Thinking about DIY area rug cleaning? - Sedona AZ
Cleaning your own area rugs may sound like a great idea. After all, it can’t be that hard, can it? But before you go ahead and jump on the D.I.Y. rug cleaning bandwagon, how about you take a moment to think about what you’re really getting yourself into here. Trust me when I say that while there are a few success stories out there, the terrible failures greatly outnumber them.
The simplest rugs to clean for a beginner are synthetic rugs with a short pile. Natural fiber rugs (like wool rugs) have additional challenges that synthetic rugs don’t come with. That’s not to say that you’ll be able to clean it without any problems, but you might have a few less problems on your hands. It’s important that you know and recognize your limitations and understand what can and very possibly will go wrong.
Dyes in rugs are not always stable. Often, they will bleed and rugs that are made from a natural fiber like wool and silk are especially prone to bleeding dyes. Reds, blacks, dark blues, and other dark rich colors are especially problematic. You certainly want to avoid self-cleaning oriental rugs with these fibers.
Rugs cannot be wet for extended periods of time and cellulosic fibers certainly do not like getting over wet and thus can discolor easily and/or shrink. Other fibers will do this as well without extracting well and quick drying. Do you have the tools necessary for extracting and drying quickly? Even for the best and finest professional rug cleaner, cellulosic fibers have their cleaning challenges.
Another issue that may arise is using the wrong cleaning solution with results that can also cause color loss or bleeding where colors spread into fields where they are not supposed to be on the area rug. At Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care in Prescott, we only use cleaning solutions that have been specifically developed & certified for the rug fibers we are cleaning. While quality cleaning solutions are expensive, we don’t cut corners – we want only the best for the rugs that are in our care!
If the rug has animal urine than I would strongly suggest you not attempt cleaning with the idea that urine will just wash away.... it does not! Here at Arizona Oriental we have commercial grade urine neutralizing products and procedures to achieve animal urine removal. More often than not, clients will tell me that their efforts just made the situation worse.
Improper dusting can also damage your rug’s fibers or leave too much soil in the rug and create a nasty mud effect. This can leave the rug stiff and discolored and completely defeat the purpose of cleaning it yourself. Do you have the right equipment available at your disposal? If not, than taking on the challenge of cleaning your own area rug, may not be that great of an idea after all.
Most people leave cleaning their teeth to their dental hygienist or repairing their engine to their mechanic who have both been specifically trained for the task. So caring for your Oriental, Persian, or even synthetic area rug should be no different, right? There are just too many chances for something to go wrong and too many risks involved to take the chance on ruining your area rug. Arizona Oriental is the place to come if you want to achieve the best cleaning available.
Till next time, enjoy your beautiful art for your floor and remember a clean rug is a rug that can last you a lifetime!
Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care serves Sedona, Prescott, Prescott Valley, and much of the Northern Arizona areas. We meet the highest standards in professional cleaning of area rugs with rug wash specialists having earned the highest training, which includes certification as WOOLSAFE FIBER CARE SPECIALISTS through the WOOLSAFE ORGANISATION. Such extraordinary certification ensures that our client’s area rugs receive the utmost in care.
If you would like additional information about the pitfalls of cleaning your own area rug, or for a free estimate, give us a call at 928-445-1718, visit our website at www.ArizonaOriental.com, or stop by Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at our rug washing facility at 565 EZ Street, Prescott, AZ 86301 (pick-up and delivery also available).
