Oriental Rug Cleaning Melbourne – Rug Cleaners Melbourne

ChemDry Metro’s Rug Cleaning Service is an in-plant specialty area rug cleaning Spa. We specialize in cleaning oriental rugs, shag pile rugs, specialty and hand woven rugs. Our focus is on detail and providing you with the personal attention to your rugs that we believe you as a client both want and deserve. Below are some videos of the most frequently asked questions we receive as professional rug cleaners:

As one of the leading rug cleaning companies in Melbourne, we are dedicated to the complete care of your rugs. At our purpose built rug cleaning facility, we determine the best cleaning technique and method that suits your rug’s particular construction, fibers and dyes. We ensure your satisfaction with excellent results, fiber and colour revival and by extending the life of your rug and protecting your investment.

We can clean your rug on site at your premises, however we are unable to achieve the same level of clean that we can in our Rug Spa. Rug experts around the world agree that in-plant rug cleaning is highly recommended for proper maintenance of Persian, Orientals and precious area rugs. They should not be cleaned on location like wall-to-wall carpet for many reasons:

• Rug fibers are very different from those found in carpet. There is far more natural fiber such as wool, cotton, silk and jute used in the construction of rugs which require a different cleaning process.
• Backings are very different, as natural foundation yarns are more prominent in rugs as opposed to separate synthetic backing fabrics for tufted carpet.
• Construction is different: woven constructions are most prevalent in area rugs, as opposed to tufting being the dominant construction in the broadloom market.
• Cleaning technology is different due to the potential for dye migration and fiber distortion.

Failure to perform specialized procedures in a plant may result in permanent damage to the rugs and flooring materials under and around the rug. Incomplete soil removal may occur due to an inability to dust or adequately vacuum both sides of the rug. It is recommended that any rug as well as carpet exposed to heavy traffic, be cleaned at least annually.

At Chem-Dry Metro’s Oriental Rug Spa we undertake the following steps to ensure a deep down clean:

Step 1: Inspection Report & Analysis

As your rug enters our facility it is photographed and labeled as to ownership. The construction, type of fiber and stability of the dyes are then all determined and documented. Correct fiber identification and careful inspection to determine the construction of the rug is imperative as each rug will have its own unique cleaning requirements in order to get maximum results. A thorough pre-inspection is very important as it reveals any pre existing damage, any potential issues and anything which we feel needs to be discussed with the client prior to cleaning. This allows us to adapt our cleaning process depending on what is discovered.

Step 2: Mechanical Agitation & Air Dusting

Dry soil is your rug’s biggest enemy… A rug can hold up to 4 kilograms of dirt per square meter before it even begins to look dirty. In actual fact, research shows that over 75% of the soil found in a rug will be dry particulate matter. All this dry soil and grit wears the rug down and damages the fibers. Foot traffic therefore causes abrasion as equally as damaging as taking a piece of sand paper and rubbing it against the fibers. Thorough removal of these soil particles is essential to enabling the rug pile to be raised, which in turn improves the ability of the fibers to be cleaned. We use state-of-the-art micro-agitation equipment to gently remove all loose dirt and debris in our purpose built rug treatment spa.

Step 3: Dye Stability Testing

As there are no strict dye-creation standards throughout the rug-making regions of the world, a dye stability/bleed test is performed to analyze the colour-fastness of the dyes in your rug. This further determines what method of cleaning will be undertaken to prevent any color transfer. Experience allows us to determine the difference of dye instability verses excess dye that has not been rinsed out of yarns before rug production (remembering that most rugs are made in desert based regions where water is in scarce supply). In the hands of someone inexperienced, rug dyes can bleed when cleaned, similar to when you throw different coloured clothes together in the washing machine. This stage is extremely important and cannot be overlooked without the potential for disaster.

Step 4: Pre-Treatments

Rugs with urine damage, stains or areas needing particular care will go through a pre-treatment section of the rug plant. Stains will be treated using specialist chemicals to remove as much of the spill as possible, if the dyes have not already set. If the stain has set, then an alternate step is undertaken to attempt to remove. Urine damage and pungent odours in rugs are also pre-treated to destroy the urea crystals at a molecular level, neutralizing the off-gassing process that is responsible for the odour. Whilst no professional cleaning company can ever guarantee results of odour or stain removal, as there are too many variables, we can promise to use all of our experience and training to do all we can to remove or reduce the area and severity of the stain and or odour.

Step 5: Pre-Spray

The rug then receives an even application of pre-spray over the entire rug using a non toxic, woolsafe cleaning agent. This emulsifies and assists in the agitation of dirt and stains and helps to prevent any colour run or dye migration on more sensitive rugs. Especially important for wool rugs as it also maintains the luster of the wool and prevents the natural oils from being stripped in the cleaning process. All of our cleaning solutions are environmentally friendly and as close to ph neutral as possible, ensuring the fibers and dyes within the rug are not harshly treated or damaged during the cleaning process.

Step 6: Cleaning

Our expert cleaners have pre-determined what particular method of cleaning will be used for your rug based on the results of the fiber, construction and bleed tests. The Rug is then thoroughly cleaned using one of our many rug washing methods; by hand, extraction, submersion, etc. If dye testing shows that the dyes are stable, we wash the rug in our ‘rug spa’ using cold water and mild ph cleaning agents. Mild agitation is sometimes needed using specialist machines with soft brushes. This system of cleaning is the safest and most effective way to clean the rug as it doesn’t rely on using harsh alkaline chemicals, in line with woolsafe guidelines. Full water immersion also means the rug is cleaned all the way through to the backing and the fringes are thoroughly soaked.

Step 7: Rinsing

Once clean, rugs are thoroughly rinsed using state-of-the-art compression equipment specifically designed to rinse all detergents and remove all remnants from the rug fibers. Our rinse extraction machine shoots a high pressure stream of rinse solution deep into the rug, removing all residues. This ensures there is no dye migration as well as partially drying the rug, keeping your rug cleaner longer.

Stage 8: Stubborn Stains

If there are spots or stains still remaining on your rug they will get extra attention and treatment with our many specialty spot cleaning solutions. All stains will be treated, if we do not get the stain out with our professional cleaning products, there may be nothing that will remove that stain! But we may still be able to ‘bleach’ it out or re-dye the area of concern upon request.

Stage 9: Sanitizing (Optional)

Set allergies at bay…. For homes with allergy sufferers this stage is highly recommended to eradicate bacteria and germs. The cleaning stage, whilst very thorough, will not guarantee removal of potentially harmful contaiminents. Applying a commercial grade non toxic sanitizer ensures the neutralizing of such nasties. This stage is undertaken upon request.

Stage 10: Pile Grooming

Immediately following cleaning, the nap needs to be groomed in the correct direction before the rug is dry. This procedure ensures that the pile will reflect light in one direction and not leave shaded areas after drying. The more thorough the grooming process, the better the appearance and feel of the rug once dry.

Stage 11: Stain Protector (Optional)

Applying stain protector is available as an optional extra but it is a highly recommended stage to your rug cleaning routine. It forms an invisible shield around each fiber to resist soil and stains. The repellency provided will enable most liquid spills to be removed before staining can occur, and it helps prevent dirt and stains from being ground in or absorbed by the rug fibers. Therefore resisting abrasion and keeping rugs cleaner, longer. Furthermore it makes subsequent vacuuming quicker and more efficient allowing more dry soils to be removed by your household vacuum.

Stage 12: Controlled Drying

A controlled drying environment is needed to correctly dry rugs. Rugs will either be carefully hung dried on our rug racks or placed on an aerated flat bed drying platform in order to avoid colour run or shrinkage problems. We are able to ensure that all the rugs we care for are dried quickly and thoroughly using air-movers and or de-humidifiers. The drying process takes a few days depending on the composition of your rug. All rugs are moisture tested using moisture meters before being removed from the drying station. It is critical this stage is not rushed, so patience is required in order to guarantee a satisfactory result. Drying is individually timed to your carpet’s size and construction. Generally speaking the denser or thicker the pile the longer the drying will take.

Stage 13: Fringe Finishing

Once rugs have been cleaned and dried the fringe is inspected to ensure that it is as clean as possible. One of the main advantages of our immersion washing is that fringes can be cleaned to an excellent standard. However if for any reason after cleaning the fringe remains slightly soiled, we use specialist solutions to enhance its appearance. Care is also taken, to hand groom the fringe and remove as many knots and matters as possible.

Stage 14: Post Cleaning Inspection

At the completion of drying, our Rug Cleaning Technicians will re-inspect the rug and will work on any spots or stains that haven’t been fully removed the first time around. This is the advantage of using our purpose built rug cleaning spa as we have the time to clean items again-something we couldn’t do if we just giving the rugs a quick clean in place at your property. The rug is then re-vacuumed and groomed, and finally rolled ready for pick up or delivery back to you.

 

Why not try us once? But Don’t Take our Word for it…

Life is about comparisons; if you haven’t used our professional services before, you’ve got nothing to base your previous cleaning results against. We welcome you to try us once and we know you’ll be delighted with the cleaning results. We are committed to providing you with a ‘Knock-Your-Socks-Off service’ and stand behind it with a money back guarantee, so you’ve got nothing to lose.

Call or email us today for a no obligation free quotation.

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