Frequently Asked Questions About Heirloom^® Rug Cleaning

A proper washing will not harm your rug. As a matter of fact, it can remove all of the harmful soils from the foundation of the rug. I have seen many websites say that you can leave your rug for years without washing them. Just from a bacteria viewpoint alone, this is a bad idea. What do your socks look like after a day of walking around the house? Your rug is on the floor being walked on by your family and pets. Pets and humans alike will leave sweat and body oils on the rug that will keep attracting more soil and odours will gradually occur over time. You may not notice this, but your guests will. Textiles hold odours. Vacuuming alone will not remove soluble soils. You wouldn’t leave your socks unwashed for a couple of years, and your rug gets the same day to day abuse that they do. Do your rug a favour and have it properly washed.

For most of the rugs we see, the answer is NO. But there are a few exceptions. Some rugs were made incorrectly and have to be straightened after the weaving is complete. These may rebound back to their original shape after they are washed. This can usually be corrected with re-stretching. It is very rare that we have any issues with shrinkage.

Yes, and they turn out amazing. They are soft and fluffy again like the day you brought it home.

Yes, but there are limitations as to the success of stain removal and cleaning. These are rugs that usually have a short lifespan. Many rugs have what we call an “appearance life”. That is the amount of time that they look good. After that, they may not be worn out, but they do not look as good in appearance as they once did.

There are many things that we can do to clean your fringes. They are an important part of the rug and we spend a great deal of time caring for them. Because most fringes are white, it is important to remove as much of the soil as possible. Care must be taken to avoid damaging the cotton fringe so they do not fall apart, so we take great care in choosing the right cleaning agent to make them look as close to new as possible.

Yes. Most metallic threads are made from metals that do not suffer harm in water, such as Gold, Silver or Copper. Extra care must be taken when cleaning these rugs for obvious reasons. We have cleaned rugs like this and have had excellent success in restoring their original brilliance.

I often explain to clients that Stain should be spelled “stay in”. A spot can be washed away with the right cleaning agent. Stains are permanent. However, you can persuade a stain out of a rug with harsh chemicals. But there are risks associated with that and we will discuss any removal techniques and what the risks are before we do any further work. Stains also require more time, effort and quite often, very expensive chemistry. Therefore it stands to reason that there will be an additional charge. We would also discuss this with you before proceeding.

Yes. When you wash your clothes, they are completely submerged in the water. Not just part of them. Our rug washing process is similar. An old school of thought that applies here is, whatever you do to one part of the rug, you should do that to the entire rug so in the unlikely event that there is a change in colour, it will be evenly changed.

The short answer: Maybe. We have had very good success in removing dye bleed, but there are many factors to consider. Some factors would be: How long has it been in that condition? What caused it to bleed? What colours bled? How old is the rug? just to name a few. When we look at the rug we can give you more answers.

We will have a better chance of removing it if we get the rug shortly after this happens and also if there is no attempt to remove it with any cleaning chemicals. The cleaning chemicals may set the colour of the wine and make it nearly impossible to remove without damaging the original colours of the rug. Flush it out with water and then let it dry. Placing an absorbent towel on top of the spot will also draw out the stain a bit more, working like a poultice. This is another case where having a small vacuum that can suck up water would be a real asset. By pouring water on the affected area repeatedly and vacuuming up the water, you can remove more of the stain. Be careful not to “scrub” the spot as that will damage the pile. Make firm even strokes with the vacuum by drawing the vacuum with the grain of the rug. Keep a bottle of plain soda water for things like this. The little carbonated bubbles will help to lift out the spot.

We use products that are safe for wool and silk. We have spent much time and effort to be sure that whatever is used will not have a detrimental effect on the fibres. Most of the cleaning agents that we use are designed for use on the hair. That is, after all, what wool really is. Hair from a sheep. Unlike the sheep, your rug will not grow new yarn, so we need to be careful how we treat them. As for a residue being left behind, we flush the rugs out thoroughly so as to leave nothing but the yarns behind. Many of our clients have chemical sensitivities, so we work hard to remove any residues that may adversely affect them.

Yes, we maintain full insurance coverage at all times.

If it is truly a case where the rug cannot be wet cleaned, we can use other dry methods to clean it. Wet cleaning is the best way to remove soils, but there are some things that should not have any water added. It is to be noted that these other dry methods will not have the same effectiveness as wet cleaning methods. We can discuss this with you further when you call. Many manufacturers place labels on their products that state dry cleaning methods be used because of liability issues. There are many factors to consider when cleaning today so it is wise to consult a professional when in doubt.

It is unlikely that we will be able to remove the odour. This is most common in tufted rugs with a secondary backing that is glued on with a latex adhesive. The odour that you are smelling is from the latex degrading. All of the glue would have to be removed and a new backing put on. Quite often, it is cheaper to replace the rug.