When Rugs Become Pet Toilets....

**LisaWagner** · 12-26-2009, 10:31 PM

Woven rugs (rugs you can see the design on the back the same as on the front) mostly have COTTON foundation fibers. If these rugs have cotton fringes, then you know if it is a hand woven rug that these are the fiber warps that run through the inside of the wool rug you are looking at.

This means, when you have a spill on these rugs ... especially a hot, acidic spill (like urine, vomit, coffee, tea) - it will penetrate the wool fibers and get soaked up into the cotton interior fibers.

With pet urine, this means what you see at the top side is literally the tip of the sewage iceburg.

This rug had several areas of repeated urine activity - so much so that mildew and dry rot was setting into the rug.

To help release the urine salts from inside this rug, we poured acetic acid on the worst areas before we even began our wash.

Someone here on TMF sent me a message about trying to remove the urine odor from a rug in an on-site cleaning.

That is not possible.

You may be able to cover it up with a fragrance - but these rugs need to be soaked and the contaminants removed from the inside of the rug. That needs to be done at a plant - and you do a disservice to clients if you do not insist on this. Even if you are washing it on your driveway at home, the rug needs a bath.

That said - you need to have experience with fiber testing, dye testing, construction type adjustments, and pre-inspection before you jump from on-site surface cleaning of rugs to truly washing rugs the way they are meant to be washed.

I just made a post on my Rug Chick blog on pets and rugs - there is some more information there.

Happy New Year!
Lisa

CLICK here for post - Pet Accidents Happen... Now What?

**admin** · 12-27-2009, 02:55 PM

Thanks Lisa, some great information.

Hopefully business owners would start taking these rugs back to the shop instead of trying to clean it at the customers house. Even if they are cleaning it onsite, then that customer will have a feeling that they should never pay anymore what you might have charged her just to clean it in home to get their area rugs cleaned.

**LisaWagner** · 12-27-2009, 05:58 PM

If you let rugs get exposed to long term moisture, either from pets or other water sources - like potted plants - once dry rot sets in, you will see the rug eventually fall apart.

I've seen this happen from pets and from plants - as well as from leaks in floors over time. Mildew and then dry rot and then crumbling.

This rug was wet in a garage, wrapped for storage but they forgot to ELEVATE the rug up off the floor.

If this rug had been flat on the floor, with an area this rotten from say a pot leaking, you would likely not notice it from the top (unless you used a moisture sensor) - and when you grabbed it to roll it or pull it, you could literally tear a hole in the rug. It disintigrates from the inside out.

So Tre - let's say someone decided to clean a rug with excessive pet activity IN THE HOME. They would not be able to get the odor out, that is a given. But they could potentially pull away tufts of the rug if it was rotted.

Whenever possible, inspect the back of the rug to look for signs of mildew and dry rot.

I hate it when I see a rug that took so long to weave destroyed by an owner just not taking a little time to be careful.

Lisa

www.TheRugChick.com

12-27-2009, 11:35 PM

Lisa, you would love to see some of the rugs I clean at a particular Estate I care for. (You'd know the name if I told you) I know you would appreciate them.

The "Ball Room" Persian is a 40x 60 (as in feet) and according to the owner, Over 140years old. I can tell you that there is no way it can be removed from the "Home" without some VERY serious expense....HUGE bucks as you would need to hire a moving company to remove the 1500 lb ball it lays on, along with the other odd (and heavy) things she has acquired and decided to put in that room. Just not happening. But I clean it (and others she has) on location with zero problems and 100% satisfaction. You just have to know what you're doing.

**Rob Allen** · 12-28-2009, 12:19 AM

That is horrible Lisa. Geez. Never seen a rug like that. We are setting up a full shop for area rugs. All your info is priceless. Thank you. You are an asset to the whole industry Lisa.

Rob

**LisaWagner** · 12-28-2009, 01:06 AM

Richard - you are right, in some cases rugs are just too large to properly wash. Most wringers are not wider than 16-18 feet.

Is the rug you are talking about woven, or tufted? We've done some palace rugs, very large, but very flexible, and we folded it through the wringer.

It's amazing some of the rugs created for those with enough money to contract it. A 9x12 rug can take 3 weavers just over a year to weave... if the rug you are talking about is woven by hand, we are talking years to create. That is incredible. I'd love to see a photo.

But again you are right - you have to do the best you can do with what options you have. Even if you could take the rug out to your plant - you'd likely wash it the same way... except, you'd be able to dust it better. But after years of on-site cleaning, you might not be able to get that grit out anyway.

Thanks for sharing that though.

And Rob - thanks for the nice post. Others contribute here just like I do, so actually it's forums like these that are the assets to the industry.

But thanks anyway,
Lisa

www.TheRugChick.com

**Ara Klujian** · 01-08-2010, 04:25 AM

I still love fuzzy animals!

**LArugcleaning** · 03-03-2010, 12:16 PM

thank you for the helpful tips.. having a pet in the house is quite annoying especially if you have a rug which i think is their favorite playground..