Bright wool
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Jim Davisson
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- Aug 23, 2016
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We've had this conversation before... 50% will tell you not to use peroxide on hair. The other half will tell you to use it in minor amounts to be effective.
I will give you a home brewed secret to wool rug cleaning you will not hear anywhere else that is crazy effective on would be permanent surface stains. Flood the rug slowly in a rug pit with just the problem area barely above the water barrier. With only the tips of the stain exposed above the water you can throw crazy amounts of chemistry at the problem while not subjecting the rest of the rug to ANY damage. Now you can stay below all recommended pH boundaries and treat only the problem area super aggressively. A water barrier is such a wonderful thing when used properly.
I will give you a home brewed secret to wool rug cleaning you will not hear anywhere else that is crazy effective on would be permanent surface stains. Flood the rug slowly in a rug pit with just the problem area barely above the water barrier. With only the tips of the stain exposed above the water you can throw crazy amounts of chemistry at the problem while not subjecting the rest of the rug to ANY damage. Now you can stay below all recommended pH boundaries and treat only the problem area super aggressively. A water barrier is such a wonderful thing when used properly.
Oh, I know that trick. And you're right....You dont hear about it at all anymore. Old school is still the Best school in many cases.
Jim Davisson
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I do not mind the tricks to remove stains, I would like to understand how to make the wool shiny during the operation of washing a craft rug
OxiFreshGuy
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I've used sodium percarbonate on wool before....the answer is... it depends.
Keep in mind you're essentially bleaching the fiber in a minor way which is the "brightening" you're referring to. Eventually over time it will degrade the fiber. Ever seen human hair that's been bleached many times ?/
Keep in mind you're essentially bleaching the fiber in a minor way which is the "brightening" you're referring to. Eventually over time it will degrade the fiber. Ever seen human hair that's been bleached many times ?/
The idea of brightening wool fibers in craft rugs is to strip away some of the outer layer of the wool fiber or epidermis. A smoother surface looks shinier than a rough surface.
Commonly sodium hypochlorite is added to the wash water to accomplish this. The volume and time can vary according to the process. This is controlled damage to the wool. Take away enough of the protective outer layer to make it shinier without taking so much that the wool fiber degrades before the expected life of the rug. While some wool rugs have lasted for 2,000 years and many for a few hundred years, rugs treated this way will have a much shorter life, typically 12 to 20 years.
Commonly sodium hypochlorite is added to the wash water to accomplish this. The volume and time can vary according to the process. This is controlled damage to the wool. Take away enough of the protective outer layer to make it shinier without taking so much that the wool fiber degrades before the expected life of the rug. While some wool rugs have lasted for 2,000 years and many for a few hundred years, rugs treated this way will have a much shorter life, typically 12 to 20 years.
Thanks Scott.
I found in my country sodium hypochlorite 14%-15% https://www.ladivinapiscina.it/Ipoclorito-di-sodio-liquido-1415-tanica-da-lt-25.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=googleshopping&utm_campaign=googlebase&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-JXiBRCpARIsAGqF8wVHPASEbLmqUmfYIK-LU5wD8BeUXs0kr75ciTqzrRiE2d5m5C2StTUaArlnEALw_wcB
Can you recommend dilution ratio with water, water temperature and dwell time as a test to get started?
I will not make any recommendations. It is very possible to damage the wool and I do not wish to be responsible for that.
Tom Monihan at Centrum Force in Michigan may have information to share.
Tom Monihan at Centrum Force in Michigan may have information to share.
The oldest wool (persian) rug that I ever cleaned was 187 years old. It really is amazing how long they can last when you seriously think about it. Just wanted to share that with you and everyone else.
