scans to be the latest headline, but I also want to be sure that when I get on an airplane that I arrive in my destination alive.

Regardless of the outcome of the body scanners, one thing is for sure we need to have better security at airports and seaports. We cannot ignore what is happening in the world until it happens in our backyard. History should have taught us that.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Road Salt and Area Rugs

2009-12-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was reading the blogs I follow and came across one that mentioned road salt and area rugs.

This got me thinking: What does road salt do to area rugs, more specifically wool area rugs?

Apparently I may be the only one wondering that because no one has written anything about the subject except a few sentences I read yesterday. All that was mentioned was that road salt will leave a stubborn white stain on the rugs.

True enough, but does it do anything more serious?

I could not find anything, so here are my thoughts for dealing with the road salt and sand that gets put on our roads and sidewalks:

Do not put your favorite or precious rug in the entrances. Use an inexpensive rug instead. If possible also have a rug outside to wipe your shoes on before stepping inside. I like the really thick scratchy jute ones.

Vacuum the front and back of the rug more often. If the rug is wet give it a good shake.

When shaking a rug DO NOT grab the rug by the fringes or tassels. Have a good grip on the rug itself, this won't cause any rips to happen on the edges.

Stomp your shoes outside before going in to the house and do not wear your shoes indoors. I know that seems like a no brainer, but we can forget the little things sometimes.

Every season of the year carries it's own issues for area rugs. In the winter it is road salt/sand, wet weather, bursting water pipes and cannot forget pet accidents.

If your dogs are like mine they hate to go outside in wet/cold weather and area rugs work just as good as the grass for their business.

When the weather is bad, check your area rugs in the rooms that aren't used as much for pet accidents. Dogs will usually avoid using their favorite areas for their bathroom.

My babies (Daisy and Texas) like to use the spare room that we don't use very much. Once one starts to use an area the other one will follow.

Once your dogs start to use an area they will keep going back. If your dog doesn't seem to be doing the usual stuff outside or you see them bolt for an area where they do not normally go, it is time to investigate.

I am wishing everyone a safe, warm, dry and festive New Year's.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

The countdown has begun

2009-12-18T14:55:00.000-08:00

The days are quickly counting down until Christmas.

The time has past for getting area rugs cleaned for Christmas. In the next couple of weeks will be the time I get to spend on those little projects that get started but never finished.

I am not a big fan of Christmas because it has become an ugly day to me. Commercialism has replaced the real reason for this time of year. I have always wanted to have a Christmas from like the 1800's.

I read all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and loved the way Christmas was back then. It was about family and friends and enjoying being together.

Now that I think about it I do have that kind of Christmas. For the last 3 years I have gone to a friend's house on Christmas Eve for dinner and relaxing. This year I put up a tree and hung the stockings.

I buy only the gifts I need to. I try to make most gifts if I have time. On Christmas day I call my family members since we live in different areas of Canada. For the rest of my time off I do very little. I do not go shopping for those Boxing Day Sales because they are a zoo and they aren't the huge deals they used to be.

Very low key. I used to envy people who had the large family gatherings, but then I think back to Christmas at my Grandma's house as a kid. There were four to six families (20-30 people) all gathered together in a little house so I usually ended up finding a quiet corner and hiding there until dinner was ready.

Being the only girl in I didn't have much in common with my younger male cousins. I don't want that type of gathering if I can help it.

The best part of any Holiday Celebration is the traditions. Growing up we would always put our tree up on Christmas Eve and certain decorations were always put at the top of the tree.

My mom made a potato dressing (stuffing) and Nanny (grandmother) made amazing pickled beets.

My aunt would always beat me at cards and Grampie would be sitting at the table taking everything in.

As the season of giving draws on I hope that you enjoy your traditions and family gatherings.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Part 2-After the repair

2009-12-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

In November I wrote about a wool tufted area rug that was in for repair and cleaning

Here is what the rug looked like after we did our magic to it.

It looks like a brand new rug!!!!

My video skills are still in the learning stages as you can see.

I am so pleased, as are the owners of the rug, at how awesome it looks.

You may be asking, 'Why we didn't just re-glue the existing backing?' Answer is that the old backing was too weak. Re-gluing it would have caused more problems and the client wouldn't have been happy, especially after the back ripped where we didn't glue it.

With us re-doing the whole back and binding the sides this rug will last for years.

Plus it is one less rug in the landfill!!

Thanks for reading and viewing, RugloverMary

WAIT! Before you toss that rug read this

2009-11-17T17:31:00.001-08:00

Luv-A-Rug does more than just clean area rugs, we also do area rug repairs.

This 8x11 wool tufted area rug came to us looking like it was ready to retire and be replaced by a bright shiny new one. In most cases that is what would have happened, but this rug was loved and wanted by it's owner.

This rug will see many more years once we are finished with cleaning and repair.

A lot of rugs get tossed in the trash because the owners think that they cannot be saved, this isn't always the case.

If your rug gets flooded, we can dry it and kill all microorganisms.

If the colours have run in your rug, it can be fixed.

If the fringes have seen better days, we can replace or remove them.

Before you say goodbye to your rug bring it to Luv-A-Rug or have us pick it up.

We will tell you if it is worth saving or if it time to invest in a new one. Give us a call at 250-475-3922 or drop by at 2-4144 Wilkinson Rd

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Hand Hooked Rug Cleaning 101

2009-10-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

In my last post I talked about a very special rug that was hand hooked.

I received a comment from a lovely lady named Julie who writes a rug hooking blog I follow about cleaning hand hooked rugs.

I was just going to post a reply to her comment, but I thought I would do a whole blog about it.

The cleaning concerns about hand hooked area rugs are as follows:

the colours could bleed

the backing could shrink, making the rug bumpy and mis-shapened

stitches could unhook

the stitches could shrink, causing the design to look funny

These are possible things that can go wrong if hand hooked rugs are improperly cleaned.

Since hand hooked rugs are mostly used as wall hangings they don't need to be cleaned very often, about once a year or so.

Vacuuming them about once a month with the little brush attachment on your vacuum will remove the dust that the rug collects on a daily basis.

Ask your local rug cleaner if they clean hand hooked rugs and how they clean them. It may be best to use a rug that you don't like or make a sample rug with lots of bright colours and get them to clean it.

A reminder if you don't feel comfortable with the way the cleaner is answering your questions, then follow your gut. You put a lot of effort into making your works of art don't leave it to chance that it will be cleaned properly.

When we get in a hand hooked rug for cleaning I explain the following:

We test the colours to make sure they won't run

We do try to do a wet clean, but most of the time hand hooked may get dry cleaned depending on the types of fibers used and the delicacy of the rug

If our cleaning guy has an hesitation about the cleaning results of a rug he simply will not chance it.

When it comes to your hand hooked rugs find a cleaner you feel comfortable with. Again let them clean a sample rug and see if you are happy with the results.

Not cleaning hand hooks rugs can make a rug look dull and make you fall out of love with it. That is not good.

If there are any rug cleaners in the Newfoundland area, Mid West of USA please make it known that you can safely and gently clean precious hand hooked rugs.

Leave your information in my comments area and a link to your website.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Rug Hooking Blogs Explosion

2009-10-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

It took me two days, but I caught up on my blog reading. I follow seven rug hooking blogs, even though I do not hook rugs, and seven area rug blogs.

Everyone had lots to say about the wonderful projects that they are working on. I get a bit overwhelmed when I read some of the rug hooking blogs because I want to start rug hooking, but it seems like you need a lot of storage space for wool pieces.

I am already over run by my crocheting yarn and scrap booking paper and accessories. I have no doubt that when I decide to seriously take up rug hooking I will have no trouble finding space.

Last week we had a client come in with her three beautiful hand hooked rugs. Each one took her a year to do. I was thrilled to finally see what rug hooking looks like.

This is my favorite of the three rugs. The pattern is an old French needlepoint.

The owners friend was on a train in France when he saw a woman needle-pointing this pattern. He asked her where she got the pattern and Voila! a rug was born.

The pattern is called Chimera meaning fantasy animals. There are some beautiful teal accents in this rug that I love. Teal is my weakness colour. I am always drawn to it.

This little guy in the middle is my favorite. He has the same type of body expression my Chihuahua, Texas, has when I scratch him.

Here is the back of the rug.

The owner said that she used a number 3 cut wool to make the rug. Rug hookers will

She prefers the #3 over the #4 cut. She told me that #4 cut is usually unused for the primitive designs.

The lady who did this rug also had hooked two rugs that have a Japanese lady in full dress. She said that for the outline of the design of the dress she used ONE thread of fabric to hook it. Yes one little thread.

She wanted to do three Japanese ladies, but after the second one she was done with dealing with the fine detailing. Fair enough, using thread to hook with doesn't sound easy. The end result would be beautiful that is for sure.

To all the wonderful ladies who hook rugs, keep up the great work. You works of art are very beautiful.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Who do you Recommend?

2009-10-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

If one of your clients asked you to recommend someone to clean something that you don't do, do you have an answer?

Victoria, BC, Canada is not a very big city and because of that it is hard to be anonymous and elite. Luv-A-Rug recommends many other companies who clean or sell the services and products that we do not.

With Luv-A-Rug being in the area rug cleaning service, we get asked on a daily basis where to buy rugs. We have several rug galleries that we recommend, but we then take it a step further.

We educate our clients on what to look for in a good area rug.

We show them the different types of rugs and show them what to look for and to watch out for.

When the boss goes around to all the galleries he will often hear from them that they can tell when one of our clients are there looking at rugs. For you see our clients are the ones who are smelling and touching the area rugs. yes I said Smelling.

Why should you smell the rugs before you buy one? On certain area rugs an odour can already exist and that smell can get worse in your home. The smell is permanent, so be sure it isn't too unpleasant to your nose.

Having an arsenal of different companies you know are good and reputable ups your reputation as well.

Today we had a lovely couple dropping off their area rug for cleaning. We got chatting and the misses mentioned that she had her drapes cleaned recently. I asked where she got them done because a few hours earlier another client asked us where was a good place to get her drapes cleaned.

It was Sidney Dry Cleaners in Sidney, BC that cleaned the drapes.

As the couple was leaving I heard the misses say that it was nice that we recommended each other. She is very pleased by the work that Sidney Dry Cleaners does and she is a repeat client of ours, the circle is complete.

She told me that she was going to make a point of telling Sidney Dry Cleaners that she brought her rugs to us for cleaning and that we recommend them. How sweet.

When clients trust you they trust who you recommend, so it is always good to go around to these business periodically and reconnect with them.

Remind them what you do, give them your business cards to hand out to their clients, ask them if they are doing any new services or have changed how they do things. A few minutes of chat time helps both businesses.

Now get out there and grab the good companies before they recommend someone else.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

The quiet before the BOOM!

2009-09-29T15:13:00.001-07:00

The month is almost over and it is ending on a quiet note. I know it is the calm before the rush next week.

The weather has turned to rain today. It has been awhile since we got more than a few hours of rain. The radio announcer keeps reminding me that there could be a thunder storm.

I really hope not because I do not like them at all. I feel like I am five years old and I want to hide.

When I was younger I would lay there listening to the thunder and picture God harvesting his potatoes. I did this because when I was a young girl I would help my Papa harvest potatoes. We would drop them onto a metal ramp going into the root cellar.

It sounded like thunder, so it helped me cope with my fear of thunder. I remember one thunder storm hen I was bout 13 that seemed to last for hours. There was no ease of the booms. I screamed at the ceiling, "Okay God you have enough potatoes. Cut it out!" It didn't stop the thunder. I guess he needed a lot of potatoes that night.

I am scared of thunder, but I love lightening. I find it very beautiful. I think I like it because when I was young my mother wouldn't let me watch it. She told me it would make me blind if I looked at lightening. I think it was because she was scared and tried to push her fear onto me.

We will be busy next week with cleaning and re-edging of area rugs. Our machine repair guy is off this week and he has a lot to do when he gets back. Every rug we took in for cleaning and machine repair this week needs to be done by Oct 9th. Canada's Thanksgiving on Monday Oct 12th and we are closed on Sunday. The week of October 6-10 will be rush week.

I am going to enjoy the slowness of today because I know it will not last. The holiday season is approaching and so is the time to get your area rugs freshened up for all the company you will have soon.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Another Wine Success

2009-09-23T16:10:00.001-07:00

We had another successful removal of a red wine spill this week.
I am beginning to think that wool rugs need red wine. Red wine seems to be our spills of the month, we have received several area rugs with wine on them.

Fortunately for the owners of these fine rugs we did rid the rugs of their wine addiction.

This is a beautiful Nepalese wool area rug with silk highlights. The highlights are throughout the rug which are usually the most difficult to get the wine out.

The client was very prompt in getting his rug to us less than 24 hours after the spill happened and he kept the spill damp. By keeping the spill damp it helped the wine not settle in.

To keep a spill damp: wet a white cotton towel and put that on the spot.

If possible put weight on the towel as this keeps the towel in contact with the spill.

This does not guarantee that the spill won't stain your rug, but it does help the red wine not set in as easily.

The silk border was still dark from the wine, other than that it was really hard to see where the wine was spilled.

The client was very happy with our results and he hoped that it wouldn't happen again.

Red wine does stain wool rugs very easily because of the tannins red wine contains. Remember to keep the spill damp and get it into your professional area rugs cleaners as soon as possible.

The quicker the spill can be worked on the better the results.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

A Flitting Glimpse into Rug Hooking People

2009-09-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

Today I caught up on my reading, as in reading the blogs of the people I follow.

I enjoy reading the little glimpses into their lives.

I have noticed some mutual characteristics of the rug hookers:

They seem to live in small towns or in the country.

Most grow their own vegetables and preserve them.

They are close to their mothers and families.

I am generalizing, I know, but this is what I have observed from the rug hooking blogs that I follow.

When you start writing a blog you may think you know what you want it to be, but along the way the blog starts to take you where it wants to go.

I never thought when I started my blog over a year and a half ago that I would connect with a lot of interesting people all over the country and beyond.

To be completely honest I didn't have a vision for my rug blog at all. My boss asked me to start one, so I did. Now, I write two area rug blogs and I am slowly getting a direction for my rug blogs. The rhythm is flowing.

As I learn more about how to make my blogs better the rhythm will change just as a river changes over time.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Artistic Chinese

2009-09-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday Luv-A-Rug received this beautiful Chinese Tufted area rug for cleaning.

Area rugs are works of art in their own right, but these days it is easy to turn a work of art into a rug.

This type of artistic design is usually done by a famous artist.

This rug is a copy of a famous artist's type of painting since there is no signature on the rug nor does the label on the back give anyone credit for the design.

When I look at this rug it speaks to me.

I cannot describe what it says to me, but the rug draws me in.

Every time I look at the rug I see something different.

We see the rugs out of their element and every now and then I try to picture how the room maybe decorated.

I see this rug in a room with a dark floor, modern cut furniture in a light colour, one wall painted red and a big window overlooking the backyard.

Clean, sleek lines, and a modern feel, that is where this rug belongs.

Wherever this rug rests I am sure it is well loved by it's owners. I know if I had the above described room I would own an area rug like this.

An area rug doesn't have to match the room it is in. When you love a rug you should show it off even if it doesn't quite go with the decor of the room.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Rugs, Rugs, and more Rugs

2009-09-11T16:15:00.001-07:00

This week it has been a down pour dirty area rugs.

Every day this week we have had no less that 20 area rugs dropped off for cleaning. That may not seem like a lot, but during the summer we would get between 5-12 a day.

We have had either a large number of rugs per order or just a large rug. With the amount of rugs sized 8x10, 9x12 and larger we clean per week it is hard to believe that people are shrinking the size of their living spaces.

We had one client who had expanded her living space. She moved here from Vancouver from a small condo to a house here in Victoria.

Her rug is 9x12 and in her old place she could only unroll it half way, so every few months she would rotate it. Now in her new dwelling she can enjoy the whole rug, which is a beautiful plush red Pakistan rug.

It is a dilemma for a lot of people, when they move from one place to another, as what to do with their area rugs if they are too small or too big for the room, but are loved.

Cutting it down isn't a great option depending on the pattern, construction, and love for the rug.

Taking your grandmother's beloved Persian and trimming it down is pretty much considered blasphemous. You can always get it wrapped properly and store it, but then you cannot enjoy the rug.

When it comes to not having the right size rug for your room it becomes a personal struggle. Everyone can offer their opinion, but it always comes down to what feels right to you.

By the end of next week we should be caught up with all the rugs that need to be cleaned and repaired, just in time for the Thanksgiving rush that we will have at the end of the month.

With the area rug cleaning trend we should be pretty steady until the middle of January.

If we have lots of rain this winter, we can be busy with flooded rugs until May.

When it comes to area rugs there is always something that can cause a cleaning rush, a holiday, the weather, moths, pets and even a season change.

Cheers to another busy rug cleaning year!!

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Busy Busy Rug Cleaners

2009-09-09T15:21:00.001-07:00

Wow! Back to school rush has began.

In the last three working days we have received over 60 rugs for cleaning and some for repairs.

It will be hard to stick to our 5-7 day turn around time, but our area rug cleaner pulls it all together.

He has been doing this for over 17 years now, he is used to a serge of rugs for cleaning.

With all the clients coming in I don't have much time to sit and write let alone think about much besides area rug cleaning.

Well Cheers to the beginning of September and the beginning of a very busy month.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Rug Hooking Reading

2009-09-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

Today I read several blogs about rug hooking. I am now following many rug hooking blogs on this blog site.

Most of the blogs I came across today were not only about rug hooking, but also about these ladies lives as well.

I was very happy to stumble across this rug blog, Momz Wool. This lady visited my home village, Advocate, Nova Scotia. She lives in Amherst, Nova Scotia, which is the last town I lived in before moving to Victoria, British Columbia.

Another great rug hooking/life blog is about Julie from Newfoundland. I enjoy the white board message in this entry.

For a more technical blog about rug hooking, check out Red Jack Rugs. There are loads of tips and tricks in this blog. Plus there are lots of ways to learn from and support many other rug hookers.

The more I read about rug hooking the more of an urge I feel to start a new hobby.

I recently found out that one of my neighbours knows how to hook rugs. When I talk to her more I will find out what kind of rug hooking she knows.

There is the rug hooking kit you buy that the rug has a loose pile and then there is the rug hooking on linen/burlap. I want to learn the traditional way with the burlap.

I am worried that if I start rug hooking I will soon over run the house with pieces of wool. Not that I don't already have pieces of paper all over the house when I make cards or pieces of yarn when I crochet.

From what I have read today rug hooking grabs onto you and takes hold.

The ladies who write these blogs are very passionate about the whole process from dying the wool to the completed rug.

This weekend I may investigate what I need to start rug hooking and the investment I have to make to it.

No promises that I will be a rug hooker next week, but at least I will know more about it.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Why You Should Plan Now For Thanksgiving

2009-09-01T16:12:00.001-07:00

September has begun and you can already feel autumn in the air.

It didn't seem like we had much a summer this year. Maybe the weather will stay nice until the middle of October.

Yikes it will soon be Canada's Thanksgiving, we celebrate it on October 12th this year. That will mean at the end of September we will have a rush week.

The last minute rugs that need to be cleaned. Last minute people will have until Wednesday October 7th after that the best we can do is Badger out the loose dirt and debris from their rugs.

The week after Thanksgiving will be very busy as well because we will be cleaning all the spills from the feast.

Here is some spill treatment tips:

Before Thanksgiving come into Luv-A-Rug at 2-4144 Wilkinson Rd., Victoria, BC to get your free bottle of our spot remover.
Dry oatmeal and salt are also good absorbers of wet spills. Please don't use baking soda, it can yellow wool.
Another good trick to have a separate serving area and only have the dining table for eating. We all know how full the table gets with all the dishes of food.

Having them separate from the eating area may cut down on spill accidents. Also make sure that anyone with four legs is kept clear of the food.

I know it is hard, but they love turkey too and an unguarded plate in the kitchen can be too tempting for them too resist.

As with humans, too much turkey and fixings can upset our pets stomach as well and that causes a whole new set of issues.

Have a happy and spill free Thanksgiving Canadian and American alike.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary.

Courtesy isn't dead yet!

2009-08-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

I am glad to inform, or remind, you that courtesy is still alive and well, at least in Victoria, BC.

In the past week I have had an older gentleman let me on the bus first, and a younger man opened the door of the bus and then step back to let me off first.

Today I was going into a store and I opened the door and stepped back to let the guy leave the store. He stopped, held the door and said "Ladies First".

How sweet for that to have occurred. I also know of a few guys who don't start the car until their passengers are in the car and all the doors are closed. That surprised me when I noticed my friend doing that. It was very refreshing.

It is pretty sad that we are surprised when someone is courteous to us.

Have we lost that much respect for others as well as ourselves?

Have we become so disconnected from human interaction that we have forgotten that we are not the only one in the world?

With technology ruling our world more than ever, the need to connect on a personal level has gone to the wayside.

So many people feel empty and unfulfilled these days. With all the ways to connect with people these days via the Internet, it seems that we have more virtual friends than real live friends.

Take Facebook, I personally know 99% of my friends, can you say that?

All it takes is to stop, look up, smile, acknowledge the person in front of you, that small thing can brighten your day as well as someone else.

I am reminded of the story of a boy leaving school one Friday carrying ALL of his books. Some bullies knock them out of his arms and push him down. Another boy sees this and goes over to help him.

He helps him carry the books home. They realize that they have things in common and quickly become best friends. A t their high school graduation the boy who was bullied was Valedictorian and was up giving his speech.

He tells the story of how his best friend's act of kindness of helping him carry his books home that day saved his life.

For you see he was going home that day to commit suicide because he was sick of being picked on and ignored by his peers. His best friend was shocked to hear that.

It is very true that small acts of kindness go a long way. Our small actions mean more than we think.

Here is a picture of my very cute and adorable Chihuahua, Texas.

He reminds me all the time that a little love goes a long way or in his case a little belly rub gets you more love.

He also reminds me to live in the moment. When I am petting him that is all I can do at that moment and that is all that matters. Enjoying that simple act of petting my dog makes the world a bit better.

Remember that the energy that you put out into the world is what you get back. I know this to be true.

A slight attitude shift can change so much!

Smile, it doesn't hurt I promise.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Is that a Nichols Chinese Rug under your feet?

2009-08-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

As August draws to a close Luv-A-Rug is getting busier. September is usually a busy month for rug cleaning because the children go back to school, vacations are over with and area rugs start to show how much dirt, dust and sand they collected over the summer months.
To see what your rug is hiding:

Vacuum the rug as per usual, then turn it upside down and vacuum the back of the rug. What you will see may surprise you.

If possible vacuum the back of your area rugs at least once a month, depending on usage. High traffic area rugs will need it more than low traffic rugs.

Today I had the joy of two Nichols Chinese area rugs come in for cleaning and repair. The owners bought these rugs at auction for a great price.
Here is a great article about Walter Nichols and his area rug career.
This is the smaller one, it is 5x8 feet. After it is cleaned we are doing a new serged edge around the three sides that are fraying.
Before you comment that this is a work of art and should be hand repaired, the clients are very aware of what these rugs are. They would love to have hand repairs done, but they cannot at this time. They opted for the machine repairs to keep the rugs from fraying further.
The Nichols Chinese area rugs are very well made an were very highly sought after as the Chinese rug to own up until the 1930's. They weren't made after the Japanese invaded China in the early 1930's.
When you think about the age of these rugs it shows the level of quality that went into making them, even after years of use they still look great. The colours are not faded, just the pile is a bit worn from use.
These rugs are heavy as well. There are a lot of knots per square inch making them very dense one of the reasons they last for decades.
Here is the second one, the size is 7x9 feet.
After we clean this area rug we will be serging the ends as well. The colours are very vibrant and the design is magnificent.
Both pattern designs are asymmetrical, which adds to the character of them. These two area rugs show how great workmanship lasts and how good design stands through time.
Walter Nichols rug designs are very awe inspiring. He went against the traditional rug patterns to create truly unique area rugs.
His rugs were walked on by the Queen of England,and other royalty, as well as everyday people.
Here is a comparison of the front and back showing that there isn't much fading of the colours over the years.
Nichols Chinese rugs are a magnificent example of workmanship that is quickly getting lost in the shuffle of quick and inexpensively made area rugs. It just goes to show that buying a hand knotted rug is a great investment that will last for decades with proper care and cleaning.
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Trekking the Impossible

2009-08-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

My morning started out like most do, the alarm went off I hit the snooze button and rolled over to go back to sleep.

I sleep with the radio on and today just as I was about to drift off I hear the DJ's talking to Jen Segger, Endurance Athlete.

She is Canadian, originally from Vancouver Island and she is running and biking the length of Vancouver Island next week. Her website is Challenge by Choice What she does as an endurance athlete is truly amazing.

I apparently live in a bubble because I don't know that much about Endurance Racing. I had seen commercials for extreme adventures like the Eco Challenge, but never thought much about the athlete's who do them.

Okay I had one thought......They are nuts! Who would want to put their lives in danger just to say that they survived?

Well many people do and they are doing it for great reasons.

Jen's website lead me to Rob Zahab, ultra runner. He has ran across the Sahara desert, which is now a movie. He walked to the South Pole and beat the previous record in doing so. I love the five minute talk he gives at TED.com about the South Pole trek.

Jen and Ray both belong to the foundation Impossible2Possible, where they inspire and educate children that anything is possible.

I am blown away by their, and may others, effort to push their limits. To be honest it makes me feel guilty that I have not done more with my life. I can't even stop eating sugar and glutton and here they are concurring extreme odds. Not that I want to be an Endurance Athlete, just more self motivated would be nice.

I hope that they will inspire and amaze you as they have me.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Is Clutter bringing you Down? A New rug may help.

2009-08-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

It is another beautiful sunny summer day here in Victoria, BC and I am in wonderful spirits. I feel about 20 pounds lighter and all because I tackled my clutter.

I had a lot of boxes stacked up in my room full of very precious junk. Yesterday I hauled them all out and went through them all and sorted through most of it.

I feel so much better today just having done that small thing. It took me about 3 hours, but it was worth it. I try to do this at least once a year, sometimes twice to every room in the house.

Clutter can affect your mood and whole being. By dealing with it can lighten you up. It can seem like a mountain, but here is a great way to tackle it:

Schedule when you are going to do it

The time frame can be specific as 2 pm on Monday or a bit vague as Saturday. By allotting the time you won't be stressed out by taking on the project and having to abandoning it half way through.

Start with one thing

If there are a lot of boxes move them to another room to be sorted through, or if there are a lot of clothing start by picking it up. By breaking up the tasks it is easily to get them done

Make piles of like items

Put all the papers, clothes, toys in separate areas, also have a throw away and give away plies too. By doing a quick pre-sort you again break down the tasks to smaller more manageable jobs.

Deal with one room at a time

Don't get overwhelmed with everything that you need to sort through. Stick to one area. Trying to take on the entire house at once you may lose momentum.

Get the others involved

When there is someone else to assist you or just chat with, things get done faster and it is more fun.

Organize the room

Don't take everything out of the room and then put it all back. Use storage bins, shelves, and boxes. Label boxes for easy reference. Re-sorting a mess doesn't make it any less of a mess.

Acknowledge you achievement

Celebrate cleaning up the back room or garage by having dinner out or invite friends over to hang out in the newly cleaned space. By rewarding yourself you take more away from the experience.

Once you have reclaimed your space, a new look maybe in order. Don't forget that a small difference such as a new area rug can brighten up a room. Area rugs can make a bold statement or be a subtle accent. A rug can be a nice reward to reclaiming that once unusable space.

The lifted weight you will feel after is amazing and lasts for a long time. By cutting the tasks down to smaller jobs, sorting and labeling, giving everything it's own place, getting others to help you makes what seemed like a huge job attainable.

Happy uncluttering!

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Rug Blog Revamping

2009-08-04T17:24:00.001-07:00

I have been reading a lot about how to really make your blog stand out.

I started using some of the tips and decided to change the look of my blogs.

That is why some of the older blog entries may look a bit weird. I haven't gotten to retweak them yet.

It seemed like such a small thing to use a different template, but the rug blog entries do not adjust to the new template automatically.

I have been spending the last few hours editing all my old rug blog entries.

I may take me a few more days to get through them all, so bare with me. I must continue on with the editing.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Dirty Rugs are a Moth's beach front Property

2009-07-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

Today is my last before I go on vacation to the tropical destination of Nova Scotia Canada.

It has been a very steady day of rugs getting dropped off for cleaning and going home all nice clean and healthy.

We had more rugs come in that started to be lunch for moth larva.

It can be quite a sight when we get in rugs that have moth activity. We look at them out in the parking lot, that way there is no chance of getting moth eggs and larvae in the shop.

After we measure the rugs and do a full inspection we roll them up and put them in plastic tubing. Further guaranteeing that no other rugs are in contact with the infected rugs.

Moth's had a very good winter since it didn't get very cold here in Victoria. A moth's favorite place to nest is in the rug that is stored in an attic or basement.

You know the one that you rolled up and put away six months ago, yeah that one.

If you didn't get it professionally cleaned before storing your dirty rug is prime real estate for infestations. Rodents and bugs love to make your dirty wool rug home.

Please save yourself the headache and money by getting your area rugs cleaned and properly wrapped for storage.

Luv-A-Rug can pick up your rug, clean and wrap it and deliver back to you hassle free. Call today 250-475-3922 / 1-800-886-2802. Your rug will thank you.

Thanks for reading, Ruglovermary

Learn from my mistakes

2009-07-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

We all know the saying, "When it rains it pours." Well it certainly was true for this binding job I took in on June 18. Pretty much everything went wrong, but we now have better guidelines for binding boat carpets.

It seemed like a pretty straight forward job, cut new carpet the same as the old and bind-with a few minor changes. No really they were minor. Right out of the gate I made a HUGE mistake.

The first thing:
I put the two pieces of carpet back to back and traced the shape. WRONG! Well no it wouldn't of been wrong if the client wanted the latex as the top part of the rug.

Lesson number one:

Make sure that the pattern is copied correctly: The top part goes against the back of new piece of carpet.

Our binding guy realized my boo boo after he cut the first piece when he was checking his cuts.

There were two pieces so good news the second piece was cut correctly.

Now I had to call the boss and explain my mistake and then I had to call the client.

Koodoos to the client, she was very understanding and told me where she bought the carpet. We ordered another piece that arrived on July 2, two weeks after the order was taken in.

I expected to have it back to the client on June 26, so that didn't happen.

The second thing:

Our binding guy went on vacation for a week pushing back the delivery date yet again. The client picked up the piece that was done on the 26th of June and she was very happy with it. According to my calculations the second piece should have been done by July 7th.

Lesson number two

When taking a week off give people more than a days notice.

Thirdly:
The client decided that since we have an extra piece of carpet that she wanted 4 little scatter mats cut. Not a problem, it was going to go to waste anyway. Simple job to cut two mats 1.5x3 feet and two 2x4 feet and bind. Nope, our binding guy cut out the four little mats forgetting that he still needed that piece as a template.

Lesson three

............remember to breath and that wanting to beat your head against a wall is not a good idea. We still had the original templates in our shop, which is separate from our binding shop right now, but I have gotten ahead of myself.

Fourth thing to snowball:

The client calls on July 9th to find out when she can pick up her order. I call our guy and he tells me that the boat stuff is done and that it will be ready by 4pm on July 10th. Neither, I nor our binging guy was specific about which part of the boat job was done, so when five o'clock rolls around I get my co-worker to throw out the old boat carpets. You see where this is going.

Lesson #4

Never assume that the other person knows what you mean and for heaven sake DON'T THROW out the OLD templates until the client tells you to.

On Friday July 10th, delivery day, I get to work and see a message from our binding guy to please call him ASAP! As I dial the number I am feeling ill.

I know that he doesn't have anything good to tell me. That was when he told me that he jumped the gun and cut the little mats out of the template that he needed and was wondering if I still had the old one.

I went to check the dumpster knowing full well it was empty. I said a few choice words in my head and tried not to cry, throw my arms up and walk out. I was done!

Done with this order, done with work, just plain old done. I called my boss and explained what had happened.

I also got him to call the client because I knew if I did I would have broken down and cried. She was more than understanding, such a sweetheart.

She told my boss to tell me not to lose any sleep over the latest development in her order. When I called her the first time to apologize that I had traced it wrong I told her that I felt ill all day.
When we are stressed over something we can forget the simple things.

Our binding guy realized that he still had all the pieces, so he put them back together like a puzzle and cut out the right shape. Seems logical, but after having everything go a rye with this order it wasn't the first thing you think of. I didn't even think of it at all.

After almost a month the order is done and waiting for her to pick it up later this week. I am hoping that it fits perfectly; It looks correct, but I could just want it to look perfect. I am so glad that this order involved synthetic carpet that was easily replaceable.

When cutting new pieces using the existing carpet remember:

Put them front to back for tracing the pattern
Any changes must be drawn out on paper, full size, by the client
Take your time cutting and binding
Stop yourself from going on autopilot
Make sure that you communicate effectively and double confirm what you mean
Keep templates until client says what to do with it
And most importantly remember that it can be fixed and it is not the end of the world.

A fabulous person said to me that if we didn't make mistakes how would we learn. After this experience I have learned lots and I hope that you did too.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Rug Video's by Dusty

2009-07-10T17:12:00.001-07:00

When you do a search on youtube.com for area rug cleaning you will find a lot of video's by my boss, Dusty

This one is of him doing a through inspection on a Persian area rug.

From the video you can get a glimpse that area rugs are more than just colour and size. As with most things in life the real story is hidden just under the surface, that applies to area rugs. By finding out the colour of the foundation experts can narrow down the region the rug was made. Everything from the design, fringes, side wrap, colours, type of knot used all tell a story about the rugs origins.

Many of the other video's are about the area rug cleaning equipment that Dusty manufactures and sells all over the world. If you ever thought about expanding you carpet cleaning business this is the equipment to use!

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Silence in the Area Rug World

2009-07-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

I follow a few blogs about area rugs and I haven't seen any new posts from any of them lately. It is the summertime and priorities have changed with children out of school and holidays, but you still have to work at some point. Why are you not blogging about area rugs?

I like to read what other rug cleaners and experts have to say. It helps me in my job and increases my knowledge and curiosity of area rugs.

When I am passionate about my job it carries onto our clients and they get excited about rugs as well.

When the other rug bloggers don't write they are keeping all of their knowledge to themselves. Not sharing what you do doesn't help make you stand out from the crowd.

Share your passion!

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Area Rugs, My Passion

2009-07-08T17:11:00.001-07:00

Today I was thanked by a few clients for sharing my area rug knowledge with them. It seems like a small thing letting people know about different are rugs, but it is not.

I love showing people the difference between:

a hand knotted rug and a machine made
what to check for when buying a hand tufted rug
pros and con's of the different types of area rugs.

My passion shines through when I get talking about area rugs.

My goal is to teach people that area rugs are more than just a floor covering. Area rugs are art, a piece of history, a story, a passion.

Age adds character and quirks to hand knotted area rugs.

To some, this very old Persian rug may be ready to toss, but it is still beautiful and rich with history.

The personal history of this rug is what makes it desired to the owner.

Hand knotted area rugs are the best kind of area rug. When shopping around for hand knotted area rugs, please visit a rug dealer.

Two really good ones are located in Antique Row on Fort St., Victoria, BC.

Babak's Oriental Carpets 919 Fort St. 250-480-7114

Caspian Persian Carpets 824 Fort St. 250-383-3434

Both have great selections of hand knotted rugs and great prices.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Rugs need a Vacation too

2009-07-02T17:26:00.001-07:00

It is the first work day of July and the official start of summer holidays.

The kids are out of school, time for sunny afternoons and running through the house. With spending so much time outside we can forget about our area rugs.

Your rugs have spent many months trapping winter dirt and moisture, they probably need a good cleaning.

The summer time is a great time to get your area rugs cleaned. Bring them in before you go on vacation and when you get back your rugs will be clean, fresh and healthy.

Getting your rugs cleaned is like a day at the spa. How so you may ask?

Luv-A-Rug's cleaning process starts off with a good vigorous massage, our rug badger. This gets out all the deep down dirt and debris your rug has been collecting.

Next it is onto a soothing scrub with gentle soap and water, a clean rinse, and a nice air dry. AH! Your rug feels much more relaxed and is a few pounds lighter.

After a few times in the scrub room it gets treated for any stubborn spots that may have hung on and the fringes get some extra attention.

Now your rug goes onto the salon for a nice dry clean to bring the luster and shine back.

If you choose your rug can also get a protective finish to help it resist dirt and stains, plus it comes with a free cleaning within 6 months-that lands just after the holidays.

After all that your rug then patiently waits to go home to start doing its job again, to look beautiful in your home and stop dirt and debris from getting into your home.

When packing up everything for your vacation and checking off your to get done list, don't forget to put down area rugs to get cleaned. Your rug will thank you.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Area Rug Theme Days

2009-06-30T17:15:00.001-07:00

I find it very interesting when we have theme days at Luv-A-Rug. The theme can be pet accidents or all the rugs are all Chinese...you get my drift.

Last week we had one day where a few rugs came in with pile reversal.

Pile reversal is the areas of the rug where the fibers go in the opposite direction as the rest of the rug causing a dark/light spot.

I say dark/light because it depends on where you are when you look at the rug. The spot will change from light to dark when you walk around the rug.

The end/corner of this Chinese hand knotted rug is lighter than the rest of the rug.

Pile reversal can happen any where on a rug and is permanent.

Here is an article about pile reversal in carpet that is a pretty interesting read.

I love the theory about electromagnetic forces as being a cause for pile reversal.

It can be difficult to photograph pile reversal where the fibers are a bit higher and fluffier than the rest of the rug.

This wool Pakistan area rug has a different type of pile reversal that isn't covered in the above mentioned article.

This type of pile reversal is when the knots of the rug are knotted in a different direction to the rest of the rug.

It is really hard to see on the back of the rug, but the knots are slightly different.

I drew a line where the knots look bigger on the right and smaller on the left.

What is interesting is that the knot change isn't in a straight line. It is very uneven and only in a small area on the side of the rug.

The rug is hiding a secret.

When you see a dark area on your area rug it may not be a spill or dirt, it maybe the mysterious pile reversal.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Chinese Sheep Skin?

2009-06-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile an area rug comes to our shop that blows me away.

Last week we had one such an item brought to us from Galiano Island. The craftsmanship that this rug/wall hanging has is pretty amazing.

I tried to find more about these kinds of sheepskin wall hangings, but came up very empty.

I could not find anything thing close to this workmanship on other sites. I can not tell you if this was a custom order piece or if they are made for market. The design is Chinese, but the construction is not typical Chinese.

The five clawed dragons used to only be for royalty.

I wrote a blog about five clawed dragons back in January.

The scene is very tradition Chinese with the two dragons going after a ball.

The red ball represents perfection and the dragons are trying to obtain it.

The back of the rug shows how much work went into making this unique sheepskin. Every little piece cut and sewed perfectly in place.

Amazing! This is a treasure that will be loved for many, many years.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Have you ever seen a Welsh Dragon?

2009-06-30T15:47:00.001-07:00

Welsh area rugs are more of a tapestry than rug. These rugs are still made in a few mills in Wales using traditional weaving skills on Dobcross looms.

Interesting looking machine the Dobcross Loom is. At the turn of the century these looms would have filled many warehouses , weaving the latest fabrics and garments.

Welsh rugs, blankets and tapestries are woven so that the two sides are opposite colour of each other.

This is the other side of the rug. There are two separate pieces sewn together to make a two sided rug.That way the rug is more stable and the loose strings on the back are protected.

There is an extra piece of material sewn between the edges of the rug. This makes it more sturdy and less likely to fray when used.

I found many websites that sell Welsh tapestries today. These rugs do make a great statement and will get noticed no matter where you put them in your home.

I love seeing unique rugs from around the world. That is one of the best parts of my job.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary.

RugloverMary is now officially on Google Profile

2009-06-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

I filled out my Google Profile today.

What will this do for me and my work: It is another way to increase my web presence.

It is never a bad thing when a client does a search for rug cleaning and Luv-A-Rug dominates the first page of the search. I have two area rug blogs, work website, Squidoo lenses, ads on local search sites, and twitter.

Wow when I think about it we have a lot of stuff for Luv-A-Rug out there floating around in cyber space.

It is my desire for Luv-A-Rug to dominate the search for rug cleaning in Victoria, BC. That would be a great accomplishment.

I did enjoy customizing my iGoogle page. To get a great page for yourself all you have to do is sign up for a Google account and if you already have one take 5-10 minutes to jazz it up.

I chose the Ansel Adams background, as my daddy's name is Ansell and Ansel Adams took amazing photos.

believe if you are have a page on the web it should be personalized and even a little fun. We have forgotten that it is okay to have fun once in awhile.

Please do something a little bit fun today!

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Need New Fringes on your Area Rug?

2009-06-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

We received this beautiful Persian area rug for cleaning and fringe repair. The fringes got a little too much love from the vacuum cleaner and from use.

After a good deep cleaning we sent this rug to our hand repair guy to see what he recommended.

The fringes of the rug were only worn down to the knot and to do the usual overcast stitch to stabilize the rug would have been a lot of work for our rug repair guy and expensive for the client.

Our rug repair guy would of had to unweave the fringes and the kilim (the white flat part between the rug and fringes) then do the overcast stitching. Very time consuming and unnecessary for this rug.
This is the back of the rug showing the original knots after repair.

Our hand repair guy trimmed back the original fringes to the knots, made them even in length, and then he sewed a fringe to the top side of the rug.

The new fringes hide the original knots and give the rug a fresh look. When fringes get worn down or stained they make your rug unlovable.

Luv-A-Rug can either replace the fringes or remove them completely.

It doesn't matter what kind of rug you have either wool, synthetic, hand made or machine made, if you love the rug, but the fringes aren't pristine bring it to Luv-A-Rug.

We can make your rug look fresh and new with new fringes or a nice clean edge with binding or serging. We are located at #2-4144 Wilkinson Rd. at Interurban. 250-475-3922/ 1-800-886-2802.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

A Big Hug for Hope

2009-06-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

"Hugs for Hope" Hugs for Hope is attempting the world record for the most people in a group hug, in Cranbrook BC at the Mount Baker High School Field on July 11 2009. Come join Hugs for Hope and lets break the world record and put Kootenays on the map.

If you live in British Columbia or Alberta or the neighbouring states in the United States check out this event. I am planning on going if I can get the time off. It will be at least a 9 hour drive for me and my friend to get there from Victoria, BC.

I am looking forward to being part of a giant group hug to help spread the word about a disease that most of us have never heard of.

Can't make this event or live too far away: Check to see if your city or town has an event for scleroderma.

Our greatest power is knowledge so the more we know the more we can do!!

Precious Treasure

2009-06-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago a client brought in three very precious treasured rugs she inherited from a dear friend who pass away.

They were all for cleaning and two were for repair. This one, that I am highlighting today, is a handmade type of rag rug and is very loved.

The edges were a little frayed and it was a bit faded from use. We gave it a good clean and then we put a binding around a four sides to stabilize the rug. The client was very happy with our cleaning and repair work.

Her beautiful rug can be used everyday without worry of it snagging and pulling apart. Plus she will no doubt think of her friend every time she sees it.

That is the best part of my job to help preserve a memory for someone. Area rugs are not just something to protect your floors, they are works of art and more importantly works of love.

This is the rug after cleaning and repair. It is just beautiful!

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Dale Carnegie Course: Intense but Worth it

2009-06-09T17:12:00.000-07:00

I had the great opportunity to take the 3 day Dale Carnegie Immersion Course from June 3rd to 5th. It is an intense 3 days where you don't get to sit back and be a wall flower, trust me I tried.

The course teaches you how to remember people's names, great for those networking meetings, how to disagree agreeably, communicate better-to get you point across clearly!, and the biggest thing for me was to be better at public speaking.

Yikes! I know, that dreaded speech or presentation that you have to do; This course helps you step WAY outside your comfort zone. My comfort zone was small, but it has gotten a little bigger since last week.

I had to get up in front of 15 people and act silly, exaggerated and animated to sell my point. I had to do this twice. The first time I wasn't sure lunch was going to stay down.

I did observer the look on everyone else's face and they felt the same uneasiness as well. It helped knowing that I wasn't alone in my fears, but it still was hard for me to let loose.

It was very nice to learn that I was already doing some of the techniques they teach. I do tell great stories about people's rugs and I imprint my passion for area rugs on some of our clients. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and getting people excited about area rugs.

The BIGGEST things I got from the course were Confidence and that is okay to be ME. I like to think that I hide the real me behind a mask, but one exercise we had to do on day 3 was to honestly tell two other people what we appreciated about them.

Side note: Appreciation isn't passed out nearly enough, flattery is but that is different. Flattery is telling someone you like their shoes or their car, stuff like that.

Appreciation is much deeper and more personal, such as, 'Jean, I really admire the way you handle difficult customers. You can smooth out any problem and make the customer feel heard and important'. That is appreciation.

When it was my turn in the hot seat I was a bit uncomfortable because I didn't know what to expect. I didn't hear things I haven't hear before from people who knew me, but these two ladies were strangers I knew for 3 days and they saw the same things as my friends do.

That showed me that no matter how hard I think I try to hide myself I shine through, so I just have to embrace that. Plus the real me isn't a horrible evil unlikable person. Yes I have issues and now you know them!

Please when the opportunity comes your way to take a Dale Carnegie course GRAB IT! It is so very worth it! The knowledge taught is priceless.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Rug Cleaning Break

2009-05-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

Another week has begun and it is evident that the spring cleaners are out of hibernation.

We have a very full drying room at the moment as I hope that most of the other rug cleaning plants across the world do as well. It is nice that the warmer weather is here finally, although I did have to turn the heat on last night, it was a bit chilly here in Victoria, BC.

As the weather heats up we must try to shake off that childhood instinct that we are free for 3 months. I do miss the carefree days of summer, but I also remember being bored a lot. I grew up in a very small village and there wasn't a lot to do so having the summer off came with mixed feelings.

To help give you a moment to daydream I have a small distraction for you to check out today. My very good friend sent me this link yesterday and I decided to share it. It is bizarre species that can be found on the New Science website.

It is hard for me to choose a favorite they are all very unique and special. It is amazing that we are still discovering new species and hopefully can keep them alive for future generations.

Science intrigues me. It is involved in everything we do including my passion for cooking and crafting. It is a very big part of area rug cleaning as well.

I didn't realize how much until I took a class on carpet and upholstery cleaning. Removing a spot is all about neutralizing it. The pH scale is very important for spot removal and rug cleaning. tht is why there isn't a all-in-one magic spot remover.

It isn't easy to make a solution that can neutralize both acidic and alkaline spills.

Wool is sensitive to a lot of things so knowing how to keep things neutral and happy is the key to happy clients.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Attention Boaters: Sail Cleaning Done at Luv-A-Rug

2009-05-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

As the first long weekend of the summer season approaches boaters are quickly emerging.

It is time to get ready for long days relaxing on the water whether it be for fishing or just cruising around Vancouver Island.

Luv-A-Rug is the place to get your boat sails, canvas, covers, cushions, and dodgers cleaned.

We clean sails from Saltspring Island, Vancouver Island and the Mainland. We can rid your sails of mold/mildew and can apply water protection to your boat canvas as well.

When it is time to start your boating adventures or it is time to hang up your captain's hat bring your sails and canvas to Luv-A-Rug.

We will clean them and get them ready for your next sailing adventure. Call 250-590-6210/ 1-800-886-2802 or drop by to 2-4144 Wilkinson Rd. Victoria, BC for an estimate.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Mr. Sweeper, more then just Vacuums

2009-05-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

In August of 2008 I wrote about our new vacuum, the Dyson, which we purchased from Mister Sweeper. I have some great, green news:

The owner/operator of Mister Sweeper Vacuums is Scott Kelly.
Besides carrying the best vacuums, from canister to central vacs, Mister Sweeper also carries Gentle Earth cleaning products.

All natural cleaning products for every cleaning job. As the movement is on to think more about the earth's future and not just our own.

Gentle Earth has the cleaning products to make us feel better about cleaning and not adding bad chemicals to our home's atmosphere.

To be even more enviro-friendly when you buy a new vacuum from Mister Sweeper will recycle your old one so that it doesn't sit in the land fill. How great is that?

Luv-A-Rug has had excellent service from Scott and his staff and highly recommends Mister Sweeper as the place in Victoria and Duncan to buy your next vacuum. The after sales service and vacuum recycling sets them apart from everyone else.

When your vacuum has had it's last gulp of dust, take it to Mr. Sweeper and get a bright shiny new one that will fit your household needs. For all your vacuum sales, service and repair needs it is Mr. Sweeper!

Mr. Sweeper 3561 Ravine Way, Victoria, BC (off Blanshard by Save on Foods and Tim Horton's in Saanich Plaza) 250-475-3454

Mr. Sweeper 2-378 Trunk Rd, Duncan, BC 250-748-1962

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Rug Blog Rut and Cell Phone Driving

2009-05-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

I have discovered why I have such a hard time writing area rug blogs. It isn't for lack of things to write about that is for sure.

I am too much of a perfectionist.

I try to make each blog tell a story and put as much information as I can in it. The problem with that is I get too caught up in the way I write it more so then what I am trying to say.

I have two blogs waiting to get finished. I end up writing a line or two and then erasing them. Then I try to rewrite everything and I end up losing the point I was trying to write about.

I get frustrated and then I end up writing only a few blogs a month instead of a few blogs a week. Other than lack of time there is no other real reason stopping me from writing a blog a day.

My need to make it perfect every time the first time is my downfall. I need to relax and let the word flow and hope for the best.

Today I am going to go off topic of area rugs just to switch gears.

I would like to put my two cents in on a hot topic in British Columbia right now: Banning cell phones while driving.

It is proven that talking on a cell while driving helps cause accidents due to driver distraction. I agree, but it isn't just that drivers are talking on the phone it is also that they have a cell phone in one hand and something else in the other.

I have seen people smoking or drinking coffee and are talking at the same time. If both of your hands are busy how are you driving, and don't say with your knees? What happens when the car ahead does something and you need to quickly advert your car? CRASH!

My view on this isn't just the cell phone aspect, it goes beyond that. There are long waits in traffic here in Victoria, BC due to the increase of more people living outside the city. The roads weren't design to handle the amount of traffic that they do. Most are one lane in each direction when they should be two lanes going each way.

Besides poor fore thinking by city planners years ago the biggest problems I see with drivers today are these:

NO RESPECT- there is less respect for people and traffic laws these days.

NO PATIENCE- everyone is in a hurry to get one car length ahead that they drive dangerously and don't obey the rules of the road.

WE ARE INDESTRUCTIBLE- With more safety features on cars and with SUV's being big we are lead to believe that we are in a protective shell.

Patience is the biggest one. I have seen a lot of cars run red lights because they had to wait to make a left handed turn. Cars also pass the city bus in places where they shouldn't.

Cell phones are not the only distraction driver's have, but it definitely doesn't help people pay attention to the road and other drivers. We have become too comfortable in our cars because we spend a lot of time in them and a car isn't just a car any more. With features that allow for DVD players, video games, etc. it is no wonder we have become relaxed in them.

So the question still stands: Should cell phones be banned while driving?

I don't know, I don't drive and I just got a cell phone two weeks ago. As a pedestrian in this city it would be nice to know that when I enter a crosswalk that the driver wasn't distracted by the latest drama unfolding at home and I get hit.

We need to remember that we are not the only person in the world, be more courteous and stop making cars into mobile homes.

Thanks for reading RugloverMary

Trustworthy Rug Lover

2009-05-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

In the last two weeks of April I discovered something about my customer trust skills.

I have been working in Customer Service for 17 years now and I sometimes forget that I do make an impression on the people I interact with.

If you work in the area rug cleaning business you know that you don't see your clients as often as some other industries do, such as grocery store worker, so it can be hard to establish a firm relationship with your clients.

Don't get me wrong we have very faithful clients we just don't get to see them very often. I was taken aback with some of our clients and would like to share what happened. This happened on a Saturday when we do *free* delivery and pick up.

It is no surprise that people feel more at ease giving their credit cards to a person in front of them than to a voice over the phone. Not so much in these cases. All three clients had similar responses when I said that they could pay the delivery guy. They asked if they could give me their card number over the phone. I didn't think anything of it the first time but by the third time it got me thinking.

One of the clients I saw in person earlier that week, so I can see how she felt more comfortable with continuing with me.

I felt very honoured that these clients had enough trust in my voice and my conduct that they entrusted me with their form of payment. It does go beyond just giving me payment for their rug order, but I am having a hard time articulating it.

When the boss does deliveries he hears a lot of compliments about me and the way the Luv-A-Rug does area rug pick ups and deliveries. They like the fact that everything happens exactly like we said it would step by step.

When we book a Saturday pick up or delivery we call between 8-9am on that Saturday to let you know what hour we will be there, that way you aren't waiting around and wasting your day.

After we pick up your rug and we bring it to our shop we do a visual inspection and do up an order. We then call you and explain any problem areas, any repair recommendation, cleaning results and price.

After it is cleaned and any repairs have been done, I again will call you on the following Saturday morning, unless otherwise specified, and I can take payment then or you can give it to the boss when he delivers your clean and lovable rug back to you.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, cheque, and good old cash. We can also help you with rolling up and unrolling your rug. Our service goes beyond just area rug cleaning.

We recommend that you call a week in advance to book a Saturday pick up as Saturdays book up fast. 250-590-6210
Thanks for reading RugloverMary

The Luv-A-Rug way of Rug Cleaning

2009-04-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

One of the most asked questions we get here at Luv-A-Rug is what we use to clean the rugs and how we clean the area rugs.

Here what we do:

After we do our visual inspection with you and give you the cleaning expectations and any repair recommendations your rug gets Badgered.

Badgering your rug means that we turn it upside down and vibrate the rug with our world famous Badger machine. This does what grandma did with a broom or beater over a clothesline, only we do it faster, 40,000 vibrations a minute. This is a very important first step in the cleaning process. This rids your rug of all the dry, insoluble dirt that would turn to mud if not removed first.

Then your area rug is tested for colour stability and shrinkage. The results of these tests determine the method and moisture level of the cleaning process.

Luv-A-Rug has every process from full submersion wash to completely dry wash. We clean your rugs with the best and safest way to get the optimal results.

It is believed that wool rugs cannot be wet washed, but they can if you do the testing and have qualified, professional staff. Our rug cleaner has been cleaning every type of rug for the last 16 years at Luv-A-Rug.

When your rug is getting washed it is done individually, so there is no chance of cross contamination from someone else's dirty rug. We use safe cleaning soaps and everything is rinsed away leaving no residue.

Residue attracts dirt and we don't want that. Your rug is washed as many times as needed until no more dirt is coming out. This is why it may take 5-7 days. Between each cleaning your rug is air dried in a temperature control environment.

We then do any special spot or odour treatments that is required.
Then it is dry cleaned. Our dry cleaning process helps bring out the sheen of your rug.
After that we apply our protective dirt repelling finish if you desire.

We cannot make our process any greener than we already have and it has been this way for a long long time. Wool is just like the hair on our heads and reacts to strong cleaning agents and such, so we are very careful to only use wool safe products.

Rest assured that when you entrust your area rugs to Luv-A-Rug your rugs gets the most thorough cleaning available.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Attention: Spring Cleaners Needed

2009-04-21T15:28:00.001-07:00

Sigh! Last weekend, April 18-20, was the first weekend where the weather was warm, sunny and spring-like in Victoria, BC. FINALLY!!

Today the majority of rugs that Luv-A-Rug has received for cleaning was for regular old dirt. No pet accidents, no flooding, just the accumulation of winter dirt.

Good thing we are the rug experts and love to rid your area rugs of dirt. As along as the weather keeps being nice, the spring cleaners will start popping out from hibernation. I know I did.

I started my "shed off the winter blues" cleaning last weekend. I feel so much lighter when I shed the dreariness of the last few months and start anew.

If I keep going at this rate I may even get up the notion to plant flowers, um.. maybe not. No, that seems a bit much for me because I kill plants faster than a drought plus I wasn't blessed with a green thumb, finger or hand.

I do envy those who are though. I will stick to the dream that someday I will be able to hire someone to maintain a garden for me. That is such a lovely dream.

Remember that if you are packing up your winter rugs to get them cleaned and wrapped professionally for storage. You don't want the surprise of finding out that moths or other unwanted guests made your area rug their summer home.

Luv-A-Rug can clean and wrap your rug to help protect it from unwanted summer visitors. Sorry we cannot help you with the human kind of unwanted visitors. I suggest not having any food in your fridge or cooking badly,(smile).

As we know it is the small things that make the biggest difference. Have you thought about brightening up your patio deck with a rug?

There are great outdoor friendly area rugs to make your outdoor living space a little more cheerier. A new rug for your kitchen can help shed the winter blues and perk up your mornings.

It doesn't have to big or even fancy, just a punch of colour to wake up your senses. That is my suggestion for today, a new rug.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Luv-A-Rug Smallest Rug Ever!

2009-04-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday we received the smallest rug for cleaning that I have ever seen. It is eight inches by fifteen inches. It is a wool kilim and has a great little story.

Our lovely client went to Yugoslavia just after the break up of the former U.S.S.R., around the mid to late 1980's. She said that the people there weren't very friendly at the time and didn't take to kindly to tourists in their towns.

It is understandable, they were still adjusting to being their own country and having to sustain themselves and probably didn't like to share what little resources they had.

When we visit another country we try to find trinkets and souvenirs to bring home, our client was no different.
Yugoslavia didn't have much in the way of tourist items except for these little rugs.

A kilim rug of this size is used in the same way we would use a doily, sitting under a vase or in the middle of a small table.

I love that this small rug has a nice story and history behind it.

She also brought in this beautiful area rug she got on a trip to Mexico for cleaning as well.

I love the tight basket weave of this rug and the charcoal grey colour. It looks like it might be rough since it is wool, but it is very soft and inviting to use. I think that buying area rugs on a trip is a great souvenir.

You usually don't buy a rug and not use it, unlike a mug or sweater. The thing to remember if you do buy an area rug from another country is to get it cleaned BEFORE you put it in your home.

The rug may carry moth eggs or other such bugs and plus they have the dirt from the country that you bought it in. The same goes with any clothing, it should be cleaned before you wear it the first time.

You don't know what your rug can be hiding, especially from another country. It is best to be safe then surprised.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

India Rug Weaving-Controversy

2009-04-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

On March 28th, 2009 my boss posted a video on The Rug Hub. He wanted to get people's opinion on the controversial subject of child labour in rug weaving.

This is not my typical rug blog topic, but it has evoked very strong feelings in me that I had to write about it.

No child should be sold to scumbags as slaves. PERIOD!

I do believe that traditions and skills should be passed on to the next generation to keep them alive.

The thing that bothers me the most is that a group of people are trying to change the way these people have lived for hundreds of years without considering their needs or traditions.

I understand that it makes some people sleep better at night knowing that their hand knotted area rug has a tag or sticker on it that says a child did not weave the rug. However that doesn't give them the right to dictate how rug weavers conduct their way of life.

The art of area rug weaving runs deep in the India culture, and having the whole family make rugs is their heritage. Who are we (westerners) to say that we refuse to buy anything that was touched by a child? We read the newspaper that was delivered by a child, we eat meat and vegetables from a farm that children help their parents with.

I do not think that it is fair to go and say that their way of life is wrong and that they need to change it. There is so much corruption and greed in countries like India that it would be impossible to change it.

The injustice of all this is the families who make the area rugs get the very short end of the stick. They aren't paid very much. I think the video said they got $36.00 per rug, that means that they don't even make $100.00 a year and then those rugs are sold over here for hundreds even thousands of dollars. That isn't very fair.

If coffee companies can get fairly traded coffee, why can't rug manufactures/distributors do the same with area rugs?

I think it has to do with the levels of society that exist in places like India. If you are on the bottom level it is very hard to get to the next level and I get the feeling that it is not desired that you try to improve your level. From watching the video it looks like most of the rugs are woven by people on the bottom level.

From the ages of 12-17 I did what I call slave labour. Every August I went with my parents and about any other people to the blueberry fields in Nova Scotia, Canada. There we hand raked blueberries, row by row, bucket by bucket while climbing up hills and through bushes.

Yeah that sounds a lot like the stories that start with "when I was young", but you get the picture. It wasn't a fun job, but that is what I had to do to buy clothes for school.

Another point is that these children are learning the art of rug weaving, if it is not passed along from generation to generation who will weave rugs? Plus there aren't too many other options for families to make money to buy food.

I think that the children should first get an education, but that doesn't seem to be an opportunity for every child in India gets due to the corruption of the government. We need to open our eyes and accept that not everyone can live the same way that we are used to.

It is a very nice dream, but until there is no more greed and corruption how can we expect such a thing to happen?

Two days ago when I saw the video I wrote a post in anger, it can be seen on the rug hub. If you are not a member of the rug hub you can sign on as a guest. This video has put a human side to rug weaving for me. I was aware of how area rugs were woven, but now I know the conditions, the struggles and sacrifices behind the rugs.

I do not know how to improve or even fix this issue of child labour, but being aware of it can help us make better buying decisions.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary.

A New Trend in Shag Area Rugs

2009-03-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

I write this post for educational purposes for area rug buyers.

I am not saying that you should not buy this type of area rug, I am simply stating the pros and cons of this particular shag area rug.

Luv-A-Rug received two of this type of felt shag area rug within the same week, they had different owners, but the same cleaning needs.

You can find these area rugs in different colours and textures at most area rug galleries.

As with choosing any area rug think about where it will be used in your home.

These rugs do not like highly used areas as they absorb any moisture like a sponge and can stain very easily.

The fibers of these rugs also trap dirt and it is very hard to remove. The fibers mushroom out as you walk on it and they cannot be made straight again.

The best place for these rugs is in a room that doesn't get used very much. This is the kind of area rug looks so great in a store display that it is hard not to walk on it and enjoy the plushness of it. Each fiber of these rugs is almost two inches long and a half inch wide and even dry these rugs are heavy.

The first time I saw this kind of shag was March of 2008 in a few local rug galleries. I enjoyed looking at them, but knew that cleaning and maintenance would be challenging.

These shag rugs are very unique and add a great dimension to any room you use them in.

At Luv-A-Rug we educate our clients on area rugs, with recommendations as to where to buy area rugs and suggest what type of area rug may work best for their needs.

If you have any area rug questions, please drop by #2-4144 Wilkinson Rd, call 250-475-3922 or e-mail mary.luvarug@shaw.ca

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Luck is the Queen

2009-03-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

I have the best boss ever!and here's why.

I entered a contest to win "The Ultimate Rock Star Juno Weekend" through my favorite local radio station. It included airfare to and from Vancouver, hotel, and tickets to several events happening throughout Fri. March 27 to Sunday Mar. 29, 2009.

All I did was answer a few questions about Canadian music and then I promptly forgot about the whole thing because who ever wins things like that. Well.........I WON!!!!!

For those of you who are not Canadian and do not know what the Juno's are, it is our annual National Music Award Show (the Canadian version of the Grammy's).

It is an amazing opportunity to meet Canada's best musicians and I cannot believe that I, me?, won. I haven't had the best start to this year so this just makes up for the challenges I have dealt with already.

My boss is very nice and is covering for me on Friday afternoon and Saturday. It took me two days to find someone who could go with me due to the short notice.

If the radio station had of drew a winner last week, I could have taken my first pick, a local DJ I am friends with. I was also picky about who my companion was going to be. I have to spend three days with this person and I want it to be just as exciting for them as it is for me and we need to be able to tolerate each other.

The lucky person is someone I am newly acquainted with, this weekend will help us get to know each other even more.

We get to go to the Juno Cup, Juno Fest,Juno Fan Fare, plus many more events and of course the Juno's themselves.

I am trying to keep my excitement to a very low level. If I get too excited I start to get expectations and then it all goes a rye, and I get disappointed!

We will do as much or as little of the events as we want. For me just being a part of this is more than enough. If all I won was tickets to the Juno's themselves that would have been enough, but I have so much more.

I really want to see the Juno Cup. I love hockey and music so this covers them both. Ex-NHLers play against the musicians in a charity hockey game. It will be interesting to see who will take it seriously and who is there to show off.

I will take lots of photo's and blog about it when I get back next week. The weirdest thing about this whole experience happened a few hours before I found out I won.

I was out having coffee with one of my friends and as I waited for my drink to be made I read my horoscope that was taped to the counter. I don't believe in horoscopes, they are for fun purposes only....or are they.

For Monday March 23, 2009 this particular newspaper said Aquarius: you know something good is about to happen. You don't know what it is or when it will happen, but you will make the most of it.

I paraphrased because I cannot remember it word for word. Pretty general stuff, however later that afternoon I won a fabulous trip. I still do not read too much into the horoscope, but it was a nice foreshadowing and will make a great paragraph in my autobiography someday.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Beautiful Belgium Area Rug

2009-03-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

In the first week of March we this area rug brought in for cleaning and repair. The edges were fraying and needed to be re-serged.

When I unrolled the rug I fell in love. The colours, the pattern, it all appealed to me.

This is a machine made wool area rug made in Belgium.

This is a very unique Belgium rug. The design and colours are not traditional of most Belgium rugs I am use to seeing.

This is a more traditional Belgium area rug with the center medallion and thick ornate picture frame border.

The Belgium area rug is in my top five favorite rugs for two reasons:

1- the mental association with Belgium chocolate

2-it was the first rug I could classify without assistance when I started working at Luv-A-Rug.

I remember one Saturday where we received four Belgium area rugs for cleaning. My co-worker kept coming up to the front shop asking me why I didn't need his help. I told him it was because all the rugs were Belgium so I could identify them by myself.

At first glance this rug looked like a synthetic, but after a closer inspection it was in fact a wool Belgium area rug.

Luv-A-Rug is unique in the fact that we identify area rugs based on how they are made or woven and not just if it is wool or synthetic fibers. Just one more thing that makes Luv-A-Rug the area rug experts.

Thanks for reading RugloverMary

More to love about Saturdays

2009-03-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

Starting March 28, 2009 Luv-A-Rug will have new Saturday hours, we will be opened from 8am to 3:30pm.

No more feeling rushed or having to wait another couple of days to pick up your area rugs.

Our hours are:

9:45am to 5:30pm Tuesday to Friday

8:00am to 3:30pm Saturday

Closed Sunday, Monday and Stat Holidays.

So on Saturday savour your coffee, enjoy your kids sports game, buy those cute shoes! then bring in your dirty rug or pick up your clean and healthy one, we are opened!

Thanks for reading RugloverMary

Treasures can be found

2009-03-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

I am awaiting the arrival of spring to our fine city of Victoria, BC. We had snow near the end of February and it is has been cold ever since. It is suppose to rain next week so maybe it will warm up then.

The other day I was doing a Google search for area rug blogs, I randomly search to see where I land on Google. There are way too many sites selling area rugs and not enough talking about area rugs.

Some of the sites I looked at would benefit from an overhaul from a different web designer. The sites are either way too busy or hard to navigate to find out any good information.

As I was getting up to the double digits in Google pages I came across a site that caught my attention. The only thing remember about the site was that they needed to use a better font size and colour. Even with the font issue it did lead me to a another site that is very beneficial.

If you are a carpet cleaner, a carpet installer, or an area rug cleaner this should get the brain cogs moving. Instantly bind or serge extra pieces of carpet into beautiful area rugs. Click http://www.instabind.com/ to find out what I am talking about.

It is a very easy way to edge carpet, don't think it would work very well on area rugs.

I have decided to write another blog about area rugs. This blog will concentrate more on the history and technical side of area rugs.

I hope you enjoy my new blog.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary