Red Deer - Ask The Experts

Experts ® in area Rug Cleaning
maNCUSo
CleaNiNg SeRviCeS
maSteR & JoURNeyeD CleaNeRS
on Carpet & Upholstery
Cleaning
Paolo Mancuso
Q: I’m thinking about buying
an area rug for my family room.
When it gets dirty, how can I get it
cleaned?
A: Area rugs are made from a wide
variety of textiles. The manufacturers
give little thought to the cleanability
of their area rugs - they’d
like to see them discarded and
replaced rather than cleaned! So,
some textiles used to make area
rugs are relatively easy to clean
and others are either difficult or
even impossible.
Cleanability
Area rugs made from synthetic
materials like nylon or cut pile
polypropylene (also called olephin)
require skillful cleaning. Those
Cleaning Plant: #8, 7428-49 Ave. Red Deer, AB
made from wool are
also cleanable but
require even more attention
to detail, while
those made from other
natural fabrics like cotton,
silk or viscose are
only cleanable under a
narrow range of conditions.
A textile currently popular in the
making of area rugs is seizal. This
textile is made from reconstructed
hemp fibre fibre. Because the fibres
have so much of the natural
tanin still present (tanin is found in
all plants - it’s the product in your
cup of tea that stains the cup), the
rug’s appearance can be very negatively
affected when it’s cleaned.
Generally, these rugs are meant to
be discarded rather than cleaned.
Keep in mind that cleanability and
stain resistance are not always the
same thing. Usually, synthetic textiles
are more cleanable and more
stain resistant than natural textiles.
But some foods or beverages will
permanently stain any textile.
Another factor affecting the cleanablility
of area rugs is the presence
of cotton tassles or fringes. These
decorative features are either
extensions of the cotton backing
of the rug itself or sewn on afterwards.
This means cotton fringes
or tassles require professional expertise
to look their best. Cotton
fringes are vulnerable to staining.
Cleaning Options
So now you know that some area
rugs require more care and attention
than others. For natural fibres
such as wool, cotton, silk or viscose,
professional cleaning is a requirement.
This professional care
is only possible at a fully equipped
cleaning plant, where factors like
water temperature, water volume
and drying times can be carefully
controlled.
We have such a plant, the only one
in Central Alberta, where you can
drop off your area rugs or arrange
to have us do the cartage for you.
You might be tempted to ask the
carpet cleaner to clean your synthetic
area rug while he or she is in
your house, but most often a synthetic
area rug looks its best when
it’s been cleaned professionally at
a cleaning plant as well. It’s not
unusual for a number of years to
pass between cleanings, so more
than one cleaning will give a better
result, and two or more cleanings
are only possible if the rug goes to
a cleaning plant.
And we don’t recommend ever
cleaning any area rug while it’s laying
on top of hardwood or ceramic
tile.
Cleaning Frequency
People often ask us how often they
should get their area rugs clean.
The answer depends to a large extent
on the textiles of the area rug.
As a rule, area rugs made from
natural textiles should be cleaned
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very regularly, once or twice a year
at minimum if the rug is in a high
use area of the house. Owners of
natural fibre area rugs will need to
invest in regular cleanings in order
to lengthen the life of their rugs as
well as to maintain appearance and
cleanliness. This is because natural
fibres will eventually degrade
and deteriorate if enough organic
material (skin oil, perspiration, food
and beverage residue) is allowed
to accumulate. We also suggest
these rugs have a fibreprotectant
(“scothguarding”) applied to them
after cleaning to increase resistance
to soiling and staining.
While synthetic area rugs are
generally more resistant to the
effects of normal wear, we still
recommend a regular
cleaning schedule.
They may not have to
be cleaned as often
as area rugs made
from natural textiles,
but they will look (and
smell) much better if
they are cleaned once every year,
and maybe more frequently if they
are in an active home with young
children and pets.
For more information on professional
textile cleaning, and for
other money-saving tips, check out
our website.
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Ask The Experts ® - Red Deer Edition - July 2013 www.theexperts.ca 15