So I picked up a fairly large wool handmade rug (10x14) for cleaning and I sent it out to one of the rug cleaning facilities that we work with over here. They normally do great work and have never had any issues with sending them very valuable/exotic rugs. After I delivered the rug back to my customer, this particular rug for some reason had 6 vertical lines going across it which seems to just be lines that were created from the rug being rolled up. Now my customer is complaining saying that she tried brushing the lines out and they are not coming out. I spoke to the rug cleaning facility and they say that its just the wool fibers of the rug and that the rug needs to relax a bit and the lines will go away after some foot traffic and vacuuming. The customer is upset about this and is skeptical that the lines will disappear... has anyone ever had something like this happen? How long does it take for a rug to "relax" I know that wool tends to look darker and lighter depending on which way the fibers are brushed so that is what I think is happening here, but shouldnt they go away if she is brushing it? What you guys think?
Do you have access to a Pilelifter machine? This should take it right out. You can spray it first with an acid rinse lightly to help. That's what we do.
Go pick up the rug, tell the customer you will take care of it. Telling her to fix it herself will just make the problem worse the longer she has it and keeps on seeing it the more the "lines" will stay there, even if they're not there. Why didn't you roll the rug out with the customer? Why didn't you see the rug before the customer did. Trusting even a great "rug cleaner" with your reputation is a very bad idea. Inspect their work before your customer does and then it becomes you problem, had you seen the lines yourself you could have taken it back to your expert and fixed it before this became your problem. Just my opinion.
Ill try using a pile lifter on it...I do have access to one. That should get the lines out. Is this common with wool rugs? Most of my business comes from area rugs and ive never had this problem before.
Head over and take a look. Get down on your hands and knees and take a GOOD look. Run your commercial vac over it. It may just need to relax a little - been pretty cold here in NY so if it sat in the cold that may have caused it. Remeber the big companies are really busy and willl throw out some standard answers that are rite most of the time. Show your concern for her rug. She might be worried that you will abandon her now that you have been paid. If needed - pick it up and take it back to the rug cleaning company. Not sure which one you used but they are usually pretty good at taking care of these things. Be careful with the pile lifter. I agree with taking a look at it before delivery but not everybody has a space that big to roll out a rug that size. Keep us posted - take some pics. Where in NY are you?
Here is a possible solution if it is just a difference in the pile lay from being rolled-up. In a 32 oz. trigger sprayer, mix 1 1/2 ounces of a good quality fabric softener. Use one without a strong color. (You don't want to dye the rug.) Add 1 pt. (16 oz.) of IPA also called rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. You get this for 50 cents or so in Walmart or drug store. Then fill the bottle with warm water. Shake just enough to mix things together. Spray on the fibers with the lines and near by. The fibers will relax in a fe minutes and go wherever you brush them. However, the problem could be from creases in the foundation yarns or a backing on the rug. This procedure will not correct things if that is the cause.
Thanks, I will definitely make sure to try these and I'll take some pics once I get back there. That makes sense with the cold weather and all. I am in NYC and this week has been very cold...
We recently had something occur with a rug like this. The interesting thing was that the backing of the rug was not what you'd normally encounter. It had some type of plastic backing, almost looked like it had been glued to a secondary backing that was made of plastic. During the cleaning process, it apparently got folded down the middle and created a crease that can be seen from the front, because the fibers are now leaning away from each other somewhat in that area. If this is what has occurred, there's not much you can do because it's mechanical (physical) damage to the backing of the rug itself. I've never really seen this type of thing occur with the average Oriental/Persian rug, however. When we clean, whether we use a wand or put it in the pit for submersion cleaning, we take a rug brush and make sure the nap is all running in the same direction before we hang it up to dry. The brushes work much better than the average carpet rake for this kind of thing, as well. The carpet rake will leave those lines from the bristles (where they're space apart on the rake about 1/8 of an inch or so), while the brush provides a much smoother look with no lines left by the bristles. If you're confused, the brush I'm talking about is like an actual horsehair brush, where bristles are packed tightly together across the head, and the rake has 2-3 inch long bristles spaced apart slightly on the head. The rake tends to be used as an actual wall to wall carpet groomer, for setting the pile after you clean carpet.
you might try a bonnet with an encap cleaner if not working you could use a steamer on the back and top of the rug and groom out if the rug is tufted check to see if the latex is letting loose ie the back and rug seperating if so you will need to re latex it to correct. this would be my guess without seeing a picture. very common for latex to dry out and basically turn to powder on tufted rugs.
It is really impossible to post recommendations that are perfect without seeing photos. We have no idea if this is crushing or distortion or perhaps creasing from the weave of the rug (and if it's woven or tufted) - so you can't give an answer without seeing the actual problem. Sorry, Lisa
(It is really impossible to post recommendations that are perfect without seeing photos. We have no idea if this is crushing or distortion or perhaps creasing from the weave of the rug (and if it's woven or tufted) - so you can't give an answer without seeing the actual problem.) Sorry, Lisa It really isn't IMPOSSIBLE to make recommendations, because recommendations is what he asked for. The repllies are the best they can give with the information provided. You did provide a great recommendation (to show photos). critisism of others replies is not kind, your reply recommending photos is a positive reply, everything else you said is very arrogant.
Hopefully its just the pile... it's reminding me a story that one time i pick up large rug like this (12x16) and the guy i subcontract to do the job made a big mistake. (normally he does a great job) while he hang it to dry he put another rug next to it and with the blowers running the other rug was "touching" my client rug and made a blue line that i couldn't remove! (bleed!!!) thank god i was able to cut about 6 inch from the rug and bind it without loosing the look of the rug. i ended up with 12x15.5 and the client was happy. i always remember this and wondering how lucky i was, this rug was at least 10k. and i was able to cut it like it never happend, if it was oriental with fringes i was never be able to do anything.
Thanks for all the responses. I spoke to my customer and she said that the lines are slowly starting to fade away on their own. Guess it was just the pile after all and the rug just needed to relax... Its been verrrry cold here and maybe the rug was a little bit wet when it was rolled and wrapped...that could have had something to do with it
John This has been one of the best threads I have seen on the subject on any venue. I was hoping Lisa would throw in. I would guess that you may not know her because if you did I don't think you would refer to her comments as very arrogant. Also I think she qualified her statement by stating what was impossible was "perfect" recommendations without photos. She doesn't need me to fight her fights but she also doesn't need to give her time and knowledge away either and be lambasted for what is basically semantics. I welcome her input and feel this board would suffer if she decided not to participate. I agreed with your first comments but failed to see where she criticized anyones comments.
