Oriental Express Rug Washing Process

We want to know what we’re dealing with before we dive in. Otherwise, we may do more damage than good. We visually inspect the rug for obvious issues and then will use Xenon lighting to identify stains, dye variations, worn spots, or white knots that have been covered up by dirt. We will also look for insect damage, fringe breakdowns, and pet urine. We will take photographs and share our findings with you before moving forward. We want you to feel comfortable and confident about our plan for washing your rug.

Once you give us the green light, we don’t just dive into cleaning. Getting a rug wet is a significant operation, and we want to make sure that we won’t cause damage. We will test part of the rug to see if the color bleeds. Excess dye, heat exposure, previous cleanings, and pet urine can all make a rug vulnerable to bleeding. If your rug does bleed, we will turn to different ways to get it clean.

This is one of the steps that sets us apart from rug cleaners who come into your home with their machines. If we add water to your rug at this point, it will combine with the dust and dirt to create a needless sludge. We want to get as much of the dust out of your rug as possible before adding water! We do this by setting your yug on top of a specially-designed grate and running a dusting machine over it. This dusting machine uses harmonic waves to dislodge dust from the deepest parts of your rugs, where a vacuum can never reach. And this is just the beginning of the dusting process! In addition to the machine that we use to shake the dust out of the rug, we use forced air to blow dust out of the rug, both top and bottom. We will also use specialized vacuums to pull dust out of the rug. We will generally collect piles and piles of dust and dirt during this phase. It’s a good thing we didn’t add water to create mud!

Before we move into full-blown washing, we will treat the spots we identified earlier. Our solutions are carefully made to loosen the stains while preserving the rug. Thanks to the solution, the stains will come out during washing.

If a beloved pet has had a few accidents on your area rug, you aren’t alone. The resulting damage isn’t just insightly, it can smell very bad. The good news is, there are plenty of things we can do. We can use enzymes to eliminate urine, vomit, and fecal particles without damaging the rug fibers. Unless your rug is past saving (and we will tell you if this is the case), we will ensure the odors are gone. This is very important because if animals can smell urine in one spot, they will likely return and urinate again.

Would you have guessed that the washing happens over halfway through the process? Again, this is why regular carpet cleaners should never clean your rugs. Your rugs are completely different creatures. Once we’ve taken the time treat spots, urine contamination, and dust, it’s time to bring in the water and soap! While some rug cleaners use drums with mechanical agitators, we use brushes and sprayers to carefully tend to every inch of the rug. We avoid heat and harsh soaps, using cool water and mild shampoo to give your rug the personal attention it deserves.

Now that your rug has been shampooed, it is time to rinse the shampoo and soils away. We use a pH conditioned rinse to make sure that your rug is truly free of contaminants and shampoo that could cause problems later.

Your rug should not be exposed to high heat, so we use simple air moves and dehumidifiers to create an environment where your rug can gently dry. Depending on how old your rug is, we will either lay it flat on an elevated bed or hang it to dry. This process prevents the rug from getting twisted or warped. Again, it is important for your rugs to be carefully cleaned without heat. Otherwise, you’ll end up like many disappointed people who let regular cleaners use their high-heat machines on their rugs.

Once your rug is dry, it’s time to fluff it up and tend to the fringe. If your rug has fringe, it’s important to understand that the fringe isn’t just an accessory; it’s an extension of the rug itself. A majority of fringe is white, which makes it vulnerable to looking dirty sooner. Once the fringe is dirty, the entire rug can look ratty. We will treat your fringe to answer it looks good as new. We will also go over your rug with a horsehair brush. This is one of our favorite parts because the jewel tones of your rug will truly shine.

If you would like us to, we can implement fiber protection that will keep your rug strong, stain-resistant, and beautiful for years to come. These protective materials are especially valuable for silk and wool rugs.

We will personally inspect your rug and bring the Xenon light back to make sure we eliminated all bacteria and urine salts. We will check to make sure the rug is completely dry and that the fringe is clean. We will then wrap your rug up and deliver it to your home or business.