Even more shag area rugs

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.

Can you afford to throw away your rug?

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 445 Beta St Victoria BC 250-590-6210/ 800-886-2802, we will  let you know if your rug is worth cleaning.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary 

 

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

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

The King of Fringes

There are fringes and then there are Fringes. I do believe that these are the longest fringes I have ever seen on an area rug. What surprised me the most is that they are wool fringes. Usually wool fringes fray the quickest, but after chatting with the owner of the rug she spilled her secret to fringe longevity; She tucked the fringes under the area rug. That works!
I am curious as to why the weaver made the fringes so long. I just had a silly thought; The area rug was supposed to be 12 feet long but the weaver made it too short so they added really long fringes to make up the difference. I warned you it was silly.
Forgive me I am sleep deprived again!! I won't bore you with how happy that makes me feel. When you haven't had a good night's sleep in almost two weeks you realize that zombies really do exist. I am fast becoming a walking zombie. My roommate has been oh so happy with my moods lately . AH! The caffeine has kicked in so now I am thinking silly thoughts.

Back to area rug fringes. What would you do if you had an area rug that had 10 inch long fringes? Me? I would trim them back to around 4 inches after I took a picture of the rug with the 10 inch fringes,(my co-worker wanted me to say that I would trim them back to 9 1/2 inches to keep with the theme of silly thoughts, yeah not so much). 
The fringes make this runner very unique. I enjoy Turkish area rugs because of the uniqueness that is incorporated into them. Whether it be using florescent accents colours, really long fringes, the unique designs or the way they weave kilims. Turkish weavers seem to be very quirky and I like quirkiness. I do apologize, I seem to be rambling and not making a lot of coherent sense. I guess the Zombifacation is getting stronger. Huh! For some reason spell check doesn't recognize zombifacation as a real word, spell check has apparently never been in a city that has an annual Zombie Walk.

The colours on this Turkish runner compliment well, there are no accents of bright orange or pink to distract your eye away from the the overall pattern. I wouldn't mind if it did because that is what I like about Turkish area rugs as mentioned earlier. Love them or don't, Turkish rugs are a joy to look at!

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

It has begun

Today is the fifth of November and it is evident that people are thinking about getting ready for............brace yourselves..............the holiday season, yikes! Luv-A-Rug has seen the beginnings of the holiday area rug cleaning season, that is a mouthful to say. I could be wrong about the pre-rug cleaning spurt we are having right now, but it is that time to start thinking about it.
We offer free Saturday pick up and delivery and we are booking up fast. Right now we are now booking for Nov. 22, so if you want to have us pick up your rug(s) please call soon. Just think if you get your area rugs cleaned now it will be one less thing to worry about when the crunch is on.
I wish we could make temporary clones of ourselves that would last about 24 hours or so, just imagine what we could get done. I know that in a few weeks I will be feeling very overwhelmed and really wanting that clone. Okay this is a short blog today because it is all I can fit in. I hope that everyone who celebrates Halloween had a safe and good time, mine was okay, it had it's moments of good and bad, but I am remembering the good because I choose to.
I didn't want to mention the historical event that happened in the USA last night, but I would like to say that I am happy about the results.
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

People really DO read my Blog

I feel like most blog writers; Does my thoughts and words matter to anyone, but me?
I have received many comments about my 'Oak St. Fire' blog. Our clients appreciated and felt my sadness. It can be difficult to understand how hard a fire can hit someone if you've never been through one. I pray that I never have to go through another one and that people shouldn't have to go through the same ordeal.
This weekend we received two e-mails from two ladies, one local and one from Belgium, who have read my blog and enjoyed it. My boss is happy that I write it the way I do because he wanted it to be real and raw. Since this is the only way I write bonus for me. I also write poetry and I write it the same way. I will never be compare with Keats or Bronte because I write in regular English not poetry English, ie: I don't rhyme or use vague references to what I mean.
These are the two e-mailed comments I received (they have been edited for privacy):
"Mary has done an excellent job with her blog...have just scanned a few, but find them interesting and the personal notes are also great."
"I've had an off white area rug cleaned by Luv-A-Rug and both times have been very impressed with your 'service with a smile'. It is always pleasurable to encounter people who love what they do......From my initial phone conversation with Mary, who was professional and friendly, to Steve's cheerful and helpful attitude when he delivered my rug to me, the process was seamless.
........the job is wonderful, and the expanse of brightness in the room gives me pleasure each time I pass it.
Thank you so much for your wonderful service.......I refer my friends to Luv-A-Rug enthusiastically.
P.s. Mary, I like your blog! Your candor and the interest that you take in your work are impressive."
I am always in awe that people enjoy my writing, be it my blog or my poetry; Low self-confidence will do that. Well maybe not so much confidence as it is belief in myself. I am confident in my work and my knowledge of area rugs, even though I only know a small drop in the bucket, but that is just memorizing what makes a Persian area rug a Persian or a Chinese area rug a Chinese. I am glad that our clients trust our knowledge and expertise on area rug cleaning. We do strive to be the best because competition is always just around the corner. Luv-A-Rug is the only company in Victoria that specializes in area rug cleaning. It isn't an extra service we offer it is our main service.
Receiving feedback from our clients is awesome! hands down because face it with working with the public we usually only get negative feedback. I have a friend who every time she receives excellent service she lets the person know right away and asks if the manager is available so she can tell them too, if they are not available she asks if there is a company comment e-mail so she can let the company know who gave her the great service. I try to remember to do this because it can make a difference to that employee's career with the company and it just brightens up their day or week.
My day was definitely brightened by those two e-mails and when ever I am having a trying day or just dealt with a more difficult situation I will read them so I can remember that not all is bad.
So to end my blog today I would like to send out huge thanks to H.F in Victoria and T.D.W. in Belgium for their very kind words. They have brightened my day!
Thanks for reading from a very happy RugloverMary

Dangerous Goods

Since the floor trend is any hard surface other more than it is carpeting this makes area rugs in high demand, but be aware not all area rugs are for all situations. Something has baffled me a little bit: You take out your carpet, put in beautiful wood/laminate flooring then cover all but a few feet with an area rug. Isn't that pretty much the same as the carpet you took out?
I had to disappoint a lovely lady today. She brought in a sisal area rug with a rubber backing that was badly stained. The area rug was beautifully displayed in the store and she bought it on impulse.
Yes we can clean it, but it would still be stained.
Yes we can try to get the stains out, but you may be left with a lighten area.
There is never any good news when I see a sisal or jute rug. People buy them because they are a natural fiber even though most of them have a rubber backing and are glue together making them not so natural.
I took a picture of the cleaning tag off of the sisal area rug. This can be used as an indicator that the area rug shouldn't be used in a highly used area.
Cleaning tag says: Do not wash/bleach/iron/dry clean or tumble dry.
Granted this could be this company's universal tag for all their area rugs, but why take the risk that this is an area rug you can only love until it gets dirty.
As we all try to be more environmentally aware the one place we fail at is area rugs. Some area rugs out there beautifully displayed in stores are not good for your home or for the landfill. Read the labels, ask around before you buy to get recommendations for what kinds of area rugs fit your needs. We get asked several times daily as to where the best places to buy rugs are. The first question I ask is where is the rug going to be used, then I ask about children and pets. Our clients are thankful for the rug education we give. It is another thing that sets Luv-A-Rug apart from everyone else, including the places that sell the area rugs.
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary!

March-Lion or Lamb?

I am unsure of the where, when and whys of the saying for the month of March, "In like a Lion out like a Lamb" and vice versa. Another thing I just realized not every month has a saying. I believe it is just March and April; "April showers bring May flowers". I could keep going on the topic, but that is not why I write this blog.
The first week of March was pretty uneventful, Sunday brunch was great, but this week not so calm. Tuesday the weather wasn't that great. It was very windy and sunny with moments of rain/snow. The day started normal until 12:30 when the power went off. I had three clients just after it went out. They were very understanding and patience while I wrote everything out. The sun was shining just enough so I could show them their clean area rugs. Did you know that wool rugs make good blankets? I put a small rug pile side down on my lap and it did a good job at holding in the heat. The power was out for over two hours and then again at 4:00pm for a half hour. Oh what fun!
When the power goes out you really find out fast how dependent you are on it. I'm not happy that we are SO dependent on electricity, but again not a topic for my work blog. While the power was out I worked on a non-computer needed project and solved the worlds problems with my co-worker.
Daylight savings/spring ahead was on Sunday, that always messes me up for a few days. I much more enjoy daylight savings/fall back, even though I always stay up an extra hour and defeat the purpose of getting an extra hour of sleep.
This has also been the week of very large rugs. We have received a 14'x22' synthetic custom and a 10'x18' Persian Sarouk for cleaning. The Sarouk was delivered by courier, so as my boss and I were doing the visual inspection and discussing the rug, my boss is tell me what a good quality rug it is and then he looks at me and says, "Oh I apologize that you don't like good quality rugs." He was partly right, I am not a big fan of Persian rugs and it all has to do with the reds and blues that they use. I do not know why I do not like them, I just don't. I appreciate the workmanship and history of Persians, just not the natural dyes combination. We cleaned a 10'x13' Persian Kerman rug that I loved, it was light purple with mainly cream accents. The rug was not re-dyed it was probably a custom ordered colour. I am a visual person so colours are a big reason I like or dislike a rug and being a crafter I appreciate the workmanship of rug weaving.
So my quandary is has March started like a lion or a lamb? Or does it only depend on the weather? March 1st was sunny and warm, is that like a lamb? Does the saying have any relevance in the 21st century? Or did I just fall off the sanity boat?
Thanks for reading RugloverMary

I should have paid more attention in Chemistry class

Back in December 2007 I took a carpet and upholstery cleaning course. I did very well considering that I don't clean either of them. The key to getting carpet, area rugs, and furniture very clean is not more power, it is chemistry. Too many moons ago I aced Chemistry 11 and 12, I loved the periodic table and finding out how chemicals reacted together. Today I cannot remember much from those fun fill classes, but rug cleaning is bringing a little of it back.
Cleaning is all about neutralizing, bring the area rug back to a pH level between 4.5 and 8.5. I wish there was an easy way to educate and re-program our clients about spot removal. I cringe when I hear that someone used baking soda on their wool area rug. Club soda isn't as nasty as I thought, but it does depend on the spill. I am pretty sure that people are not pH testing their spills to see if it is acidic or alkaline, be great if they did though.
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Around the World in a White Van

I mentioned that I would be going on a road trip around to Victoria's rug galleries. I did indeed do that on the 7th of Feb., but it was more of a trip around the Rug Belt. There are a lot of fabulous area rugs to be found in Victoria, B.C. It was great to meet the owners of the rug galleries, see what they specialize in, to find out what their top selling area is, and get a feel for their gallery. The knowledge I gained will help me better recommend where our clients can find the rug they want.
I went to seven rug galleries and was amazed at how different they all were. Victoria's rug galleries have everything from every day synthetic rugs, to hand knotted treasures and new designer modern rugs. I must admit that it was hard not to think about the cleaning difficulties of some of the rugs I saw. It would make my job easier if rugs came with cautions, such as- this rug it not recommended if you have pets. I am not looking forward to disappointing clients when they bring in one of those rugs. The rug I am talking about is very neat and fun, but cannot be thoroughly cleaned because the fiber type and construction of the rug.
I did happen to find the only Gabbeh rug in Victoria at one store. It was on the bottom of the pile and had two inches showing. They are my favorite kind of rug and are getting rare to find.
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary

Bad Weather equals Good Business

The weather has turned nasty today, strong winds and rain mixed with hail. Not a typical Victoria day. Everyone is stuck on the island as the B.C. Ferries are not sailing. This weather does make our shop busy because of flooding and leaking. Some area rugs come in so sad looking you would think that there was no use in trying. There is always a use for trying.
I had a client come in to pick up his rugs and he got to call me a liar, in a nice way. One of his rugs came in with green stains on it, since he had no idea what caused the stains we couldn't say for sure if they would come out. The stains were completely gone. He was very happy and said that the rug was too clean for use in their summer cottage. I apologized for our cleaning results, joking of course. I like clients with a good sense of humour.
I returned a call to a lovely charming woman today. She wasn't having a good day and my phone call cheered her up. She had left a message asking if we repair rugs, her rug has a five inch tear in it. She loves her rug very much and was very thrilled to hear that Luv-A-Rug does rug repairs. Hopefully we can restore her rug without too much cost to her.
It if wasn't for bad weather and pets the rug cleaning business would be much slower. I would say at least two thirds of the area rugs we clean are because of pets or flooding. I heard a story that one area rug cleaner asked his client for her cat's birthday. She was a little perplexed as to why he would want to know. He replied it was so he could send him a 'thank you' present for bring him so much business. So true!
The water drainage is a little slow after it rains for three days straight. The only thing that I will mind about it is having to disappoint the clients when we tell them that their rug may not be returned to as good as new condition. Sometimes it can be hard to convince clients to get their area rugs cleaned after they find out that the cleaning costs as much as a new rug. It is hard not tell them that putting it in the landfill isn't environmentally friendly. I don't like to make people feel cheap if they don't want to pay for cleaning. All I can do is tell them what is involved in our cleaning process and that if they get our finishing treatment as well we will clean their rug for free (six month guarantee).
Thank you reading, RugloverMary

To Jute or to be Dirty

Every once in awhile (okay daily) I shake my head and wonder what propels people to make area rugs out of material that shouldn't be made into area rugs, such as acrylic, cotton, or the latest fashion fiber. The area rugs that are popular right now are jute or sisal. I remember jute rugs as the nice thick coarse ones that scraped all the grit off your shoes, my nana had on outside of her kitchen door. Now enters a designers touch and voila! you have an all natural rug. They are beautifully displayed in home decor shops everywhere, how can you help not fall in love with them and in today's 'green' society natural products are sought after.

It baffles me as to why area rugs would be made out to materials that should not be walked on. If they can't handle wear and tear then do the environment some good and stop making silly area rugs that end up in landfills. I will try to not write about the subject of what rugs should not be made of anymore. It is, however, a major irksome of mine.

When a client comes to our rug cleaning plant we give a honest, sometimes crushing, evaluation of what to expect from our great rug cleaning process. I cringe when I see a jute rug come through the door because I must now disappoint the owner of the jute rug. I know that something has happened to their lovely jute rug, usually pet accidents. I see the crushed look fall across their face as I explain that we can make it very clean and healthy, we cannot, however make it look new and beautiful again.

Thankfully in between the jute area rugs we get to make other people smile and fall back in love with what they thought was a lost cause rug. I love hearing, "Oh wow! It looks great. I can't believe it is the same rug I brought in.".

I also love hearing about the history of client's area rugs. Yesterday I had the honor of seeing four table rugs that the client's mother brought with her to Canada. Table rugs are rare here, more common the Europe. For those who haven't come across table rugs they are less ridged and have a softer backing than floor rugs. When rugs where first made in Europe they were considered a luxury item and displayed on tables and chests. It is fascinating to me that rugs are used in this manner. Just a little side note, I tried to do a Google search for any information about table rugs and found two sentences. This was after trying different names to describe such rugs and too many Google pages, but hey if I ever needed to find a website that sells rugs I know there are tons. Grrrr!

I spend a lot of my day educating clients about their area rugs; I don't have to, but in doing so it shows that I have passion for my job-that I care about area rugs. Passion is the key to success. I am very passionate about the fact that everyday I get to share my knowledge about area rugs. The way area rugs are woven doesn't change, but the reasons they are made do.
Until next time, RugloverMary