We hand wash every rug to guarantee the deepest possible clean. Unlike standard steam cleaning which only penetrates the surface of the rug and leaves it wet (which can damage floors), hand-washing removes dust, dirt and material—and therefore odors and stains—down to the deepest fibers of the rug. Our seven-step process includes inspection, dusting, washing, rinsing, grooming, fringe cleaning, and drying.
RUG INSPECTION AND ANALYSIS
After receiving your rug in our plant the first step in the cleaning process, and the most important, is a total assessment and inspection of your rug. We visually inspect the front, back and all corners and edges for structural integrity, dry rot and/or moth damage. We then use a black light to find any pet accidents that may be hidden to the naked eye. Any other stains or abnormalities are noted on your work order and we will contact you if anything comes up that would affect the outcome of our cleaning process. We also extensively check for dye stability and even will look for printed stencils or designs that might become an issue during cleaning, the dye bleed test usually takes 24 hours and is harmless. A simple wiping of a white towel over your carpet will not always give an accurate test for dye stability.
DUSTING
Our dusting process is unmatched in the state of Washington. Our compressed air dusting tool gently opens the fibers to thoroughly remove any dry particulate. If needed, our vibratory process gently removes years of dirt, sand and grit from deep down in the foundation.
RUG WASHING
Wool rugs have been cleaned for thousands of years in rivers and lakes around the world. Our hand washing process mimics the gentle movement of a running river or a soaking in a lake. Your rug speaks to us and tells us what is the best process to use in its cleaning. Gentle soaps and lots of water remove more dirt than any other cleaning process we know.
Using a specially designed air tool, fibers are washed thoroughly using a gentle jacuzzi effect.
RINSING
After your area rugs are thoroughly washed, another important step in the cleaning process occurs, the rinse. Without this step your rug would not be clean. Our patented rinsing process uses large volumes of clean, soft water, and air to flush away any soaps and soil loosened by washing. Our hands on cleaning approach allows us to visually inspect the rinse water coming from your rug, insuring it is clear and clean, just like your rug.
Using our specially designed air tool, your rugs are thoroughly rinsed until nothing but crystal-clear water runs out.
RUG GROOMING
If we didn’t hand groom your rug before drying it, it would look like your morning hair after an evening shower. We have the correct brushes to set the nap for our gentle drying process, whether it be a luxurious silk or a machine made Karastan carpet.
Hand Grooming of a large Persian rug after washing.
FRINGE CLEANING
Fringe cleaning is one of the hardest things to do correctly without damaging your rug; cleaning is the key. Some companies use bleach or harmful cleaners to chemically whiten fringe. We don’t whiten fringe, we clean them. Most fringe fall apart from improper cleaning which weakens the fibers, not from wear and tear. As with all of the stages of our cleaning process, we preserve the integrity of your rug and clean it thoroughly without using harmful treatments.
DRYING
Anyone can get a rug wet, even your favorite pet. But if you can’t get it dry, problems can occur. Our drying process uses state of the art technology. We bring in fresh clean air, warm it, dehumidify it, circulate it and after a predetermined time, start the whole process over again. We don’t recirculate the same stale air. Your rugs will be as dry as the Sahara and as soft as a baby lamb when they are done.
As rugs are drying, they are hung on a diagonal to prevent any stress on the foundation and groomed for proper drying.
