Should My Rugs Be Cleaned In-Situ?
During our twenty six years experience in the textile cleaning industry, we have realised that our customers form an emotional attachment with their beloved rugs. Fitted carpets do not generate the same sentimental feelings. Handmade rugs can take months to weave and the finished product should be thought of as a work of art. Many designs can provide clues as to where the rug was constructed. Typical designs have been passed down through generations, and some patterns are woven from memory, without following any guides. The dyes in rugs are derived from many sources, including plants and insects, and they can be constructed with many different fibres including, wool, silk, cotton and viscose.
When considering all of the above it must be assumed, therefore, that rugs should not be cleaned in the same way as a fitted carpet. Cleaning a rug in the home can cause irreversible damage to the face fibres, colours, fringe and foundation materials, while leaving much of the soil behind.
Potential Problems
Dusting
Rugs can hold pounds of dry soil before they begin to look dirty. The biggest drawback to having rugs cleaned in your home is the lack of thorough dusting. The rug dusting process requires the use of specialist equipment. If not removed prior to cleaning then the soil will become wet and create mud at the base of the pile. This will not be removed during the cleaning process and will cause drying times to be extended. Mould and bacteria can also form, causing bad odours during drying. Over time this could cause weakness within the rug's foundation and occasionally lead to dry rot.
No Dye Testing
Having rugs cleaned in-situ means there will not be enough time to perform a thorough colour bleed test. We carry out a 24 hour bleed test at our facility - the results of which determines what chemistry and cleaning techniques will be implemented to best care for each rug. Every rug is different and requires an individual, tailored for service depending on the problems associated with it. Alkaline cleaning products can cause the acid dyes to become unstable, and in turn cause the dyes to migrate. There is not usually anywhere appropriate to facilitate effective drying, therefore colours can also bleed on to carpeted or wooden surfaces underneath.
Hot Water
Carpet cleaning machines will generally use hot water to clean carpets. Woollen rugs should ONLY be cleaned using cold water. Hot water can damage the fibres and will increase the risk of colour bleed.
The rug in the picture was cleaned by a carpet cleaning company using hot water. The colour did not run into the fringe immediately, but by the following morning the fringe had turned red. Luckily we were able to resolve the problem, but it is not always possible to do so.
Fringe Cleaning
It is not possible to effectively treat fringes in-situ. Most fringes are made with cotton and is the first area of the rug to look noticeably dirty. After cleaning they will need to be suspended and exposed to forced air movement in a humidity controlled environment to achieve rapid drying. If the cotton fringe takes too long to dry, then cellulosic browning can become an issue.
Oriental Rug Spa have been caring for rugs since 1989. Offering a Persian, Oriental and Contemporary Rug cleaning and repair service for Camberley, Lightwater, Bagshot, Bracknell, Chobham, Woking, Fleet, Farnborough, Hartley Wintney, Hook, West Byfleet, Windlesham, Ascot, Virginia Water, Egham, Guildford, Godalming, Walton-On-Thames, Farnham, Esher, Cobham, Weybridge, Wokingham, Windsor, Crondall, Yateley and the surrounding areas.
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Recent Work

Turkish Milas with Repaired Fringe

Persian Bakhtiar Fringe & Side Repair

Silk Rug – Rewoven fringe

Persian Kashan Fringe Repair

Chinese Silk Fringe Repair
(viewed from back side)

Side Repair

Pakistani Rug Fringe Repair

Rug Fringe Repair
(viewed from front side)

Afghan Rug Fringe Repair
(viewed from back side)

Afghan Fringe Repair (back side)

Fringe Repair to a Pakistani Rug
(viewed from back)

Afghan Rug with a Repaired Fringe
September 2019

Afghan Silk Rug Fringe Repair (back)

Chinese Rug – Rug Repair – September 2018 – Fringe removed and bound

Chinese Rug – Repaired August 2018

Fringe Repair to a Turkish Rug (Back)

Fringe Removal and Binding Repair

Colour Bleed Removal

New Silk Fringe Re-Weave

Fringe Repair

Antique Heriz Fringe Repair

Fringe repair to a Persian Hamadan rug

Afghan Kazak rug repair in Brookwood, Woking, Surrey. August 2017

Karadja Rug from Eversley. Fringe Repair March 2017

Persian Hamadan fringe repair – February 2017

Fringe Repair to Hamadan Rug – January 2017

Corner repair to a Belgian rug

Corner Repair to a Belgian Rug – November 2016

Persian Rug Repair – 28 October 2016

Corner Repair to Persian Rug – 24 October 2016

Persian Yalameh Pile Reweave – 19 October 2016

Chinese Rug Washed and Protected – 14 October 2016

Moth Damage on the back of an Indian Rug

Hamadan Rug Fringe Repair – 7 October 2016

Persian Hamadan Rug Washed 30 September 2016

Dye stability test results on a Persian rug – 3 October 2016

Fringe Repair to a Persian Yalameh

Indo Tabriz Rug – Washed & Allergy Protected – 26 September 2016

Indian Rug After Dusting

Persian Hosseinabad Rug – Restored 13 September 2016

Fringe Repair to a Persian Yalameh Rug

Indo Persian Rug – Washed 8 September 2016

Bukhara Rug Detail – Restored 6 September 2016


Turkish Kayseri Rug – Washed 31 August 2016

Indian rug with Persian design – washed, deodorised and repaired 29 August 2016

Contemporary Chinese Rug – Washed 24 August 2016

Antique Persian Kashan Vase Design on a Sourmet Blue Field

Antique Persian Kashan Rug – Washed & Repaired – 19 August 2016

Moroccan Carpet – Rug Washed 15 August 2016

Dusty, damaged Bukhara rug – treated – 10 August 2016

Turkish Kayseri Carpet – Restored 5 August 2016

Indian Ziegler Carpet Design – Washed, deodorised and protected 1 August 2016

Pakistani Bukhara – Rug Cleaning Chobham, Woking, Surrey

Chinese Rug – Washed 22 July 2016

Antique Kashan – Rug Washed and Restored 18 July 2016

Indian Rug – Washed 13 July 2016

Antique Kashan Carpet – Rug Cleaning Woking

Turkish Kilim – Washed 6 July 2016

Flatweave Rug – Washed 29 June 2016

Afghan Kazak Rug – Washed 27 June 2016

Modern Chinese Rug – Washed 22 June 2016

Moroccan Rug – Washed 18 June 2016

Baluch Rug – Washed 14 June 2016

Tunisian Rug – Washed 10 June 2016

Isfahan Rug – Washed 6 June 2016

Indo Ziegler – Rug Washed 1 June 2016

Indo Ziegler Rug – Washed 26 May 2016

Flokati Rug – Washed 24 May 2016

Afghan Chobi – Washed 20 May 2016

Bakhtiari Salt Bag – Washed 16 May 2016

Chinese Rug – Washed 11 May 2016

Afghan Ziegler Rug – Washed 5 May 2016

Bukhara Rug – Washed & Deodorised 5 May 2016

Indian Rug – Washed 29 April 2016

Afghan Chobi Rug – Washed 27 April 2016
Customer in Woking
14 October 2015
Customer in Guildford
9 October 2015
Customer in Cobham
23 September 2015
Customer in Camberley
14 September 2015
Customer in Guildford
8 September 2015
Customer in Esher
18 August 2015
Customer in Camberley
13 August 2015
Customer in West Clandon
5 August 2015
Customer in Worplesdon
28 July 2015
Customer in Guildford
21 July 2015
Customer in Farnborough
27 July 2015
Customer in Cobham
9 July 2015
Customer in Walton-on-Thames
27 May 2015
Customer in Weybridge
15 May 2015
Customer in Chertsey
27 April 2015
Customer in Weybridge
20 April 2015
Customer in Virginia Water
10 April 2015
Location
Oriental Rug Spa
Unit 19 Helix Business Park
Wilton Road
Camberley
GU15 2QT
Rug Cleaning | Oriental Rug Cleaning | Persian Rug Cleaning | Silk Rug Cleaning | Cotton Rug Cleaning | Viscose Rug Cleaning | Rug Urine Removal | Wool Rug Cleaning | Specialist Rug Cleaning | Antique Rug Cleaning | Carpet Rug Cleaning | Professional Rug Cleaning | Rug Protection | Rug Moth Treatment