Lets talk about good old fashioned soap and water today. So many people think that you can not clean a rug with soap and water. They are afraid of the wool shrinking - similar to a what happens to a sweater when washed in the machine. Rugs are a whole different ball game compared to clothing.

Lets start with the anatomy of a wool fiber. The wool fiber has scales on it that are similar to fish scales. In wool clothing, if the wool is agitated then all of the scales become tangled and the clothing begins to shrink. This is called felting. Felt fabric is made of wool that has been rubbed together so that the scales become entangled and the felt is produced.

Oriental Rugs are gently cleaned flat with a mild detergent that is made for the Oriental Rug. It is applied and the rug is then scrubbed. This process will not felt the rug and thus it does not shrink. Soap is actually good for the rug! It allows the dirt particles to become suspended above the soap so that they are easily rinsed away. Soap is sometimes like a double edge sword - you can either use not enough or too much. Not enough and the dirt is not removed and too much and there will be a residue that will dull the look of the rug. That is why it is important to have a cleaning professional evaluate your rug and make the decisions on how and what to clean it with.

The soap and dirt is thoroughly rinsed out of the rug - which is the most important part of the cleaning procedure.

Soap and water is not "rocket science" but there is a "soap science" that we apply to be sure that you are getting the cleanest possible rug.

If you have any questions please feel free to call me at 513-251-2351 or email me at orientalrugman@hotmail.com.

Today I want to talk about a protecting coating for the rug. There are many people out there who think that protectants really do not do the trick but from a professional cleaners stand point - get everything in your home coated in a protectant! I have had customers call me to thank me for applying the protection for their rugs. They were able to first hand see the effects of blotting a spill up rather than seeing it soak in the rug and leaving a large stain. You must act quickly with any spill and begin to BLOT it up almost immediately. DO NOT RUB or you will get to live with the stain forever as well as a "fuzzy" looking area on your rug. With a protecting coating of product you have a much better chance of getting the liquid up.

The process is very simple - when you bring your rug in for cleaning we will apply the product after is is washed and still in a damp state. After an evening in the dry room with temperatures at one-hundred twenty degrees the product has cured and it is ready for every day use. The product will not change your rug in anyway - the colors will be the same, you will not be able to feel it on the fibers and you will not be able to see it. But what you will see is when you have a spill the liquid will "bead up" on the surface. There are some exceptions, i.e. a whole pot a steaming coffee will almost immediately penetrate the surface as will large quantities of any liquid. But for the every day ins and outs of life I can only recommend a protective coating on your fine home furnishings.

If you have any questions please feel free to call me at 513-251-2351 or email me at orientalrugman@hotmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.