Rugs that aren't Wool

[rhyde]

I agree, but you can't make money picking up a 5x8 urine soaked rug take it to your plant wash it, address urine odors, block it if needed, work the fringe over and deliver it back for a cool 50.00 bucks there's no profit even if you could there's better money to be made out there. When these come through the door it's a simple education of the consumer we can get a rug clean but we can't get a rug clean cheap or what we consider clean cheap.



lets talk abut something more nefarious what about cleaners charge in plant washing price when they only shampoo or steam clean rugs ?

 

[Mikey P]

lets talk abut something more nefarious what about cleaners charge in plant washing price when they only shampoo or steam clean rugs ?

Now there is a subject I'd like to get going.

I remember Rampage busting Ian the Rug Wizard for doing this. Now we hear the Dusty Popeal is hacking out rugs as well.

I think Duster should have his IICRC and RIA cards yanked and forced come clean on Pro Cleaners network.

 

[Guest]

do you have evidence of this crime

 

[daniel@procarpet]

lets talk abut something more nefarious what about cleaners charge in plant washing price when they only shampoo or steam clean rugs ?

Now there is a subject I'd like to get going.

I remember Rampage busting Ian the Rug Wizard for doing this. Now we hear the Dusty Popeal is hacking out rugs as well.

I think Duster should have his IICRC and RIA cards yanked and forced come clean on Pro Cleaners network.

Ok I met one of the premier rug cleaners here the other day and was shocked at his methods. He lays them on the ground and cleans them with a portable. Oh but he uses solvents to clean the fringe. I asked about pit washing or if a rug has urine, and he replied he will soak a corner in a small kids swimming pool and then hit it with the portable. He gets a lot of business because he does repairs and spot dyes rugs. I may be a hack but when I clean a rug it is CLEAN and ODOR FREE. If you are going to pick a rug up and don't flood it you are not doing what you promised and the results do show.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

I visited a third generation, well known rug plant in an eastern city (not represented on MB).

The rugs were being cleaned by an old truck mount that sat out back in an uninsured, uninspected van. I asked about the Moore machine that was covered with dust and was told it hadn't worked for years.

No prevac, no prespray, just Prochem Dry Slurry and they hacked them out and hung them up.

For the highest price in town.

 

[Mikey P]

do you have evidence of this crime

Brevic did a drive by for me.

 

[joe harper]

I visited a third generation, well known rug plant in an eastern city (not represented on MB).

The rugs were being cleaned by an old truck mount that sat out back in an uninsured, uninspected van. I asked about the Moore machine that was covered with dust and was told it hadn't worked for years.

No prevac, no prespray, just Prochem Dry Slurry and they hacked them out and hung them up.

For the highest price in town.

Was KEN in the office...or getting a MANicUrE.................... :mrgreen:

 

[Jim Pemberton]

After I visited Ken's place I left awe struck. I know there are other large, well run plants in the country, but its the best one I've been to.

Very impressive quality control system.

 

[sweendogg]

Hey dave whats under the rug ?

rug badger grid aka dusting grids

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Lisa

I'd love to see the rug site that made that comment about rayon. Send me a PM if you don't want to put it up here.

When we had our dry cleaning plant, rayon was the worst garment fabric we cleaned. When we cleaned draperies, rayon was the most troublesome. Its absolutely one of the worst upholstery fibers to clean for color and texture problems (especially rayon chenille).

For anyone to make it something you'd actually step on is worse than all of the above applications put together!

Ahem

Just a few of my mild commentaries on rayon/viscose.

 

[Ron K]

do you have evidence of this crime

Yup

 

[LisaWagnerCRS]

Jim - it was at www.rugstomydoor.com - and I posted a pretty detailed comment on why they were inaccurate on what they were posting, that viscose was the worst fiber to put into a rug.

The page has been pulled now, and I can't even find their section on choosing the right fiber and why.

Anyway... even good names like karastan are using viscose in new wool rugs (as highlights) - I just don't get why they would pick such horrible fibers for their rugs.

If the page pops up again I'll send you a link... but these guys look like they only specialize in cheap rugs.

Lisa

 

[The Great Oz]

Typically, wall-to-wall carpet comes with some kind of warranty and the expectation that the usual wet spill can be cleaned using water. Area rugs have no such warranty and the content is limited only by what will sell.

Trans-Ocean is a rug importer that has become somewhat synonymous with questionable content, from acrylic to rayon to paper - and even today makes "100% recycled" rugs with no explanation of fiber content blend. Imagine the kind of profit involved in allowing your eco-friendly customers to buy your floor sweepings! Merida makes a woven waxed paper product. Cleaning recommendation is pencil eraser.

Designers also play a part. Using the "natural" and "sustainable" labels has meant we have to give the bad news to people that purchased very expensive Tibetan rugs made of jute or hemp. A recent problem has been cotton-faced hand-tufted rugs made in China and sold under the names of well known designers. The rugs will turn yellow over about a six-month period, or will become blotchy yellow/brown after cleaning. The discoloration cleans out, only to return in a few weeks. Many of the designers have ceased offering them or even closed their rug departments, but at last check they're still sold under the Martha Stewart brand.


I've become resigned to the challenge of figuring out what new products will make end users the most unhappy when they find out about the cleaning limitations, but there was a time when I did battle with Sears and Ethan Allen to get them to stop selling paper core braids.

 

[LisaWagnerCRS]

Hey Bryan,

I know there was a ton of flooding up in your area this season - do many companies subcontract their flooded contents cleaning to you? I would expect you get a nice surge during wet times...

Thanks for the post - nice to know what rugs to look forward to seeing.

Lisa

 

[Harry Myers]

I seen the jute tebetan rugs Bryan is talking about. They have a luster they are soft and I guarantee someone will mistake it for wool and mess it up. Makes no sence. The only sence is this cents

 

[LisaWagnerCRS]

Is it like the India rugs that blend wool with jute, or is it truly all jute?

They must heavily chemically process it to get it soft to the touch... I have never seen one. Though the Tibetan rugs we see in San Diego are mainly Tufenkian, and very nice. Or really old ones, true Tibetan pieces.

If you come across any photos - love to see what they look like compared to wool.

Thanks!
Lisa

 

[Bill Soukoreff]

Bill, I went to your web site RIA IICRC and Wool Safe thats pretty impressive. What was your question?

What makes a cheap olefin rug with synthetic backing sometimes curl?

 

[The Great Oz]

http://www.shangrilarugs.com/hemp-rugs.htm
This is just one maker of jute/hemp hand-knotted rugs. The color pallette they show is more natural than the early rugs, those had more vivid (bleeder) colors.

They soak the fiber in caustic solutions and tumble them to soften. This reduces the strength of the fiber somewhat, but the real problem is just being plant fibers: whether dyed or bleached, they always want to return to their natural color.

The woven all-poly rugs ripple because they grow when warm. They will usually return to flat with some foot traffic, but this is one of many rugs that benefit from being hung from one end to dry.