You Gotta Love This!

Lately I’ve been talking to cleaners in my age group (mid 50’s) who are looking beyond the time in their life when they are willing (and able) to push a wand in homes and commercial establishments. Most cleaners in my age group who aren’t prepared to hire young men to do this work, and are either unwilling or unable to sell their business as it is are now contemplating how to move into this next stage of their life.

Many of these men have thought that setting up a “rug and fine fabric cleaning” shop would be a sensible and more importantly a rewarding way to move into a business model that is both profitable and that the work is self paced.

If you are contemplating this sort of long term move, you should consider this:

I have often heard Lisa Wagner, a recognized rug cleaning expert (and my Textile Pro training partner), say that to be successful at rug cleaning, you have to love rugs.

I’ve been pondering her view of “loving rugs”, and what it means:

In Lisa’s view, you can’t look at rug cleaning as a high product “dollars per hour” enterprise, such as you might with wall to wall carpet cleaning. Instead, to take the time to do detail oriented stain removal, fringe cleaning, texture restoration, etc, you need to enjoy restoring what is, in many ways, a work of art.

In my experience with fine fabric upholstery and leather, I think that same level of attention to detail for the love of restoring something beautiful is just as important, even if the item itself is not an individual work of art, like handmade rugs are.

For the sake of simplicity, I’m going to put all three items together under the category of “fine interior décor”.

Owner/operators who have long taken pride in doing their best at their craft in stain removal, odor removal, and cleaning of wall to wall carpet should find that becoming a “Fine Interior Décor” restoration expert – even more rewarding in this next phase of their business life.

If you have that combination of true enjoyment in being a “cleaning craftsman”, as well as the need to create a service business that suits the needed lifestyle changes age brings upon you, you just might consider opening a small, in plant cleaning service for rugs, fine fabrics, leather, and other “Fine Interior Décor” assets.

For more information about how you might create such a business model for yourself, go to…
http://tinyurl.com/texpro

Area Rugs are Fine Fabrics!

The field of Fine Fabric Care, which is obviously the one I enjoy writing about the most, is wider than just upholstery fabrics.

While rugs are not always considered to be fabrics (though the dictionary definition allows for it), anyone who knows fine fabrics and rugs knows these important similarities:

1. High Value: Whether real or perceived, consumers put a higher value on their fine fabrics and rugs than their carpet.

2. Both Require Special Care: Fine Fabrics and Rugs are more often custom designed than mass produced, and therefore each need more individual attention than carpet.

3. Dye Sensitivity: Color Bleeding can be a real risk and expensive consequence of poor cleaning technique, or even with good techniques not testing.

4. Browning: Browning has nearly disappeared as a problem in wall to wall carpeting, but remains a challenge and potential risk to rug and fine fabric cleaners.

5. Texture Damage: Since many fibers used in rugs and upholstery are natural or blends of natural and synthetic fibers, aggressive spotting and/or cleaning techniques can cause damage when the same techniques would not cause damage to synthetic fiber carpet.

While these five issues may seem to be major roadblocks or risks to most carpet cleaners, you can easily see where a rug specialist is the best suited to clean fine fabrics and a fine fabric specialist is also most suited to clean rugs.

Acid Rinses

Over the past two decades many cleaners have shifted from the use of alkaline carpet cleaning detergents to the use of acidic rinse agents.  Cleaners began to become concerned about potential cleaning residues, and while some attempted to solve the problem by rinsing with clear water alone, others chose to use existing chemistry to attempt to neutralize pH as well as rinse cleaning agent residues from carpet.

The products they first tried were already available, and had been on the market for several years already:  Acidic Rinse Agents.

These products were primarily used for rinsing upholstery after preconditioning, and their primary purpose was (and still is) to be used for stabilizing dyes, preventing cellulose browning, and softening velvet and chenille fabrics.

These products still work for carpet, but have mostly been replaced by products that act as cleaning agents as well as neutralizing agents.  These products are acidic in pH, and do help to neutralize preconditioning agents, but have the added benefit of providing cleaning as well as neutralization.   With these acidic cleaning (rather than rinsing) agents, you need not precondition the entire carpet, but instead only the parts that have heavy accumulations of petroleum, proteins, or fats.

FAQs – Acrylic/Modacrylic Fibers

Q - Hey Jim,
I got a couple of Acrylic/Modacrylic area rugs in yesterday. White back ground with colored polka dots.
Should I have any concerns?

A - from Jim P
Good question!

In my limited experience with acrylic rugs, I find some to be cheaply made, so do a thorough inspection to look for any weakness or preexisting damage. The PRC (China will always be “Red China” to me) makes cheap stuff, including rugs. I have had some non colorfast acrylic rugs that were manufactured in the PRC, so test the colors carefully, even though we usually think of thermoplastic synthetics as being colorfast.

You’ll also find that if there is any wear or distortion, that you cannot readily fix it with grooming or steaming like you often can with wool or even silk.

Send me some pictures, front and back!
Jim

Q – comment from reader

Thanks Jim,

The rugs do not appear to be anything too special. Typical tufted rugs, just wondering about the modacrylic fiber characteristics.

Thanks again

A - from Jim P
OK, that being said, let me know a little more, if you can.
Tufted rugs can have their challenges, especially if cheaply made. They likely have very low value.
Jim

Q – comment from reader

Jim,

Here is what I observe . . .

As I said, the rugs are from China. There are two identical rugs. One for some reason is darker/dirtier looking. After cleaning, pet spots are almost gone, 99%, but the darker rug still looks darker. Neither was super soiled, but they just don’t look any better except in the pet spotted areas.

On another note, I had a badly abused wool rug with numerous dye looking colored spots or medicine spots that didn’t clean. I went back over with Stain Zone (I know, I know!) lightly. All responded beyond my expectations with no (visible) bad results.

Interesting how our industry has matured over the years to come up with so many specialty products to so easily fix things that were next to impossible except for the real spotting geniuses.

A - from Jim P

Hi again, and thanks for the updates.

You’ll see I’ve now copied your emails to my mentor in “all things area rug related”, Lisa Wagner. I think she’ll have some insights regarding your Chinese acrylic rugs, though my guess is that she doesn’t see them as having a very high value, and therefore that any further restoration likely exceeds the value of the rug.

But she never ceases to surprise me with her creativity and standards of excellence, so we’ll see what she says.

Likewise using Stain Zone (stabilized 9% Hydrogen Peroxide Lisa, if you weren’t sure) on wool.

Not a great idea, but if you can do it safely and not take on excessive liability, why not? My father was using peroxide back in the 60′s, but since from the 60′s to the late 80′s most carpets were dark, most urine stains were bleach stains. In the last 20 years carpets are light, and the early stages of urine contamination are visible, and can be treated before dye damage occurs.

Jim

A-2 – comment from guest expert
From: Lisa Wagner
Subject: Re: Acrylic/Modacrylic

Jim is right that acrylic is really the bottom of the food chain… it’s like trying to clean a styrofoam cup to make it all uniformly “white” again – the question “why bother?” comes up from all directions.

It is a very weak fiber – not as horrible as fake silk (rayon) but fake wool (acrylic) still has those concerns about too much agitation, and weakening from just about every corrective stain remover you could use.

With hydrogen peroxide on wool… yes you can improve some stains with that. Most rug plants do use this on certain stubborn stains – within reason, because it will create deterioration of the wool fibers as a result, so these areas will be weaker over time, and begin reflecting light differently, so as the rug ages, those areas you worked on will become more apparent. So it is a short term “win” with a long term consequence.

But - if the rug is not high value (i.e. an investment piece), from India or China, then this might not matter much. Actually, if it has urine stains on it, the rug even if valuable is no longer valuable… so it may be a moot point.

In these scenarios, I write on the invoice – “significant pet urine damage has permanently devalued the rug – we will attempt to lessen this damage with some corrective measures but will not be able to reverse what has been done by the pets.”

Something along those lines. She needs to know her rug is less valuable – so if any work you do seems incomplete, or a different version of a problem, that she cannot come back and say YOU devalued her rug. You can damage a damaged rug, that’s what I say.

So, protect yourself if you do any more work. I usually try one area, let them tell me if they want more done – give them the cost – and let them know that bleach/peroxide/stripping agents/whatever WILL damage the fibers. I make it their educated call on what they want done.

Hope that helps… please do send the acrylic photos. I hope your clients don’t think they bought a wool rug, — that would be sad.

Lisa

FAQs – Coffee Stain on Wool Rug

Q - Hey Jim,
Can I clean a coffee stain on a wool area rug with Bridgepoint Coffee Stain Remover?

A -
A bit of background is important before answering this question.
The manufacturer’s of wool carpets and rugs do not recommend the use of any oxidizing or reducing agents on their products. (Coffee Stain Remover is a mild reducing agent).

That said, there is likely no other way to remove coffee from this rug. Be sure to get a release IN WRITING from the client and advise them that the use of this product is not recommended on wool, but that its your only chance to remove the stain. Once you’ve gotten permission, mix the product in warm water, apply it, then allow it to work. It does not need to be agitated or blotted, as it is not a spot remover, but a stain remover.

If the stain is removable at all (a 50/50 proposition on wool), it may take hours, so this is best done in plant. Once the stain is gone or lightened, clean the carpet. DO NOT clean the area with very hot water (not a wise practice on area rugs anyway) as the residual reducing agent in Coffee Stain Remover may react with heat and cause color fading.

FAQs – 2 White Rugs

Q – Jim,

Thanks,
John
—————————–
A - Hey John,

Kory gets an “A +” and Gold Star for detective work!

The white nylon rug can be cleaned aggressively, and either Stain Magic or Stain Zone should clear everything up.

The white wool/acrylic blend is the problem rug. The presence of a fragrance that could be foot powder, lotion, or body oil are all contaminants that should be thoroughly rinsed from the carpet, and that alone can cause potential color problems that cannot be predicted ahead of time. Get a release on this issue.

Wool will “fuzz” (as you probably already know) with aggressive agitation, and its no friend of peroxide based cleaners. Try something with a reducing agent, like one of the sodium bisulfite based coffee stain removers, such as Bridgepoint Coffee Stain Remover or Prochem Coffee and Tannin Spotter and just let them work. These products are also surprisingly effective on urine stains.

You can use either Stain Magic or Stain Zone on the wool as well, but only with a release. These particular products exceed all wool care recommendations, and may damage the fiber as well as the color.

Jim

FAQs – Cleaning Area Rug in Place

Q – I have a customer who would like the traffic area (center) of the rug done. She said the rug was cleaned by another company in place. Would I be able to use a mix of Energy & Extreme Clean, and extract with End Zone? If so, what do you suggest as to the settings for the heat and wand pressure. She does not want the rug removed for cleaning. The rug size is approx 7 ft by 9 ft. I have a copy from your site on Area Rugs, Wool.

A – There are times when it makes sense to clean an area rug in place. Here are my suggestions:

1. Would I be able to use a mix of Energy & Extreme Clean, and extract with End Zone?
   Unless you are certain this rug is made from olefin, do not under any circumstances use Energy and Extreme Clean on this rug. You should precondition the rug with a mild detergent, such as Avenge Fabric Prespray or some other upholstery preconditioning product that is within a safe pH range for natural fibers. You should be safe to rinse it with End Zone, though given the choice I’d prefer you to use Fab Set.
2. If so, what do you suggest as to the settings for the heat and wand pressure.
   I’d recommend that you set your temperature at 180 or lower, and use a hand tool at 150 psi or lower. When cleaning rugs in place, its better to use a hand tool to prevent overspray on the surface on which the rug is resting. A truck mount upholstery cleaning tool is ideal for this purpose.