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Cleanfax Photo Challenge: The million-dollar tapestry

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unity tapestry cleanfax challenge

If the phone rang today and you were offered a job cleaning a million-dollar tapestry by a famed artist would you accept?

Greg Turcotte of Heirloom Oriental Rug Cleaning in Calgary, Alberta, experienced just this when he was offered a chance to clean Unity, a massive piece of artistry from 1974 by world-renowned artistic weaver Tamara Jaworska, which hangs in the lobby of Gulf Canada Square in Calgary, according to The Globe and Mail.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Greg describes this particular job: “This is the ‘Unity’ tapestry by Tamara Jaworska, and it is about 22 by 33 feet in size. It is valued at $1 million! We had to clean this on site and by hand. This took two days for us to complete. There were many areas that were fragile. The piece is made up of Irish linen, hand-spun wool, commercial wool, horse hair, silver thread, Lurex® (metallic yarns) and feathers, and the occasional section was highlighted with some synthetic yarns. We also had areas that had real pieces of dried grass. This was particularly difficult with wet cleaning. The grass began to turn to mush when exposed to water, so low moisture cleaning was important. There were many areas highlighted with feathers. The feathers were simply pushed into the yarns and would remove easily, so extra care had to be used in those areas so as not to lose any.”

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pH Taboos: Cleaners Must Be Prepared!

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Measuring pH when cleaning carpet

How many times have you wished you could look into the future when it comes to cleaning certain things?

Having been in the business for over 40 years, my motto has become, “It is not how much you make; it’s how much you get to keep.” In other words, I would have chosen not to clean some carpet and pieces of upholstery if I had known their hidden problems.

The electronic pH pen has become a time machine that allows cleaners to see potential disasters. Here are several things to watch out for:

Rated R: Under three (pH) not advised

Do not clean upholstery that has a pH below 3. This is normally an indication of a deteriorating flame retardant.

This flame retardant originates from the ticking (inside the cover) rather than from the face fabric. However, it wicks into the cover and turns undyed cotton either yellow or brown. Dyed fabrics frequently turn red because of indicator dyes.

In theory, this problem can be addressed by rinsing the fabric over and over again with baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, but many have found that this is not cost effective.

A multi-colored nylon carpet with a pH below 3 is an indication of a cross-dyed system and a potential bleeder. Cross dying is done in a beck system.

One needs to understand that nylon’s normal polarity is cationic, meaning it is like an alkaline. Cationic fibers are usually dyed with acid dyes. However, nylon can be considered to be amphoteric. This means that under certain conditions, its polarity can be reversed to become anionic. In cross dying, carpet with anionic and cationic fibers are dyed with two different kinds dyes that have two different colors. This yields multi-colored faceyarn with a pH under 3.

The problem is when the acidity applied by manufacturing is counteracted by alkalinity from cleaning, the carpet bleeds. If the pH can be maintained, then carpet can be cleaned. But there is no way to practically know this except from a pH meter reading.

What about wool?

Chemically, wool is similar to nylon in several ways. It too can be considered amphoteric; however, wool’s polarity is anionic (acid like); but it commonly is dyed with acid dyes. One should ask why and how an acid fiber can be dyed with an acid dye.

The answer to the “why” question is: If wool was dyed with a base dye, the pH of the dye bath would need to be raised to a point where its cuticles would be removed. Degrading wool with alkalinity is called felting.

The answer to the “how” question is that wool typically is dyed in baths between a pH of 2.5 and 5.5. This low-pH dye bath reverses wool’s polarity to cationic. It is common to get a pH values of 5.5 or lower before cleaning wool. Field experience has shown most wool carpet starts to lose blue dye, when pH values go over 5.9.

There are times when wool or especially wool/rayon (viscose) blends have not been dyed; yet, they still have color due to the natural hues of wool. It is common for carpet manufacturers of this kind of product to specify either dry foam or dry compound methods of cleaning because their textiles are not colorfast. The pH readings of undyed wools will be common for that of soil at a pH of 6.1 to 6.7.

The unsuspecting cleaners could be responsible for a bleeder with undyed wools. “How can that happen?” you ask. Read and understand the S100 (sixth edition), which says:

4.1.1 Fibers

When end users purchase carpet, they should be aware of fiber characteristics that affect long-term performance. The amount of traffic, soiling conditions, and the type and frequency of spots or stains should all be considered when selecting carpet.

Likewise, cleaners should be aware of fiber characteristics that can affect cleaning outcome and communicate with end users to create realistic expectations of cleaning.

Colorfastness is an important characteristic of the fiber. There are only three options on how to know if a wool carpet is colorfast or suitable for wet cleaning methods. Either read the manufacturer’s cleaning specifications, or do a colorfast test, or take a simple pH reading before cleaning. The standard means the unsuspected cleaner could be liable for the bleeding even when wool approved for cleaning products is used.

Summary

Electronic pH meters have become a fundamental tool for professional cleaners. Get one and use it. It’s worth the investment.


James (Jim) B. Smith is an IICRC-approved instructor and a senior practicing inspector and part of the voting consensus of the IICRC S100 cleaning standard. His educational studies come from Texas A&M University and the University of Houston. He has been in the cleaning industry since 1975. For more information, visit his website at www.CarpetInspector.com/jbs or call (972) 334-0533 or (800) 675-4003.


More articles from Jim Smith:

Applications of Absorption

This article shows that by probing deeper into absorption, we can achieve great results when cleaning carpet.

The Resoiling Dilemma

The information in this article presents a new theoretical approach to understanding detergency and resoiling, based upon the topics of “polarities” and “states of matter.”

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Shagtastic!: Dealing with troublesome shag rugs

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shag rug rugs living room

The idea of plush, shag rugs on the floor is a comfortable thought.

At least until it gets dirty.

Those of us who remember shag carpeting installed in homes in the 1970s also can remember why it quickly fell out of favor. Besides seeming to swallow small children in those especially long strands, it also was impossible to keep the stuff clean.

Now we have shag rugs of all shapes, sizes and materials — a great decorative idea but a horrible household reality.

Here are some of the cleaning challenges of shag rugs and how to handle them.

Chunky wool shags

Most rug cleaners are familiar with Flokati rugs. These are woven rugs from Greece that come in mostly off-white, natural tones and look like big sheepdogs on the floor. These shaggy, wool rugs are woven, so you clearly see the wool strands visible on the back.

There are also woven shag rugs from Morocco, which tend to have geometric designs instead of the solid color creations of the Greeks.

Today, however, we also have a huge variety of wool shag rugs ranging from dyed to undyed, from spun to felted and from thin strands to big noodle shapes. Many of the custom wool creations are strands tufted into a cotton canvas foundation, often utilizing latex to hold them together.

Some of the challenges with wool shag rugs are:

Shedding and pilling. Wool yarn is spun from short-plied staple fibers, so when they are shag length, they tend to pull apart. Rugs made of the looser, chunkier wool often shed for years. On tighter-spun fibers, you also see pilling not unlike what you see on the elbows of wool sweaters after use. A wash can sometimes lessen this rug wool shedding, but in many cases this is a characteristic the owner has to live with.

Tough to vacuum. Standard vacuum cleaners are not going to work on these rugs. A horse hair brush can be used to groom and pick up surface matter and a crevice tool can be used to try to grab the gunk that gets embedded into the foundation of these rugs. Smaller rugs can be taken outside to shake free loose particulate matter, and large rugs can be hung and a leaf blower used to try to beat and blow out the dirt and grit. In rug facilities, tumblers and compressed air tools can help remove soil as well as fluff up the fibers.

Tough to wash and decontaminate. These rugs become extremely heavy when wet, and agitation is a challenge because of the tendency to lose fibers and for the wool rows to not easily open up to release soil from the base. Crevice tools and pressure rinsing wands help you reach the foundation of these rugs in between these rows. Rugs with urine contamination often need extended soaking to try to remove contaminants. Smaller, woven Flokati rugs can be washed in a commercial washer, but you must watch the alkalinity and temperature because these rugs can yellow and shrink if improperly laundered.

Prone to moths. Owners of these wool shag rugs tend to wait too long to clean them, and the rug foundations are rarely reached by a vacuum. This makes this wool very susceptible to moths and carpet beetles. Bugs like dark, undisturbed places with a food source, so deep at the base of these fibers is a perfect home for them. Always grin open fibers to inspect for insect activity.

Leather strip shags and cotton rag shags

The next popular category of shag rugs is created with strips of material tied together to create a rug. These can be either strips of leather or cotton, both of which are often dyed.

Some of the challenges with leather and cotton rag shag rugs are:

Loss of sizing. A starch sizing is often utilized on leather and fabric pieces used in making these shag rugs, and this washes away. The challenge with leather rugs is they are woven into a cotton foundation. Often, the cotton requires washing (especially if there are pets in the house); however, the leather strips themselves do not wash up well.

Using leather cleaning products after a wash to condition and revive the leather is occasionally needed. The cotton rag shag rugs wash up well, but tumbling may be needed to help bring life back into those fabric strips.

Loss of color. Depending on the quality of dyeing, both leather strip shags and cotton rag shags may bleed. Test for dye stability, and use the appropriate chemistry and solutions based on your tests. Remember pet urine can create dye bleed problems even in a colorfast rug.

Fabric unraveling and knots untying. Foot traffic tends to loosen the knots of these hand tied rugs, and strips can be pulled loose and require repair. With cotton fabric, wear and tear over time can cause the fabric strips to unravel and fray.

Polyester and viscose designer shag rugs

The final group of shag rugs that are especially popular today are the artificial silk shag rugs. These use synthetic fibers, either viscose or polyester, crafted into shaggy, shiny creations.

Some of the challenges with synthetic shag rugs are:

Unable to hide soil. These fibers have no ability to hide soil, so these rugs quickly become grey in traffic areas. Brushing with a horsehair brush or wiping down with microfiber cloths can help grab loose soil before it begins to discolor the traffic areas. Heavy cotton backing absorbs every spill. Many of these silky shag rugs have thin strands strung through a very thick cotton foundation. Spills move immediately past the strands and get soaked up into that thick cotton. This means every spill is a potential disaster that requires professional cleaning.

Tufts remove easily from these rugs. These silky strands are not knotted or tied, but rather simply looped into a backing material. If you yank any individual strand, you will easily remove it. This means traffic areas can suffer from loose tufts, and any dusting, scrubbing or extracting can easily lead to a loss of fibers. Using air crevice tools can help with dusting as well as drying these rugs with less fiber risk.

Polyester fibers easily fray and scratch; viscose easily breaks. Polyester fibers are plastic, so they tend to scratch and wear in a way that makes them reflect light differently. These areas get dull instead of shiny and can sometimes be mistaken as dirty areas instead of simply as worn areas. Viscose fibers are very weak, so they tend to split and break away in traffic areas, and these areas also become dull as a result.

 

Protect yourself with a very thorough pre-inspection

The more time a professional rug cleaner spends on pre-inspecting a shag rug, the less time that cleaner will spend on trying to clean up after an unexpected disaster.

Carefully look over the front and back of each shag rug. Sometimes the front fibers will not have any issues to address, but the backing material may have construction or dye flaws.

Determine fiber type, dye stability and construction type. Photo-document both sides of the rug for every area of concern you might have. Share those photos with experienced professionals, if you have not cleaned a particular shag rug type before, in order to get their feedback.

Finally, if you take on the shag rug job, charge for the additional time and care the piece requires. Most cleaners turn away shag rug jobs, so the ones who do accept the challenge charge accordingly. You should as well.


Lisa Wagner is a second-generation rug care expert, a NIRC Certified Rug Specialist and an owner of K. Blatchford’s San Diego Rug Cleaning Company. She was recognized as the 2006 Cleanfax magazine Person of the Year for her industry contributions. For online rug course and training event details, visit www.RugClass.com.

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The Final Frontier: June 2016 Foreword

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june 2016 foreword space earth sun explore

June 2016 Foreword by Jeff Cross

It’s always refreshing to hear from our subscribers by telephone or email about how they value the information in the pages of Cleanfax.

One recent comment from a subscriber really hit home. A loyal reader said Cleanfax was like “the final frontier.” Instantly, visions of Star Trek came to mind. If you are a Trekkie, you recall these famous words by Captain Kirk at the beginning of each episode: In part… To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Well, Cleanfax is always exploring “new worlds” and providing unbiased content in the way of current topics — providing management, marketing and technology tips and advice that can help you run your business.

The Cleanfax mission is to inform you about what’s new and what’s hot, either in an article or in a product announcement. We do this in the traditional print magazine and, with the current trends of media consumption habits, even more so online and digitally.

What can you look forward to in the pages of Cleanfax? Let me share with you examples from this issue and you can see we have your best interests in mind.

The cover story is really important. It’s by Jonathan Grubb on the topic of “The Big 3” strategies to get on the first page of Google. What a challenge you face getting better online positioning… this advice will be helpful.

The technical tip this month is by Lisa Wagner, and she covers the cool topic of shag rugs and the challenges technicians face when cleaning them.

Shag carpet may linger in your memories, reminding you of the 1970s, but shag rugs are popular again, and when you clean them, you could have issues you would rather avoid. Lisa knows rugs, and her article is right on target.

We also have the photo contest, our online poll, an online exclusive page that highlights web-only content and product announcements that you need to make the best buying decisions for your company.

There’s more… take a look. And enjoy each month’s issue of Cleanfax, as well as the online resources at www.Cleanfax.com, as you grow your cleaning or restoration business.

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September’s Rug Summit 10 agenda now available

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rug care construction id weft cleaning oriental textile rug summit

ANN ARBOR, MI — This year’s Centrum Force Rug Summit will be held in the Detroit area September 29-30 and will be a fun celebration of the event’s tenth anniversary, according to a press release.

“Over the past ten years, the Centrum Force Rug Summits have become one of the favorite events of rug cleaning pros, both large and small,” the release noted. “It will include a robust agenda that covers a wide variety of topics as well as highly informative networking.”

Rug washers from across the country (and internationally) will share their proven techniques and secrets at the event.

“The Rug Summits were designed from the beginning to be small, highly relaxing, highly informative get-togethers of peers in the business,” Tom Monahan, one of Centrum Force’s two founders, said of the event. “It’s all about friendship, networking and the free exchange of ideas. It’s this relaxed yet informative atmosphere that truly what makes the Rug Summits different.”

Some of the topics that will be covered at Rug Summit 10 will include:

  • The latest equipment and techniques for maximum throughput
  • Color stripping techniques
  • Color dye and color restoration
  • Over dye techniques to meet market demands
  • Discussion on chemistry usage: colloidal and various protectants
  • Panel of experts to handle questions and answers
  • Marketing changes and what to consider for the future
  • Maximizing your website’s and social media effectiveness
  • What interior designers are looking for from rug cleaners

The complete agenda is available HERE.

For more information about Rug Summit 10 and to register, visit www.centrumforce.com/pages/rug-summit.

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Rug Summit 10

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rug summit 10

This year’s Centrum Force Rug Summit will be a fun celebration of the event’s tenth anniversary. Rug washers from across the country (and internationally) will share their proven techniques and secrets at the event. Some of the topics that will be covered at Rug Summit 10 will include:

  • The latest equipment and techniques for maximum throughput
  • Color stripping techniques
  • Color dye and color restoration
  • Over dye techniques to meet market demands
  • Discussion on chemistry usage: colloidal and various protectants
  • Panel of experts to handle questions and answers
  • Marketing changes and what to consider for the future
  • Maximizing your website’s and social media effectiveness
  • What interior designers are looking for from rug cleaners

The complete agenda is available HERE.

Included in the registration cost is entrance for both days, lunch and refreshments onsite for attendees during each day, and food and beverages Thursday night.

*Attendance size is limited.

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Rug Summit 10 names Jim Bardwell its opening speaker

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TUNA TIRKAZ/iStock; Bardwell image courtesy of Rug Summit

ANN ARBOR, MI — Rug Summit 10 has named carpet cleaning and disaster restoration speaker Jim Bardwell its opening presenter at the September event in Detroit, according to a press release.

Bardwell will present his “EmployeePrenur Philosophy” presentation as the opening of the conference. Rug Summit reports this presentation will be a “lively and highly thought-provoking look into smart and creative ways to shift the level of motivation and productivity among your employees into high gear.”

This year’s Centrum Force Rug Summit will be held in the Detroit area September 29-30 and will be a fun celebration of the event’s tenth anniversary.

About Rug Summit speaker Jim Bardwell

“Jim is a South Louisiana native, where the art of descriptive storytelling is a time-honored tradition. Jim’s love of people and his need for a fast-paced, exciting, and merit-driven work environment naturally led him to a career in sales and marketing,” the release pointed out . “He has spent the last two decades working for and with some of the most successful, high-end cleaning and restoration companies in the country.”

The release also explained what an “EmployeePreneur” is: An employee who understands that their position within an organization is actually a place from which they can achieve the same things business owners want: Life goals, personal achievement, financial success and big dreams. It added, “Bardwell has achieved all of these things by understanding and implementing this very philosophy as an employee in the cleaning and restoration industry.”

Rug Summit 10 in the metro Detroit area this September will offer a chance to learn how improve upon employee relations and other business-centric topics as well as a chance to experience legendary networking and learning opportunities.

To find out more or register, click HERE.


 

September’s Rug Summit 10 agenda now available

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Confessions of a Rug Addict

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How to identify rug types for cleaning

If you know me, you already know that I’m quite obsessed with, or even addicted, to rugs. However, if you don’t know me, let me introduce myself and explain how I became “hooked.”

I’m Ruth Travis — AKA the “Rug Lady” — and I’m a “rug-a-holic.”

I’ve been in love with fabric and textiles all my life and actually received a BS degree in Textiles from the University of Tennessee.

In 1985 I was hired as the manager of a Fiber-Seal franchise in Chattanooga, TN and, without taking any classes, started spot cleaning client’s furnishings and rugs. I soon learned that to be a good cleaner I needed some education. In 1988, my partner Ginger and I started our fiber care service. Not long after, we began our education through the IICRC and eventually I achieved Master Textile cleaner, Master Fire Restorer and Journeyman Water Restorer status.

In 1995, I opened a retail rug store called The Rug Exchange. That’s when my true obsession with rugs began. After all, you have to have an inventory to have a store. I owned the store for five years and became familiar with all types and styles of rugs.

After selling my share of the cleaning business to my partner in 2001, I shifted my focus to training and instructing others in the fiber care industry.  I eventually focused on rug cleaning and color repair and even wear “rug themed clothing” when I teach. A part of the rug cleaning course requires the instructor to have at least 60 or more sample rugs to display in the classroom. Of course, that was like adding fuel for the fire for me and gave me a legitimate excuse for collecting more rugs!

Over the years, I’ve taken just about every rug related course available in our industry. And although I’m a very good rug cleaner, each time I took a course, I realized how important rug identification was to becoming a great rug cleaner.

Knowing that blue weft yarns in Persian rugs can bleed, that Afghan rugs shrink like crazy, that many Pakistani rugs have post production side cords that can tear off during cleaning, that Stark wire Wilton rugs must be blocked because the jute foundation yarns shrink, and spot cleaning chemically washed 90-line Chinese rugs can cause color damage… it’s all very important.

I’ve been to Turkey, Australia and England and, of course, brought rugs home from every trip. I buy rugs on E-bay and Etsy and haunt rug stores for my next treasure.  Even my friends find rugs for me to buy. My rug collection has grown exponentially!

In 2013, I took the Master Rug Cleaner course and just last year completed the ARCS Certified Rug Specialist course, a five-day very intensive rug ID workshop. At the suggestion of my instructor Ellen Amirkhan, to help cram for the test (which included visual ID of more than 60 rugs) I created index cards which included the name, physical description and characteristics of the rug. I also took photos of the rugs on my phone. Being able to tie the descriptions to the photo was very helpful. The great news was I passed the exam.

I’m sure by now you’re wondering, “What’s your point, Rug Lady?” Well, Confucius said “True wisdom is knowing what you don’t know.”

If you are in the carpet cleaning business, I’m sure you’ve been asked by more than one client to clean their area rugs. It makes sense that, if you have the chemicals and equipment to clean their furniture or carpet, you can handle cleaning an area rug as well, right? Maybe not…

Can you properly identify the rug?  Do you know how it was constructed? Was it machine or hand-woven, hand-tufted, hand-loomed or machine loomed?  Do you know the fiber used in the pile or face, backing system yarns, filler yarns? Is it knotted, hooked, braid or chain stitched? Colorfast? Will it bleed, or dry or wet crock? What’s the dye system or type? What’s the country of origin? What about age?

There are thousands of different types of rugs being purchased by your clients these days. They can be purchased from discount stores, department stores, online, from catalogs, furniture stores and carpet retailers, as well as the finest Oriental rugs dealers in your city. They can be made of either natural or synthetic fiber, or even a combination of both. They can be tufted, hand-knotted or woven. The fringe may be sewn on, or may be an integral part of the rug’s construction. The combination of rug characteristics is endless.

Unfortunately, consumers don’t always know what type of rug they’ve purchased. Being able to identify a rug for your client is quite impressive, as well as informative. Conversely, not knowing what type of rug you’re cleaning can be quite costly. It’s up to you as a professional to know what you’re cleaning and the potential limitations or potential problems the rug may have.

Let’s face it, the best way to learn a subject is to really, really study it. So in January I challenged myself to create rug ID flash cards not only to help improve my rug ID skills but also as a training tool for my staff and technicians. My goal was to create 10 cards each month for a year.  Yes, 120 cards! I had no idea what I’d started.

And if collecting rugs wasn’t bad enough, I now dream about rugs, such as those I have in my collection… and the ones I don’t, but really need. I scour the Internet for more rugs to buy and then to justify my purchases, make new flash cards. No doubt, I am truly “addicted” to these beautiful examples of art for the floor.

To be perfectly honest, to be a good rug cleaner you don’t have to be a collector like I am (although I know quite a few who are), but you do need to have good working knowledge of rugs. Taking the time to learn your profession will not only keep you from ruining a rug but will also give your clients more confidence in your ability, and ultimately make you more money in your business.

Ruth Travis is the director of the WoolSafe Program in North America and an IICRC-Approved Instructor for Rug Cleaning and Color Repair. She is also a carpet inspector specializing in cleaning related issues and color correction.  She also works as a consultant for Chase Carpet and Rug Care in Denver where she oversees the company’s rug cleaning operation. For more information about Travis and her rug ID flashcards, visit www.rugladyseminars.com.

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Rug Shop Web/Social Media Impact a Feature at Rug Summit 10

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Rug Summit 10 in Michigan

ANN ARBOR, MI — Annual Rug Summit favorite Tim Miller will once again help attendees (September 29-30 in Oak Park, MI) reel in both customers and new prospects by intelligently increasing your Google ranking and super-charging the impact of social media tools and enhancements to your company’s website.

Today, the average consumer uses over 10 sources of information to make a purchase decision, up from just five sources in 2010.  Turning these highly educated consumers into buyers requires you to be in the right place at the right time in order to give consumers the information and confidence they need to make the decision to buy from you instead of a competitor.

Miller will discuss how using mobile sites, landing pages and social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube can accelerate customer acquisition and create powerful calls to actions that ring the cash register. He’ll also talk about the myriad factors that contribute to improving your Google and Yahoo search ranking and even how to properly deal with issues like an errant negative comment placed on the Internet by an unhappy customer.

For more info and to register, click here.

About Tim Miller

Tim Miller is the president and CEO of Local Search Essentials, based in St. Augustine, Florida. Miller feels there is nothing more rewarding than having the opportunity to listen to business owners, talk about their challenges, and use our knowledge and experience to help them become more successful. With his company’s Local Search Essentials packages, Local Search Essential provide what rug cleaning businesses need to find and keep customers. Everything is set up and synchronized for better results. His company allows you to automatically connect with more local customers in less time, and save money while doing it.

About the Rug Summit

Over the past 10 years, the Centrum Force Rug Summits have become one of the favorite events of rug cleaning pros, both large and small. This year’s Summit, to be held in the Detroit area September 29-30, will be a fun celebration of the event’s tenth anniversary. It will include a robust agenda that covers a wide variety of topics as well as highly informative networking. Rug washers from across the country (and internationally) will share their proven techniques and secrets. Says Tom Monahan, one of Centrum Force’s two founders, “The Rug Summits were designed from the beginning to be small, highly relaxing, highly informative get-togethers of peers in the business. It’s all about friendship, networking and the free exchange of ideas. It’s this relaxed yet informative atmosphere that truly what makes the Rug Summits different.”

Click here to see Rug Summit 10 opportunities for your company.

 

The post Rug Shop Web/Social Media Impact a Feature at Rug Summit 10 appeared first on Cleanfax.

A Rug to Run From: India Hand Loomed

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Cleaning issues with hand loomed viscose runners

For the past decade, the quick advice for consumers on how to know a “better” quality wool pile rug over a mediocre one has been to look at the back. If the back clearly shows the design and knots, then it is woven. If the back is covered up with material, then it is tufted.

If you go to the mass-market rug retailer websites and pull up a “tufted rug” for sale, you will inevitably see the care comments along these lines: “Shedding is natural and may be heavy. Odor is natural and may get heavy if wrapped in plastic. Colors may fade.”

None of these conditions are “natural” for a good quality wool rug. They are indicative of poor quality wool, poor dyes and poor adhesive holding these tufted rugs together.

Due to the large amount of negative reviews on tufted rugs, especially the worst ones coming out of India, there has been a shift to try to find a cheap way to craft rugs that “look” woven even though they are actually poorer construction than the tufted rugs they mean to replace.

This new rug type that is becoming a headache for both rug owners and rug cleaners is called India “hand loomed” and India “loomed by hand.”

These rugs are being presented as if they are hand woven rugs, and the prices imply they are good quality. However, these are wool and viscose rugs that more than any on the market today are being considered as highly flawed merchandise.

Corners are being cut

The structural problem with these “hand loomed” rugs is something that cannot be seen easily from the outside.

These rugs are crafted on a loom that is similar to a fabric loom, with levers pulling and pushing the fibers together, rather than a weaver actually “tying” (technically twisting) knots around two warps.

If you watch the “hand loom” process next to a “hand knotted” process you will see the construction quality differences. I encourage you to search YouTube for videos of both so you can see the processes with your own eyes.

A “hand knotted” woven rug will take months to weave, whereas a “hand loomed” rug can be crafted in hours.  There are consequences of corners being cut in the quality.

With a “hand knotted” rug, the warps are the fringe tassels of the rug. Wool knots are twisted/tied around two warps across the width of the rug. Then a weft, or several wefts, is used to interlace in front and behind each and every warp in order to hold that row of knots solidly in place. Then the next row of knots is tied.

With a “hand knotted” rug, the fringe tassels often have a kilim (flatwoven base), or tassel knotting, to hold those ends securely in place. The wefts are wrapped around the outer cords so that the sides also are securely held in place.

This is important to know because both the fringe and side cord securing is absent on a “hand loomed” rug.

A “hand loomed” rug production presses fiber strands together, connecting them with quite thin threading, and with no proper securing of the ends or sides. They are produced as flat woven rugs and pile rugs. Here is how to spot them.

‘Hand loomed’ rug identifiers

1. All edges are the same. No natural fringe.

These rugs all have a simple wrap finish around all four edges. If there is fringe it will be clearly added after the fact and NOT a foundation thread. These rugs are cut along the edges, and sometimes they have glue along the edge to try to help hold them together.

India Hand Loomed

Back corner of “hand loomed” rug. All edges look identical.

India Hand Loomed

Back edge view, glue along the edge to try to hold the rug together.

India Hand Loomed

Back corner of “hand knotted” rug. Fringe and sides are properly secured.

2. Easy to stretch. Stretch marks in field.

If you take any corner of these rugs you can easily stretch the rows and columns out of alignment. If the rug has been down on the floor for months you will begin to see “stretch marks” and wrinkles in the rug from it stretching apart.

India Hand Loomed

Back view of “hand loomed” rug, very easy to stretch.

3. On flat woven “hand loomed” rugs you cannot roll them from all edges.

These rugs have an especially heavy foundation thread running in either the length or the width, and as a result you cannot roll them from one direction. It acts like Axminster carpeting, which can only be rolled from one direction. A true hand woven flat weave will be able to be rolled from the end or the side equally.

India Hand Loomed

Flat woven “hand loomed” rug cannot be rolled in every direction because the fibers are too stiff.

4. Grin open pile “hand loomed” rugs to see large loose foundation tracks.

Grin the rug from the front side with the length and with the width to see if you can see the large foundation threading. You can take tweezers, or even your nails, and easily move and pull at the thinner threads. The stability of these rugs is incredibly poor. Foot traffic also moves these threads and eventually pulls the rugs out of shape and tears them.

India Hand Loomed

India Hand Loomed

India Hand Loomed

India Hand Loomed

Above four photos are all examples of grinning

5. Easy to pull out tufts, and they are “V” shaped.

You will be able to easily yank out a wool tuft from the face of the rug, exposing that it is the shape of the letter “V.” These tufts are pressed into place similar to how tufted rugs are, except that tufted rugs have glue applied on the back to hold them in place. In this case, nothing is holding these tufts in place except the pressure of the neighboring threads, and as they stretch and move apart these areas shed as they lose those tufts.

India Hand Loomed

Viscose tuft pulled easily from the front of a viscose “hand loomed” rug.

 

India Hand Loomed

Wool tuft easily removed from a “hand loomed” rug.

India Hand Loomed

A “hand knotted” rug is cut open to show the interior fibers and the wool knot that is tied around two warps. These knots cannot be pulled away from the rug without cutting it open first.

Problems with cleaning

These rugs are new to the market, and they exhibit problems after only months on the floor so they tend to come in because of wrinkling issues, tearing issues, shedding issues or accidental spills.

India Hand Loomed

“Hand loomed” rugs stretch apart in traffic areas.

India Hand Loomed

“Hand loomed” rugs develop wrinkling and stretch marks as they start to pull out of shape.

Due to the lack of stability in the foundation of these rugs you will be able to see the rug pulling loose and apart in the traffic areas. You will also be able to see the edges pulling loose.

Due to the loose construction, any spills will be fully saturated through to the backside because these rugs have no repellency to liquids.

Vacuums, extraction wands and bonnets will cause damage to these rugs. They cannot take the agitation that other rugs can.

When the interior thick fibers swell in the washing process, it is easy to pull these rugs apart. If the thick fibers run the width of the rug, then they are likely to pull apart as the rug is pulled through a rinser/wringer, and can pull apart in a centrifugal spinner.

All other extraction tools also can be too much stress on those thin connecting fibers, and any shifting in the tension can lead to the rug literally coming apart.

This is one of the few rugs that is high on the list of most rug facilities’ “rugs to run from” list.

Warn your customers

When you identify a “hand loomed” or “loomed by hand” rug from India, share your concern with the owner. They need to know that they have a rug that has structural flaws, especially if they paid thousands of dollars for it.

For your customers who are shopping for new rugs, you can give them a copy of this article to show them what to be on the look out for.  These rugs are poorly made and a horrible choice for use in high activity rooms or in homes with pets.

No one likes to be ripped off, so you can be the hero who helps protect them from wasting thousands of dollars on a rug that may only last them a few months before they discover it is flawed. If you become the source of rug education for your customers, then you can help them choose a quality rug that you can clean for them for decades.


 

Lisa Wagner is a second-generation rug care expert, a NIRC Certified Rug Specialist and an owner of K. Blatchford’s San Diego Rug Cleaning Company. She was recognized as the 2006 Cleanfax magazine Person of the Year for her industry contributions. For online rug course and training event details, visit www.RugClass.com.

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Rug Summit 10 Featured Innovation, Science and Trends

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Workshops for rug plant cleaners and owners.

OAK PARK, MI — Rug Summit 10 may be over, yet the 150 attendees took away enough information on innovation, science, trends and more to keep them busy moving forward as they build their businesses.

Highlights from the September 29-30 event in Oak Park, MI included Jim Bardwell’s opening presentation on empowering rug plant employees by inspiring them to develop the entrepreneur spirit. Rug plant veteran Byan O’Halek’s offered strategies based on his experience at Seattle-area D.A. Burns to improve the “inviting and trusting appearance” at their store, from outside to inside, when they hired an interior designer. Search engine optimization and website expert Tim Miller taught attendees utilizing Facebook campaigns how to better penetrate their marketplace.

In addition, and of special interest to attendees, founders of The WoolSafe Organisation explained the details of their scientific report on examining the non-effects of dichloroisocyanuric acid (dichlor) in the wash process when used in safe, controlled dilutions. You can see this information in an article soon at Cleanfax.com.

During the event, a panel discussion that included rug gallery owners, revealed the troublesome trends in rug manufacturing that cleaners are beginning to see in volume, including a rapid increase in viscose.

Rug plant veteran Robert Pettyjohn offered and presented the topic “From Doo to Donuts.” Part of the presentation included third-party science lab tests.

Hagopian was the host of the rug plant tour, sharing with attendees the company’s strategies and methods to build a successful rug plant.

Stay tuned for information on Rug Summit 11.

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To Chlor or Not to Chlor

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rug washing history with Centrum Force.

Many professional rug cleaners in North America, who use large capacity wash tubs, feel the need to sanitize the wash liquid to prevent cross contamination and to protect their employees.

They use a commercial product, di-chlor (or Dichlor, PoolSan, Aquasparkle, Clorox Pool&Spa, etc.), marketed extensively to disinfect swimming pools and spas.

The chemical behind these trade names is dichloroisocyanuric acid (or dichloro-s-triazinetrione), a colorless solid, and the chemistry-in-rug-cleaningactive ingredient in many commercial bactericides and algaecides. It is a strong oxidizer that reacts with water to form hypochlorous acid.

It is well known that high concentration chlorine bleaches cause damage to wool fibers and to the dyes used to color wool and other natural and man-made fibers. Therefore, concerns were raised that this practice by rug washers would damage the rugs they are trusted to clean, and The WoolSafe Organisation was asked for guidance.

The WoolSafe Organisation, in its cleaning chemical testing and certification program, does not accept chlorine-based bleaches in approved carpet care products.

However, as di-chlor is added to the washtubs at extremely low concentrations, we agreed to investigate whether or not it would still adversely affect the wool fiber, wool dyes or the structure of rugs – particularly hand-made oriental ones – during cleaning.

centrum-force-wash-tubAll tests and experiments were carried out in the WoolSafe laboratory under strictly controlled conditions, using internationally recognized procedures, test methods and equipment. By necessity, the “wash” equipment and volumes employed had to be scaled down from the large washtubs used in practice, but otherwise goods-to-liquor ratios, temperatures and additives (detergents included in the wash process) were kept virtually the same.

For the majority of the tests, hand-woven or hand-knotted rugs manufactured in Nepal, India and Iran were used. These covered a range of styles, pile fibers (wool and wool/silk blend), colors, textures and backings; as would be found in a typical wash load.

WoolSafe investigated the influence of di-chlor concentration and treatment times on:

  • the dyes
  • the strength of the (wool) fiber
  • the rug structure (loss of pile thickness)

The concentration of di-chlor generally used in rug washing is 6 oz per 1200 gallons (37.5 mg/liter), and the typical rug washing cycle lasts from 15 to 30 minutes. Tests were therefore carried out with di-chlor concentrations of 0 to 24 oz per 1200 gallons (0 – 150 mg/liter), and treatment times ranged from 30 minutes to four days. Key parameters were compared to those of the untreated rug samples.

Any adverse effect on the strength of the (wool) fiber was determined by exposing the rugs to the equivalent of up to five years’ wear in the Hexapod Tumbler Tester (ISO 10361) and monitoring the loss of pile thickness, a good indicator of wear and/or loss of resilience.

Change of color due to flattening and fading was also measured at the same intervals using a Minolta spectrophotometer.

Graph 1 shows the results of tests with double the recommended amount of di-chlor in the bath (12 oz/gallon). It is clear that neither the addition of di-chlor nor the length of time in the bath had any effect on the wear characteristic of the carpeting. Similarly, the color change due to wear was not significantly different on the treated and untreated samples.

Pile height
mm

chlor

Graph 1. Influence of time in the wash bath on wear

Possible fading and change in colorfastness as a result of exposure to di-chlor was investigated on rugs with bright, solid colors. None showed any discernible color change or increased color bleeding (transfer) after exposure to normal and double concentrations of di-chlor and for extended periods of time in the bath. The variation of ΔE values in Table 1 is within the tolerances and scatter of the instrument.

Table 1.  Results of colorfastness to water tests

no treatment ΔE carpet ΔE nylon ΔE cotton
1 37.5 mg/liter Di-Chlor; 30 min 3.24 8.52 8.64
2 75 mg/liter  Di-Chlor; 60 min 3.75 8.38 9.33
3 75 mg/liter   Di-Chlor; 1 day 3.20 7.56 8.36
4 75 mg/liter   Di-Chlor; 3 days 3.30 7.49 7.07

To take the investigations a level further, WoolSafe tested the effect of the same solutions containing di-chlor on new, unused wool carpet. Alkali Solubility Tests (ASTM D1283) were carried out on pieces that had been immersed in different concentration of di-chlor for a period of time and their alkali-solubility was compared to that of the original, untreated carpet. Again, we could not find any evidence of the fibers being weakened.

To find a chlorine concentration where noticeable change does occur, the in-bath di-chlor concentration was increased to four times the level used in the wash tubs.  When the exposure was also extended to three days, a yellowing of the fibers was observed. The yellowing was measured instrumentally (ISO 11664).

Table 2.   Color change due to treatment

treatment ΔE ΔL Δa Δb
no Di-Chlor; 3 days 1.65 1.19 -0.45 -0.25
75 mg/liter  Di-Chlor; 30 min 1.16 0.94 +0.18 +0.42
75 mg/liter  Di-Chlor; 1 day 0.67 0.20 +0.55 -0.19
75 mg/liter  Di-Chlor; 3 days 1.32 1.26 -0.17 -0.07
150 mg/liter  Di-Chlor; 3 days 3.71 2.26 -1.32 +2.55
150 mg/liter Di-Chlor; 3 days 4.44 3.35 -1.31 +2.58

No effect was detected if the di-chlor concentration did not exceed double strength, even after exposures of up to three days.

The conclusions of this series of experiments are clear:

  1. In our extensive investigations, no evidence of problems was found with color fastness, color fading or damage to rugs when processed within the prescribed parameters of concentration and length of treatment time.
  2. Care needs to be taken not to increase the concentration of di-chlor, as that can cause yellowing of the wool.
  3. However, nothing can negate the need for pre-cleaning inspection, as it is always possible that one day a rug will come into the cleaning plant that has such poor color fastness, or has been so badly damaged in manufacture or in use, that problems still occur.

The rule should therefore be: HIBERNICA LAUTUS CAVE! Rug cleaner beware!


The WoolSafe Organisation carried out this independent study, free of charge, in order to be able to advise the industry on the possible dangers of sanitising the water in wash tubs. It was not intended as a review of the WoolSafe chemical testing and certification program, which still does not accept chlorine-based bleaches in approved carpet care products.

agnes-zsednaiDr Ágnes Zsednai, a research chemist, is the Managing Director of The WoolSafe Organisation, based in Otley, Yorkshire, England. The WoolSafe Organisation is the worldwide testing and certification body for carpet, rug and furnishing fabric cleaning and maintenance products. It also carries out research related to the cleaning of carpets, rugs and furnishing fabrics. WoolSafe runs networks of Approved Service Providers and Registered Carpet Inspectors, offers a range of training courses, and provides information and advice on all aspects of the care of textile floor coverings.

 

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ARCS Plans 2017 Annual Conference

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SAN ANTONIO, TX — The Association of Rug Care Specialists (ARCS) is putting the final touches on its 2017 Annual Convention, and registration is open for attendees.

The convention, scheduled for April 18-21 in San Antonio, TX, features not only an expert slate of speakers and presenters, but also a rug tour of Aladdin Cleaning & Restoration, a San Antonio company that specializes in cleaning, repair and sales.

The theme of the convention is “Southwest Textiles/Sustainability – Energy Efficiency – Savings” and all the convention programs are specifically to help rug plant owners and operators with challenges they face with their businesses.

Click here for more information, including the agenda and list of speakers.

Click here for the registration page.

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Exploring Iranian Rug-Making

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By Aaron Groseclose

In the fall of 2016, Master Rug Cleaner hosted a group for a two-week-long Iranian rug tour sponsored by the country’s largest handmade rug producer, Zollanvari.

In part one of this article, we visited the nomadic Qashqa’i tribe in their winter camp and the Luri village in the Zagros Mountains to witness the women weavers. We also saw Zollanvari’s hand-dyeing techniques at its manufacturing facility in Shiraz.

See part one of this article here: The Beauty of Iranian Rug-Making

The next stop was Sirjan about 250 miles east of Shiraz. Our friends from Zollanvari also have a weaving and spinning operation in the Sirjan area. Luri tribe members do much of the weaving.

Detail of a Soumak Rug.

In Sirjan, weaving is done in a Zollanvari facility rather than in the villages. They offer bus transportation for the women, who can bring small children with them into work — which is the company’s answer to company-provided childcare.

During the time of our visit, Soumak rugs, a type of flatweave without a pile, were being woven.

As with the tribal villages we visited, Zollanvari provides the dyed wool for weaving, and the woven rugs go to the company’s finishing facility in Tehran.

Persian hospitality would not let us leave Sirjan without a very lavish home-cooked lunch. Like all other meals, there was more food than could possibly be eaten by our group. It was delicious!

A delicious, home-cooked lunch made for our group while in Sirjan.

We continued to the city of Kerman to stay overnight and see the local sights including rug shopping in the bazaar.

Kerman has a very old, established rug-weaving tradition. However, the city did not hold our interest like Shiraz.

During our stay in Kerman, we experienced the national holiday, “Down with U.S.A. Day.” Talking politics is unavoidable with the rocky U.S.-Iran relationship.
The demonstrators were high school students bused in for the day and given lunch. They were smiling and waving back at us.

Students take part in “Down with U.S.A. Day.”

All in all, the Persians are very friendly and hospitable. They hope for an evolution of their government, not another revolution that would destabilize their country like the region around them.

The desert city of Yazd.

We left Kerman going northwest to the desert city of Yazd, which was the most fascinating city we visited, due to the mud wall construction, the isolation of the location and the multiple faiths we observed. Besides the ubiquitous mosques, we saw a Zoroastrian Fire Temple, a synagogue, and an Armenian Church. Other faiths besides Islam are represented in the country, however, on a smaller scale.

Inside the fascinating city of Yazd.

Rugs are produced in Yazd but not to the degree of our next stops in Nain and Isfahan. Both cities are known for finely woven city rugs employing curvilinear designs.

A Nain weaver in her home.

In Nain, we were invited into a weaver’s home where she had a loom to supplement her income with part-time rug production.

Isfahan was once the capital of Iran under the Safavid dynasty. Today it is a cultural center of the country and a university town where a degree in rug design and production is offered.

A hand-drawn cartoon for a rug design.

We were invited to visit the rug-weaving facility of Haghighi. They create the design, first by hand, then digitize it into print cartoons that guide the weavers.
We watched the weavers work on a 20-by-34-foot Isfahan rug, which had an estimated completion time of four years.

Digitization of the cartoon design.

We departed Isfahan to Teheran to do a bit of sightseeing, and also to visit the Zollanvari washing and finishing facility south of town. It is a very impressive operation with most of the work done by Afghan refugees.

Washing within the Zollanvari finishing facility in Tehran.

The rugs are chemically washed to soften the colors and improve the sheen while also removing soil acquired during the weaving and shipping process.

Shearing a rug in the finishing facility.

Next, the rugs are sheared to sharpen the design and give the desired pile height. Then the rugs are sent off to the repair building where the ends and sides of the rugs are finally finished.

Workers finishing the ends

Rugs, as they come off the loom, do not look very attractive. It requires expert washing and finishing to unveil the beauty of these hand-woven works of art.
Of course, we had to stop the visit for yet another lavish lunch.

Unfortunately, we soon had to say goodbye to our new friends and the employees of the Zollanvari Company, and we headed to the airport for the long ride home.

The group bids goodbye to its new friends.


Aaron Groseclose is president of MasterBlend, a manufacturer of rug and carpet cleaning chemicals and equipment. He instructs carpet, upholstery and oriental rug cleaning seminars. He is the co-developer of the Master Rug Cleaner Program and co-author of A Comprehensive Guide to Oriental and Specialty Rug Cleaning.

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September’s Rug Summit 10 agenda now available

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rug care construction id weft cleaning oriental textile rug summit

ANN ARBOR, MI — This year’s Centrum Force Rug Summit will be held in the Detroit area September 29-30 and will be a fun celebration of the event’s tenth anniversary, according to a press release.

“Over the past ten years, the Centrum Force Rug Summits have become one of the favorite events of rug cleaning pros, both large and small,” the release noted. “It will include a robust agenda that covers a wide variety of topics as well as highly informative networking.”

Rug washers from across the country (and internationally) will share their proven techniques and secrets at the event.

“The Rug Summits were designed from the beginning to be small, highly relaxing, highly informative get-togethers of peers in the business,” Tom Monahan, one of Centrum Force’s two founders, said of the event. “It’s all about friendship, networking and the free exchange of ideas. It’s this relaxed yet informative atmosphere that truly what makes the Rug Summits different.”

Some of the topics that will be covered at Rug Summit 10 will include:

  • The latest equipment and techniques for maximum throughput
  • Color stripping techniques
  • Color dye and color restoration
  • Over dye techniques to meet market demands
  • Discussion on chemistry usage: colloidal and various protectants
  • Panel of experts to handle questions and answers
  • Marketing changes and what to consider for the future
  • Maximizing your website’s and social media effectiveness
  • What interior designers are looking for from rug cleaners

The complete agenda is available HERE.

For more information about Rug Summit 10 and to register, visit www.centrumforce.com/pages/rug-summit.

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Confessions of a Rug Addict

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How to identify rug types for cleaning

If you know me, you already know that I’m quite obsessed with, or even addicted, to rugs. However, if you don’t know me, let me introduce myself and explain how I became “hooked.”

I’m Ruth Travis — AKA the “Rug Lady” — and I’m a “rug-a-holic.”

I’ve been in love with fabric and textiles all my life and actually received a BS degree in Textiles from the University of Tennessee.

In 1985 I was hired as the manager of a Fiber-Seal franchise in Chattanooga, TN and, without taking any classes, started spot cleaning client’s furnishings and rugs. I soon learned that to be a good cleaner I needed some education. In 1988, my partner Ginger and I started our fiber care service. Not long after, we began our education through the IICRC and eventually I achieved Master Textile cleaner, Master Fire Restorer and Journeyman Water Restorer status.

In 1995, I opened a retail rug store called The Rug Exchange. That’s when my true obsession with rugs began. After all, you have to have an inventory to have a store. I owned the store for five years and became familiar with all types and styles of rugs.

After selling my share of the cleaning business to my partner in 2001, I shifted my focus to training and instructing others in the fiber care industry.  I eventually focused on rug cleaning and color repair and even wear “rug themed clothing” when I teach. A part of the rug cleaning course requires the instructor to have at least 60 or more sample rugs to display in the classroom. Of course, that was like adding fuel for the fire for me and gave me a legitimate excuse for collecting more rugs!

Over the years, I’ve taken just about every rug related course available in our industry. And although I’m a very good rug cleaner, each time I took a course, I realized how important rug identification was to becoming a great rug cleaner.

Knowing that blue weft yarns in Persian rugs can bleed, that Afghan rugs shrink like crazy, that many Pakistani rugs have post production side cords that can tear off during cleaning, that Stark wire Wilton rugs must be blocked because the jute foundation yarns shrink, and spot cleaning chemically washed 90-line Chinese rugs can cause color damage… it’s all very important.

I’ve been to Turkey, Australia and England and, of course, brought rugs home from every trip. I buy rugs on E-bay and Etsy and haunt rug stores for my next treasure.  Even my friends find rugs for me to buy. My rug collection has grown exponentially!

In 2013, I took the Master Rug Cleaner course and just last year completed the ARCS Certified Rug Specialist course, a five-day very intensive rug ID workshop. At the suggestion of my instructor Ellen Amirkhan, to help cram for the test (which included visual ID of more than 60 rugs) I created index cards which included the name, physical description and characteristics of the rug. I also took photos of the rugs on my phone. Being able to tie the descriptions to the photo was very helpful. The great news was I passed the exam.

I’m sure by now you’re wondering, “What’s your point, Rug Lady?” Well, Confucius said “True wisdom is knowing what you don’t know.”

If you are in the carpet cleaning business, I’m sure you’ve been asked by more than one client to clean their area rugs. It makes sense that, if you have the chemicals and equipment to clean their furniture or carpet, you can handle cleaning an area rug as well, right? Maybe not…

Can you properly identify the rug?  Do you know how it was constructed? Was it machine or hand-woven, hand-tufted, hand-loomed or machine loomed?  Do you know the fiber used in the pile or face, backing system yarns, filler yarns? Is it knotted, hooked, braid or chain stitched? Colorfast? Will it bleed, or dry or wet crock? What’s the dye system or type? What’s the country of origin? What about age?

There are thousands of different types of rugs being purchased by your clients these days. They can be purchased from discount stores, department stores, online, from catalogs, furniture stores and carpet retailers, as well as the finest Oriental rugs dealers in your city. They can be made of either natural or synthetic fiber, or even a combination of both. They can be tufted, hand-knotted or woven. The fringe may be sewn on, or may be an integral part of the rug’s construction. The combination of rug characteristics is endless.

Unfortunately, consumers don’t always know what type of rug they’ve purchased. Being able to identify a rug for your client is quite impressive, as well as informative. Conversely, not knowing what type of rug you’re cleaning can be quite costly. It’s up to you as a professional to know what you’re cleaning and the potential limitations or potential problems the rug may have.

Let’s face it, the best way to learn a subject is to really, really study it. So in January I challenged myself to create rug ID flash cards not only to help improve my rug ID skills but also as a training tool for my staff and technicians. My goal was to create 10 cards each month for a year.  Yes, 120 cards! I had no idea what I’d started.

And if collecting rugs wasn’t bad enough, I now dream about rugs, such as those I have in my collection… and the ones I don’t, but really need. I scour the Internet for more rugs to buy and then to justify my purchases, make new flash cards. No doubt, I am truly “addicted” to these beautiful examples of art for the floor.

To be perfectly honest, to be a good rug cleaner you don’t have to be a collector like I am (although I know quite a few who are), but you do need to have good working knowledge of rugs. Taking the time to learn your profession will not only keep you from ruining a rug but will also give your clients more confidence in your ability, and ultimately make you more money in your business.

Ruth Travis is the director of the WoolSafe Program in North America and an IICRC-Approved Instructor for Rug Cleaning and Color Repair. She is also a carpet inspector specializing in cleaning related issues and color correction.  She also works as a consultant for Chase Carpet and Rug Care in Denver where she oversees the company’s rug cleaning operation. For more information about Travis and her rug ID flashcards, visit www.rugladyseminars.com.

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Rug Shop Web/Social Media Impact a Feature at Rug Summit 10

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Rug Summit 10 in Michigan

ANN ARBOR, MI — Annual Rug Summit favorite Tim Miller will once again help attendees (September 29-30 in Oak Park, MI) reel in both customers and new prospects by intelligently increasing your Google ranking and super-charging the impact of social media tools and enhancements to your company’s website.

Today, the average consumer uses over 10 sources of information to make a purchase decision, up from just five sources in 2010.  Turning these highly educated consumers into buyers requires you to be in the right place at the right time in order to give consumers the information and confidence they need to make the decision to buy from you instead of a competitor.

Miller will discuss how using mobile sites, landing pages and social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube can accelerate customer acquisition and create powerful calls to actions that ring the cash register. He’ll also talk about the myriad factors that contribute to improving your Google and Yahoo search ranking and even how to properly deal with issues like an errant negative comment placed on the Internet by an unhappy customer.

For more info and to register, click here.

About Tim Miller

Tim Miller is the president and CEO of Local Search Essentials, based in St. Augustine, Florida. Miller feels there is nothing more rewarding than having the opportunity to listen to business owners, talk about their challenges, and use our knowledge and experience to help them become more successful. With his company’s Local Search Essentials packages, Local Search Essential provide what rug cleaning businesses need to find and keep customers. Everything is set up and synchronized for better results. His company allows you to automatically connect with more local customers in less time, and save money while doing it.

About the Rug Summit

Over the past 10 years, the Centrum Force Rug Summits have become one of the favorite events of rug cleaning pros, both large and small. This year’s Summit, to be held in the Detroit area September 29-30, will be a fun celebration of the event’s tenth anniversary. It will include a robust agenda that covers a wide variety of topics as well as highly informative networking. Rug washers from across the country (and internationally) will share their proven techniques and secrets. Says Tom Monahan, one of Centrum Force’s two founders, “The Rug Summits were designed from the beginning to be small, highly relaxing, highly informative get-togethers of peers in the business. It’s all about friendship, networking and the free exchange of ideas. It’s this relaxed yet informative atmosphere that truly what makes the Rug Summits different.”

Click here to see Rug Summit 10 opportunities for your company.

 

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A Rug to Run From: India Hand Loomed

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Cleaning issues with hand loomed viscose runners

For the past decade, the quick advice for consumers on how to know a “better” quality wool pile rug over a mediocre one has been to look at the back. If the back clearly shows the design and knots, then it is woven. If the back is covered up with material, then it is tufted.

If you go to the mass-market rug retailer websites and pull up a “tufted rug” for sale, you will inevitably see the care comments along these lines: “Shedding is natural and may be heavy. Odor is natural and may get heavy if wrapped in plastic. Colors may fade.”

None of these conditions are “natural” for a good quality wool rug. They are indicative of poor quality wool, poor dyes and poor adhesive holding these tufted rugs together.

Due to the large amount of negative reviews on tufted rugs, especially the worst ones coming out of India, there has been a shift to try to find a cheap way to craft rugs that “look” woven even though they are actually poorer construction than the tufted rugs they mean to replace.

This new rug type that is becoming a headache for both rug owners and rug cleaners is called India “hand loomed” and India “loomed by hand.”

These rugs are being presented as if they are hand woven rugs, and the prices imply they are good quality. However, these are wool and viscose rugs that more than any on the market today are being considered as highly flawed merchandise.

Corners are being cut

The structural problem with these “hand loomed” rugs is something that cannot be seen easily from the outside.

These rugs are crafted on a loom that is similar to a fabric loom, with levers pulling and pushing the fibers together, rather than a weaver actually “tying” (technically twisting) knots around two warps.

If you watch the “hand loom” process next to a “hand knotted” process you will see the construction quality differences. I encourage you to search YouTube for videos of both so you can see the processes with your own eyes.

A “hand knotted” woven rug will take months to weave, whereas a “hand loomed” rug can be crafted in hours.  There are consequences of corners being cut in the quality.

With a “hand knotted” rug, the warps are the fringe tassels of the rug. Wool knots are twisted/tied around two warps across the width of the rug. Then a weft, or several wefts, is used to interlace in front and behind each and every warp in order to hold that row of knots solidly in place. Then the next row of knots is tied.

With a “hand knotted” rug, the fringe tassels often have a kilim (flatwoven base), or tassel knotting, to hold those ends securely in place. The wefts are wrapped around the outer cords so that the sides also are securely held in place.

This is important to know because both the fringe and side cord securing is absent on a “hand loomed” rug.

A “hand loomed” rug production presses fiber strands together, connecting them with quite thin threading, and with no proper securing of the ends or sides. They are produced as flat woven rugs and pile rugs. Here is how to spot them.

‘Hand loomed’ rug identifiers

1. All edges are the same. No natural fringe.

These rugs all have a simple wrap finish around all four edges. If there is fringe it will be clearly added after the fact and NOT a foundation thread. These rugs are cut along the edges, and sometimes they have glue along the edge to try to help hold them together.

India Hand Loomed

Back corner of “hand loomed” rug. All edges look identical.

India Hand Loomed

Back edge view, glue along the edge to try to hold the rug together.

India Hand Loomed

Back corner of “hand knotted” rug. Fringe and sides are properly secured.

2. Easy to stretch. Stretch marks in field.

If you take any corner of these rugs you can easily stretch the rows and columns out of alignment. If the rug has been down on the floor for months you will begin to see “stretch marks” and wrinkles in the rug from it stretching apart.

India Hand Loomed

Back view of “hand loomed” rug, very easy to stretch.

3. On flat woven “hand loomed” rugs you cannot roll them from all edges.

These rugs have an especially heavy foundation thread running in either the length or the width, and as a result you cannot roll them from one direction. It acts like Axminster carpeting, which can only be rolled from one direction. A true hand woven flat weave will be able to be rolled from the end or the side equally.

India Hand Loomed

Flat woven “hand loomed” rug cannot be rolled in every direction because the fibers are too stiff.

4. Grin open pile “hand loomed” rugs to see large loose foundation tracks.

Grin the rug from the front side with the length and with the width to see if you can see the large foundation threading. You can take tweezers, or even your nails, and easily move and pull at the thinner threads. The stability of these rugs is incredibly poor. Foot traffic also moves these threads and eventually pulls the rugs out of shape and tears them.

India Hand Loomed

India Hand Loomed

India Hand Loomed

India Hand Loomed

Above four photos are all examples of grinning

5. Easy to pull out tufts, and they are “V” shaped.

You will be able to easily yank out a wool tuft from the face of the rug, exposing that it is the shape of the letter “V.” These tufts are pressed into place similar to how tufted rugs are, except that tufted rugs have glue applied on the back to hold them in place. In this case, nothing is holding these tufts in place except the pressure of the neighboring threads, and as they stretch and move apart these areas shed as they lose those tufts.

India Hand Loomed

Viscose tuft pulled easily from the front of a viscose “hand loomed” rug.

 

India Hand Loomed

Wool tuft easily removed from a “hand loomed” rug.

India Hand Loomed

A “hand knotted” rug is cut open to show the interior fibers and the wool knot that is tied around two warps. These knots cannot be pulled away from the rug without cutting it open first.

Problems with cleaning

These rugs are new to the market, and they exhibit problems after only months on the floor so they tend to come in because of wrinkling issues, tearing issues, shedding issues or accidental spills.

India Hand Loomed

“Hand loomed” rugs stretch apart in traffic areas.

India Hand Loomed

“Hand loomed” rugs develop wrinkling and stretch marks as they start to pull out of shape.

Due to the lack of stability in the foundation of these rugs you will be able to see the rug pulling loose and apart in the traffic areas. You will also be able to see the edges pulling loose.

Due to the loose construction, any spills will be fully saturated through to the backside because these rugs have no repellency to liquids.

Vacuums, extraction wands and bonnets will cause damage to these rugs. They cannot take the agitation that other rugs can.

When the interior thick fibers swell in the washing process, it is easy to pull these rugs apart. If the thick fibers run the width of the rug, then they are likely to pull apart as the rug is pulled through a rinser/wringer, and can pull apart in a centrifugal spinner.

All other extraction tools also can be too much stress on those thin connecting fibers, and any shifting in the tension can lead to the rug literally coming apart.

This is one of the few rugs that is high on the list of most rug facilities’ “rugs to run from” list.

Warn your customers

When you identify a “hand loomed” or “loomed by hand” rug from India, share your concern with the owner. They need to know that they have a rug that has structural flaws, especially if they paid thousands of dollars for it.

For your customers who are shopping for new rugs, you can give them a copy of this article to show them what to be on the look out for.  These rugs are poorly made and a horrible choice for use in high activity rooms or in homes with pets.

No one likes to be ripped off, so you can be the hero who helps protect them from wasting thousands of dollars on a rug that may only last them a few months before they discover it is flawed. If you become the source of rug education for your customers, then you can help them choose a quality rug that you can clean for them for decades.


 

Lisa Wagner is a second-generation rug care expert, a NIRC Certified Rug Specialist and an owner of K. Blatchford’s San Diego Rug Cleaning Company. She was recognized as the 2006 Cleanfax magazine Person of the Year for her industry contributions. For online rug course and training event details, visit www.RugClass.com.

The post A Rug to Run From: India Hand Loomed appeared first on Cleanfax.

Rug Summit 10 News and Updates

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ANN ARBOR, MI — Rug Summit 10, scheduled for September 29-30 in the Detroit area, has updated its presentations and added two new speakers.

Jim Bardwell will be the featured opening presenter, at 8:45 a.m. Thursday. He will discuss the topic of “EmployeePrenur Philosophy” and address the following questions: Do you have Employees? Do you want to hire new Employees? Do you wish you never heard the word Employee? Do you want engaged Employees? Do you want productive Employees? Do you want Employees that get it?

At 11 a.m. Thursday, the Rug Summit team will welcome Paul Bakker, the chairman of The WoolSafe Organization, along with Dr. Ágnes Zsedna, the managing director. They will personally reveal test results of Di-Chlor dilutions during washing of wool rugs.

Friday’s concluding keynote address will feature Bardwell on “We came… We did… We’re done…Now What!” and discuss three things you must do (and one you shouldn’t do) immediately on your return back to life after this industry conference.

Rug Summit 10 in the metro Detroit area this September will offer a chance to learn how improve upon employee relations and other business-centric topics as well as a chance to experience legendary networking and learning opportunities.

To find out more or register, click HERE.


 

September’s Rug Summit 10 agenda now available

The post Rug Summit 10 News and Updates appeared first on Cleanfax.

Rug Summit 10

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rug summit 10

This year’s Centrum Force Rug Summit will be a fun celebration of the event’s tenth anniversary. Rug washers from across the country (and internationally) will share their proven techniques and secrets at the event. Some of the topics that will be covered at Rug Summit 10 will include:

  • The latest equipment and techniques for maximum throughput
  • Color stripping techniques
  • Color dye and color restoration
  • Over dye techniques to meet market demands
  • Discussion on chemistry usage: colloidal and various protectants
  • Panel of experts to handle questions and answers
  • Marketing changes and what to consider for the future
  • Maximizing your website’s and social media effectiveness
  • What interior designers are looking for from rug cleaners

The complete agenda is available HERE.

Included in the registration cost is entrance for both days, lunch and refreshments onsite for attendees during each day, and food and beverages Thursday night.

*Attendance size is limited.

The post Rug Summit 10 appeared first on Cleanfax.

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