Pit Washing a Rug

[Rob Allen]

Here are some pics I am taking of pit washing a urine filled wool rug. I had the customer sign a release form in her own words. I then proceeded with test procedures and made a choice of cleaning products. I let it soak over night and then today I drained it,rinsed it,squeezed it,clawed it (large claws on wd,err) and I am about to clean and hang it. Since I am at the shop all day each day I am really applying myself to rug cleaning techniques,procedures and proper chemistry. I have befriended the largest rug supplier here in Va and he is teaching me about all different types of rugs and their compositions. I am also consulting with Dr Aziz at Fabpro. I'll take some pics along the way.

(It's not on the grass,I have it on the concrete and it is poured on a slope so I can rinse it)

Squeegee;


Claw;

[LisaWagner]

Dr. Aziz is awesome. Share what Fabpro products you are using, he has a great line.

Thx for sharing!
Lisa

[owenscott]

Seems labor intensive ... whats the charge for this type situation?

[Matt Strader]

Seems labor intensive ... whats the charge for this type situation?

I'm curious too, Rob. What are you getting per sqft and how do you charge for the urine?

[Frank DiGi]

I was wondering the say question Matt just ask too?

[RDCCARPET]

pit washing here in nj starts at $200 and goes up from there. I dont normall touch rugs that are worth more then my van so i refered one of my regular carpet cleaning customers to a guy who ony pit washes. The rug was silk and he wanted $1500 to clean it. They decided not to have it cleaned but some people in this area are paying his prices he has 2 shops.

[Rug Washer]

Rob why did you use a Water Claw?

[Rob Allen]

Seems labor intensive ... whats the charge for this type situation?

Owen I spend most all day at my shop all or I run business errands. This enables me to work on rugs anytime through out the day. So I just do a little here and a little there. I usually start at around 300.00 for pit washing and deodoriser depending on each rug. Doing a couple each day is profitable and rewarding to be able to satisfy customers needs. (I want to be the custy's all inclusive cleaner) On top of it I am learning a ton. So it is a win/win imho.

[Rob Allen]

Rob why did you use a Water Claw?

I am thinking that it will make the carpet lighter to lift. With my spare time I am trying all different things. I want to try to think outside the box and come up with some unique ways to clean area rugs. We picked up several used rugs of all types to play around with. Today I am going to try the different Rotovac heads on one. (Remember the ones I am playing around with new ideas are mine,not customers)

[LisaWagner]

With the rug in the photo - which is a Chinese wool rug with a cotton foundation - couple suggestions.

1) use A LOT of water if you plan to use any brushes/pads to agitate - the wool is soft and will scar without the buffer of good moisture

2) because it is a chemically-washed rug, it is sensitive to permanent staining (from urine and acid stains), and spot removers will strip color out in ways that will not look good, AND it is sun sensitive - so be super careful putting this rug wet or damp in direct sunlight.

3) water claw works better from the back of the rug - just FYI

And you guys are all right - this IS a lot of labor. It's why when you are doing onesy-twosy cleaning like Rob is here, you can set up a temporary set-up like this... but as you grow and add better equipment, you can boost your production and your profit.

If you do not LOVE rugs - don't bother... it is easier to simply subcontract and get the markup. Where Rob will spend the day cleaning one rug, a real shop setup can get dozens through in the same time.

Like every craft there is a learning curve. And things are always hard before they are easy.

Lisa

P.S. If any of you here are wanting some hands-on training on rugs and you really do not know where to start, take a look at my rug and fine fabric workshop with Jim Pemberton in Las Vegas - it will give you a good foundation to build on. Actually, since we are almost sold-out, shoot me an email at rugwarrior@gmail.com and I'll see about getting you in.

[Rug Washer]

I agree with Lisa Rob you'll find the Water claw,if you have good suction, will just suck the plastic up and you'll loose air flow. If you want to suck out the front use a grid. I do disagree with Lisa though that it will become easy, easier maybe but still a lot of hard work and a learning curve that never stops. A 9x12 90 line will still be real heavy no matter how many you do. I wouldn't use any kind of Rotary device. We HAND scrub all our rugs with a brush nothing circular. Lisa do you use a 175, Cimex or Rotovac on Rugs?

[LisaWagner]

I agree with Lisa Rob you'll find the Water claw,if you have good suction, will just suck the plastic up and you'll loose air flow. If you want to suck out the front use a grid. I do disagree with Lisa though that it will become easy, easier maybe but still a lot of hard work and a learning curve that never stops. A 9x12 90 line will still be real heavy no matter how many you do. I wouldn't use any kind of Rotary device. We HAND scrub all our rugs with a brush nothing circular. Lisa do you use a 175, Cimex or Rotovac on Rugs?

Rotary scrubber with soft nylon or window washing broom brushes for the more delicates... with all the water we use (much more than in these photos here) there is never any marking from scrubbing - it does make it a TON easier.... and as you know, with a wringer, you can get the rug scrubbed and rinsed well and through the wringer in 30 min or less. So it does get easier as you add the right equipment.

Lisa

[GreenTechAgain]

pit washing here in nj starts at $200 and goes up from there. I dont normall touch rugs that are worth more then my van so i refered one of my regular carpet cleaning customers to a guy who ony pit washes. The rug was silk and he wanted $1500 to clean it. They decided not to have it cleaned but some people in this area are paying his prices he has 2 shops.

I would never touch a silk rug! That is just asking for trouble. Wool, hey the sheep stand out in rain right? Poly, no problem, can't kill it with a stick.

[LisaWagner]

Ross - you are right, that to touch silk or fake silk rugs, you gotta know what you are doing.

Here's a piece I did on viscose (fake silk) rugs and why they are RUGS TO RUN FROM. There is a photo of a real silk versus a fake one in there.

Hope you enjoy it!
Lisa