Is it possible to clean a Wool Area Rug in your home?

Fine wool and silk rugs require special care and should not be cleaned on location like wall-to-wall carpet. Any investment quality wool or silk rug with a woven backing should be cleaned offsite in a specially designed facility.

For a thorough and comprehensive cleaning of your fine rugs, Atlanta Fresh Start will pick up your rugs and clean them in a specially designed facility.

Here Are The 22 Steps Of Our Rug Cleaning Process

Step 1: Pre-Inspection and Pick Up.

Pre-Inspections is certainly the strongest skill any Rug Cleaning Professional could develop. Having a honed eye allows us to spot any possible irregularities as well as determine the type of rug, its inherent qualities, and cite any pre-existing conditions (pet damage, stenciling, dry rot, de-lamination, tea-wash antiquing application, weaving flaws, …etc) that may affect the outcome of your service..  We will then outline the expected results and note any professional recommendations.

After that, off it goes! We’ll ‘roll & load’ your woven treasure, hand you a service ticket, and proceed on to step 2.

Step 2: Perform  A Dye Test Of Your Rug At Our Facility

99% of rug cleaning disasters are avoidable by the implementation of a standardized Dye Test. Prior to cleaning any loose woven wool or silk rug, there must be a determination of the colorfastness of its dyes or if any over-dye application and fugitive dyes are present.

Step 3: Perform A Fiber Test Of Your Rug

Establishing whether your rugs foundational fibers and face fibers are natural or synthetic is important. This will determine the appropriate products, temperature, technique, and tools for the fiber. Today fibers are becoming increasingly harder to distinguish by just sight and touch.

Step 4: Dry Soil Removal

We use a variety of techniques, like state-of-the-art machinery to ‘dust’ the rugs from the front and back, removing dirt you never knew you had.

We also use compressed air, a pile lifter, and special vacuum attachments to evacuate and capture all of the dry soil from within your rug.

Woven rugs, especially hand-knotted rugs are designed to hide pounds of dry soil; wool especially, because of the many spaces along its cuticles that hide grit.

Check this out…, a few years ago, the Eureka company did a study and found that a 9 x 12 rug could hide 85 pounds of dirt without “looking” dirty! Yikes!

Failure to dust first will create a ‘mud’ in the base of these rug fibers during cleaning, which inevitably leads to structural problems like dry rot of the foundation threads (usually cotton). To avoid these issues rugs must be dusted regularly.

Step 5: Dye Stabilizer

As a precautionary measure, we will stabilize the dyes in your rug with the application of a dye stabilizing agent. Dye stabilizers also have 3 additional benefits:

1. They can help alleviate Browning and reverse Browning of wool or cotton 
2. It is an excellent rinsing agent because it has no added surfactants
3. It is a great way to pretreat pet urine affected areas of your rug prior to cleaning to help release the odor-causing elements from the inside of the rug

Step 6: Pre-Condition

Depending on fiber content and soiling type, your oriental rug will be pre-treated to emulsify the soils.

Step 7: Apply spot, stain treatment

Any potentially difficult spots will be pre-treated with special solutions to increase the chances of removal.

Step 9: Pet Damaged Rugs – Submersion + Application of premium odor counteractants and/or high-caliber enzymes

If your rug has pet damage we will remove the odor-causing contaminants prior to the standard shampoo and wash steps.  Rugs that have severe pet urine contamination require submersion cleaning in a designated ‘rug spa’ as to remove all of the urine as well as uric acid crystals (crystalized urine residue) from the foundational fibers.

Step 10: Shampoo

Most rugs are cleaned with an Oriental Rug Shampoo that is specially designed to get maximum cleaning while protecting sensitive natural fibers.

Step 11: Rinse

Your Oriental rug will be rinsed thoroughly on both sides with a clear neutralizing rinse containing dye stabilizer. This will place the rug fibers in an acid pH state to stabilize the rug’s dyes during dry time. This removes soap residue to give the rug a silkier look and softer feel when dry.

Step 12: Deep Wash

Your rug is then laundered in a  ‘washtub’  that cleans your rug gently and thoroughly. It consists of paddle wheels, which mimic the gentle motion of hand and river washing. Soil is effectively removed by the gentle, turbulent flow of the wash water without the use of brushes or other mechanical forces that could damage rug fibers.

The gentle motion of the Centrum Star’s paddle wheels (which automatically reverse every 60 seconds) makes dirty rugs “swim” like in a natural river. This motion makes them bend and turn in the water, giving up their soil which is then encapsulated in soapy micelles. Our rug washing solutions not only provide a thorough cleaning, but they ensure that cross-contamination and dye transfer is impossible during the washing process.

Step 13: Re-Rinse

Your Oriental rug will be rinsed thoroughly on both sides with a clear neutralizing rinse containing dye stabilizer. This will place the rug fibers in an acid pH state to stabilize the rug’s dyes during dry time. This removes soap residue to give the rug a silkier look and softer feel when dry.

Step 14: Water Removal

We are able to evacuate 90% of the water in your rug using a combination of extractors and state-of-the-art water removal equipment. This significantly reduces the final drying time of your rug.

Step 15: Dry

Your oriental rug is dried flat or hung to dry in a controlled environment. Proper drying is essential to avoid unnatural shrinkage.

Step 16: Fringe Detailing

Other companies may charge for this perk, however, it’s included as part of your standard service. If your rugs have fringes we will take the extra step to perform a meticulous detailing of them that will give them renewed luster and brilliance.

Step 17: Finishing.

When your rug is dry, it is combed and finished with soft groomers made for specialty rugs.

Step 18: Post vacuuming

We will vacuum your rugs to make sure no dust has settled on the rug, groom the pile with a soft pile brush, and use a Grandy Groomer to brush out the fringe.

Step 19: Post Inspection

Our cleaning specialist will give the rug a final inspection and release it for delivery.

Step 20: Wrapping

Your Rugs are then wrapped to seal in their cleanliness. Your rug will be wrapped in brown craft paper to protect it from dust and environmental soils until it is delivered.

Step 21: FREE Delivery

You will be contacted via text or email to schedule a time that is convenient for you to receive your fresh and clean rugs.

Step 22: Rug Installation

Upon delivery, we will gladly lay your rug for you and quietly enjoy the look of amazement on your face when you see how fabulous your rug looks and feels once again.