Our 11 Step Rug Spa Cleaning Process

There's two reasons to properly dust your rug.  Firstly, if the dry soil isn't removed it just turns to sludge when it's wet.  Any cleaning company doing a surface clean of the rug in your home will find it almost impossible to remove this sludge.  Not removing the dry soil results in a poor surface only clean, which might look good initially, but soon becomes dull again as the trapped soils are walked on and trample back up.

Secondly, whilst we do vacuum your rug to remove surface soiling, such as hair and daily fluff, vacuuming alone will not remove the deeply embedded grit and sand. If you leave the grit and sand in the base of the rug it acts like sandpaper and the sharp edges wear at the very base of the fibres as you walk on the rug, this greatly shortens it's life. The rug pile hides these soils, and your rug may not even look that dirty, but the dry soils and grit will be deep in the base. That's why it's recommended you clean, or at least professionally dust your rug every eighteen months to two years. Once we've vacuumed your rug we'll then "dust" your rug to remove that grit and sand.

How do we "dust" your rug? We use the latest machinery that simulates how rugs used to be cleaned. Rugs were often hung over a washing line and the back beaten with a stick or leather belt strap, which produced clouds of dust that just blew away. In our workshop, your rug is fed face down through "the duster", where a spinning bar with leather straps attached beats the backing of the rug. We control the speed of the beating to cause harmonic vibrations, which make the dry soils and grit to fall out of the rug. This is happening in a vacuum chamber where the fine dust is picked up from the air and filtered out, this leaves the heavier grit and sand to fall onto the enclosed tray below to be swept away. This process is repeated until we see no further grit falling out of the rug.

For more delicate rugs or rugs with much finer dust, such as plaster dust following building works, we can use our "air-dusting" process. This uses compressed air blown through a special floor tool. This airflow dislodges even the finest dust and the vacuum shroud around the wand safely picks that up and filters it into a tank. Some cleaners use air dusting, but just allow the dust to blow out into the open street. The dust is actually classed as trade waste and just allowing the dust to blow away is illegal. Our workshop is fitted with dust extraction units to capture this dust and dispose of it correctly.

By using appropriate spot cleaning solutions specifically for know stains, or the correct sequence of products if we don't know what the stain is, means there is a much higher chance of removing them. Just jumping straight in and cleaning in the hope they come out can make some stains more difficult to remove. after the general clean.

Some of our products are very specialist, and carpet cleaners who only clean the occasional rug wouldn't carry them due to their short shelf life.  However, in our busy rug spa we have a variety of those  specialist products, including Woolsafe-approved ones. Everything from food and drink spills to pet urine and ink and oily stains, we have a specific treatment to use.

Our process is like pampering your rug with a spa experience.
True immersion rug cleaning requires full immersion under water, not just rinsing on a floor.  We use two to three hundred litres of water and the appropriate cleaning agent to gently soften the deeply embedded soils, allowing them to lift away from the fibres AND backing.  The cleaning agent also contains what's know as 'anti-redeposition agents'.  That simply means once the dirt lifts away from the fibres, it can't resettle on the fibers again, it's suspended in the water.

The rug stays in it's spa for 15 - 60 minutes depending on the level of soiling, and we empty and refill the washtub as required.  Every rug is different and we leave it until we can see that the dry soils that are deeply embedded are soft and released from the fibers.  Then it's onto the next step.

The washing section of our rug cleaning process has four rotary brushes that play a crucial role in a proper cleaning process. These brushes are deliberately counter rotiating, unlike when cleaning a rug on the floor in a wash pit using a single rotary machine.

The benefit of having four counter rotating brushes is that they provide thorough and even coverage across the entire surface of the rug, ensuring that the cleaning solutions is gently scrubbed into all sides of the fibre, not just from one direction.   This also helps lift the pile, rather than just pushing it flat.

Additionally, the pressure adjustment feature allows for customization according to the type and condition of the rug being cleaned. This ensures that even delicate rugs can be cleaned effectively without causing damage.

Moreover, the speed control feature enables the operator to adjust the feed speed. This flexibility allows for optimal cleaning performance on different types of rugs, ranging from delicate lightly soiled, to the toughest heavily soiled ones.  By adjusting the speed, the operator can achieve the desired level of cleaning intensity while maintaining the integrity of the rug fibers.

A crucial step is next, thorough rinsing. 

Using soft pressure washing to thoroughly rinse your washed rugs has several benefits.  It's a gentle yet effective way to thoroughly rinse the rug, as the flushing effect ensures that any remaining soils, residues, or contaminants are efficiently flushed away.

Using two opposing facing jets and a soft rubber squeegee between the two  jets squeezes further improves the rinsing.  The squeegee pushes the rinse water out and away from the rug as it is rolled up on the rear of the machine.

Because we can adjust the feed speed, we can rung the rug through at the crrect spped to ensure everything is flushed out.

The only thing left in the rolled-up rug is fresh, clean water, and the next step will remove around 93% of that...

Centrifuges are the most efficient, and often safest ways of removing the rinse water from rugs.  By removing excess moisture quickly and effectively, the centrifuge helps prevent the growth of mold and mildew on the rug. This is especially important for tufted rugs with a latex backing, or those made of natural fibers.

Traditional drying methods such as air-drying or using heat can sometimes lead to shrinkage, distortion, or color bleeding in rugs. However, using a centrifuge minimizes the risk of such damage, preserving the quality and appearance of the rug.

Even delicate rugs can be safely and effectively dried.  We've invested in the best equipment to do the job properly, this means our centrifuges are ALL fully digitally controlled.  We can adjust the spin speed, the length of spin, and even reverse spin the rug dependent on the rug type.

When your rug is removed from the centrifuge it's ready for the next step, grooming and inspection.

Correct grooming and inspection of rugs after cleaning and before hanging to dry are essential steps in the rug cleaning process for several reasons.

Firstly, grooming involves brushing or combing the rug fibers to realign them and restore their natural appearance. This helps to prevent matting, tangling, or uneven texture in the rug. Proper grooming ensures that the rug looks uniform and well-maintained, enhancing its overall aesthetic appeal.
By conducting a thorough inspection, we can identify any areas that may need additional cleaning before the rug is dried. This ensures that the rug is returned to the customer in the best possible condition.

If we find anything  in the insection stage we reprocess the rug before drying.  This is critical as allowing some stains to dry will mean they may not be removed, when they perhaps could have been.  It's an attention to detail that only a dedicated rug spa facility can offer you.

Some stains, such as pet urine, turmeric and other 'dye' type stains are treated again now, and we'll use specialist  Ultra Violet 'UV' technology on them if required.  This can include leaving the UV lights targeting the areas overnight whilst the rug dries and the UV can 'do it's thing', again something only specialist rug spas will have the facilities to do safely.

If your rug has natural vegetable dyes, or the colours are not fully colourfast, we would have identified that in the inspection stage and pre-treated with a dye stabiliser prior to cleaning.  In some instances even this pre treatment isn't 100% effective and there can occasionally be some normal colour migration.   It's know in the industry as "a bleeder".  Our inspection now means if there has been any colour migration we can treat it now, BEFORE it dries and becomes more difficult to treat.  We use specialist products to correct any colour migration, and no harm is done to the rug, and it can then be dried safely. 

Temperature and humidity-controlled drying of rugs is crucial once they have been spun and hung to dry, for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, controlling the temperature helps to prevent damage to the rug fibers. Excessive heat can cause shrinkage and distortion due to uneven drying.   Equally, too low a temperatures may prolong the drying process and lead to stretching or mould and mildew formation, especially in tufted latex back rugs. By maintaining an optimal temperature, rugs can dry efficiently without risking damage to their integrity.

Secondly, humidity control is essential to prevent the growth of mould and mildew on the damp rugs. High humidity levels create a environment where mould and mildew spores thrive, leading to unpleasant odours and potential health hazards.  Conversely, low humidity levels can lead to excessive drying and brittleness of the rug fibers. By regulating humidity levels in a drying room, rugs can dry in a controlled environment that minimizes the risks of damage to virtually zero.

Even after all the work done there will still be some small fibres left on the rug, so we thoroughly vacuum your rug on our final inspection and finishing table.

Your rug travels back and forth on the conveyor bed of the machine through a vacuum chamber with a soft bristled rotating brush.  This not only helps remove the last bits of 'fluff', it also helps ensure the pile is not fully brushed in the correct direction and nap of the rug.  At this stage we give your rug a very light mist of fragrance, which will ensure your rug smells amazing when it's back on your floor.  

As the rug returns from under the vacuum and brushes it rolls up, where we carefully pack it in the appropriate wrapping.  We can pack it for return directly to you, for transportation to somewhere else, or, for long term storage.  Just let us know your plans for the rug when you drop off or we collect.