ORIENTAL RUG CLEANING

At Bowral Rug Gallery we collect and deliver hand-knotted rugs for professional cleaning, restoration and repair. Giving you the peace of mind that your rug is given the level of care and attention it deserves. Decades of experience in handmade carpets allow us to provide you expert advice on the level and intensity of cleaning your rug should go through, sometimes older or antique rugs cannot withstand the same process as newer rugs., therefore each rug’s cleaning journey is tailored to its specific needs. Before cleaning begin we go through a consultation process explaining what can be expected from the cleaning of your rug.
Stage of cleaning:

• Consultation
• Dust Removal
• Spot-cleaning
• Shampoo and cleaning
• Extraction
• Drying
• Hand Finishing

Consultation

Before cleaning your rug we will assess it to ensure there is no structural damage or dry rot. We will examine any damage to the fringes or sides of the carpet so we can give you a quotation for any recommended repair work.

Dust Removal

Even with regular vacuuming a rug is a trap for fine dirt and dust. Wool is a natural air filter removing bacteria, dampness and dust from the air, which is great, but once clogged up the benefits are redundant. With years of use, layer upon layer of dust can settle into the rugs foundations, which could cause the rug to become hard and over time brittle. Tiny grains of dirt can be extremely abrasive slowly cutting into the strands of cotton and wool that make up a rugs warp, weft and pile. We use a purpose- built machine to remove the maximum amount of dirt and dust from a rug before washing.

Spot Cleaning

Often rugs will come in with stains or areas needing particular attention or care. The stains will be carefully treated using specialist chemicals to remove as much as possible from the carpet. We cannot guarantee results of stain removal, all we can do is promise we shall endeavour all we can to remove or reduce the severity of the stain from the area. Also, knowing what caused the stain, example, red wine, pet urine, tea and coffee can be removed if not ‘set’. As with any stain, the quicker it is dealt with the easier it is to remove.

Shampoo & Wash

Once the rug has been thoroughly dusted and any stains treated the washing begins. First the rug is pre-sprayed with a cleaning detergent that agitates and starts to dissolve any dirt and grease as well as helping to prevent colour run or dye migration. It also maintains the lustre of the wool, preventing the natural oils being stripped during the cleaning process. The rug is then washed using a specialist fine fabric and wool oriental carpet shampoo.

Rinse & Extraction

Once the rug has had a deep clean and shampoo the rug solution must be rinsed. Our specialist rug cleaning machines allow us to inject high pressure jets of water with a PH neutralizing rinse agent deep into the rug while at the same time high-powered vacuums draw the dirty waste water back out. This extraction method gets deep into the pile of the rug and removes an incredible amount of dirt and dust while the powerful vacuums allow the rug to dry faster, ensuring the integrity of the rug’s foundations. The solution sets the colours in the rug to ensure they do not bleed when drying by restoring the PH levels back to their original state after the use of alkaline cleaning products. The rinse agent removes any excess shampoo and chemicals, leaving the carpet with a natural shine.

Drying

After clean water extraction, the liquids used in the cleaning process are removed from the rug. It is then left to dry naturally with the aid of a fan which helps the drying process without damaging, by drying out the wool and helps the rug to air. Before drying, the rug is brushed with a pile brush to ensure the pile or nap dries in the same direction. Process which can take several days depending on the size and thickness of the carpet.

Hand Finishing

Once dried the rug is hand finished to ensure any strands of high pile are carefully clipped. Often during or after cleaning, piles of the rug which are longer than others will show up, these are safely clipped down to the correct size using the same clipping method that the weavers go through when the rug is first taken off the loom. Rugs are then given a final lustre wash if required by using a solution to help restore and refresh the natural oils in the wool. We also treat the fringes to give them a fresher appearance before returning the rug, looking years younger, to you.