What is our rug cleaning process in Cambridge?

We have been spending a few hours cleaning this lovely massive Moroccan Berber Rug in our rug cleaning plant in Cambridge. Three strong men were needed to move it!

What is our rug cleaning process?

We offer a specialist rug cleaning service in Cambrridgshire. 

We do not use any harmful cleaning products and we have a team of specialist rug cleaners who will ensure your rug  will get the best cleaning and restored to its original state.

We have a 9 steps professional rug cleaning process including:

1. Audit of your rug, to check the type of dye which has been used in your rug, to ensure there is no colour loss. And also the type of method used to weave the rug. We will also test the dye.

2. Rug Dusting – some rugs can hold up to 1 pound of dirt! So we vacuum them first. Once the pre-wash inspection is completed, the first step is dusting. Some rugs can hold up to one pound of dirt per square foot before it will "look" dirty. Cleaning a rug with pounds of fine grit and dirt in the foundation creates mud...so dusting is important. We use 2 systems for the dusting:

​- our Rug Dusting Machine will vibrate and remove the most stubborn soil and sediments caught deep in the fibres of your precious rug.

- We will also use our Air Dusting System: we have tested so many methods to remove as much of the soil as possible. The most effective way is combining vacuuming and vibrating the soil out using our rug dusting machine in combination with a very powerful but gentle air dusting system.

3. We put the rug in a special rug bath – All rugs with odour causing sources such as urine, mould, mildew, or insect infestations require decontamination.

4. Rug washing The rug will be submerged and given a cold water shampoo bath, using soft brushes for mild agitation

5. Rug rinse – Removal off all cleaning and soil residue by means of clear water rinse is vital of achieving a thoroughly clean rug.

6. Rug Centrifruge drying system – This ensures that the drying of your rug is speeded up 10 times compared to any other method used by other cleaning companies.

7. Rug protector – After the rug has been cleaned we can move on to applying the protector. This barrier coats each fibre to protect against re-soiling and staining. This allows you to simply mop up spillages as it prevents the fibre absorbing spills.

8. Rug drying – Air movers and dehumidifiers are used to help facilitate drying, without the use of high heat (so there is no worry of shrinkage).

9. Rug fringe work -  Fringes are inspected and occasionally washed an additional time.

 They are then dried. The rug is given a final grooming with a brush.

Your rug will now be as good as new!

Source: https://rugcleaningcambridgeuk.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/what-is-our-rug-cleaning-process-in.html 

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Behind the scenes in the rug cleaning business

Every now and then we take you behind the scenes. Today we show you our Gavin and his handy work. The other day we received our brand, spanking new, Cimex Cyclone Cleaner. Now, few of you will be familiar with Cimex, but for us in the rug and carpet cleaning trade, it was Christmas come early.

The three-head system allows for less slippage when cleaning and greater operational control. The Cimex website goes into more detail and before you've finished reading their site, you'll think Art of Clean bought a Ferrari, but in a way, we did. We bought a top-of-the-line rotary machine that cleans right down the the depths of your rug, loosening the in-grained dirt via a very gentle massage..and who doesn't want that?

Once cleaned, Gavin has to brush off the excess water and then roll and place your prized carpet or rug into our centrifugal spinner to remove the moisture. This is the most efficient and safest way to ensure your rug leaves the premises in the best condition it can.

Gavin will then hang your rug in our drying room. It will stay in our special drying room till it is completely dry.

Gavin then wraps the rug in plastic and it's ready to come home.

Art of Clean makes it a habit, ne, an addiction, to invest in the most up-to-date training methods (we recently completed the IICRC classes) and technology. We are constantly striving to do a better job and with this new Cimex system in place, we feel sure you'll see the benefits swiftly.

If you live in Cambridge (UK) or any of the surrounding villages (Ely, St Ives, Huntingdon, Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket, Histon, Milton, and on and on...) and you have a special rug that needs a thorough deep cleaning and a caring hand, please allow us the opportunity to restore your fine rug.

Have you ever washed your clothes and the washing machine breaks down just before the spin cycle? Then you hang-up your dripping wet clothes to dry and then, when they finally are, they're just not the same? Not so fresh? They might even have that mouldy smell?

I guess the same principle applies to your fine rug. 

It's always best to call the professionals.

Source: http://rugcleaningcambridgeuk.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/behind-scenes-in-rug-cleaning-business.html

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Pink mark appearing after cleaning this rug! What caused it?

This can happened when cleaning a rug. Everything looks normal but sometimes after the clean, some marks can be visible.

On this occasion, a pink mark appeared on the edges around the leaf pattern after the first clean.

This is caused by the back canvas the rug is made on - the pattern of the rug is drawn on with a marker - in this case pink or red. When the rug is cleaned it bleeds through.

We had to fix the color with our special magic product and we re-clean the rug. All gone!

Have a look at our rug cleaning process for this Ziglar rug that was flooded:

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Top 3 reasons why waiting to clean your fine hand made rugs can destroy their beauty and their value

* Dirt cuts into your rugs fibres like a knife: every time you walk on a dirty rug the mineral in the dirt and dust actually etch (scratch and cut) the fibres until the lustre and resiliency are worn away. (Harder materials always destroy softer material, so the more dirt in your rugs the faster they wear out and lose their beauty and value.)

Notice the “Cutting Edges” in a grain of sand magnified

 * Carpets and area rugs act like filters and trap insect, dirt, dust and bacteria in the fibres. Without proper cleaning these breed in the carpets fibres – affecting indoor air quality.


* You have to deal with pet stains right away to avoid damage and unsanitary conditions.
- Pet urine and vomit goes HOT and ACIDIC, so it penetrates the rug fibres completely.
- Because hand made rug dyes are “acidic dyes” this means the pet urine essentially “Re-Dyes the fibres yellow and then sets itself.
- If this is NOT dealt with immediately, stains can be permanent.

NB: Repeated urine contamination not only devalues the rug, it is also a health concern for the indoor living environment of your home or office.

Spot cleaning and stain removal on rugs

Rug cleaning in Cambridge - Art of Clean 

Dry Spills

Sweeping is usually the most effective

Wet Spills

Whatever you do, do it quickly. The longer a liquid remains on the rug, the more likely it is to seep into the pile and stain your beautiful rug.
Do not rub - blot with paper towels then dilute the remainder with cold water and continue blotting until the spill is no longer visible. If any traces remain, a small amount of a mild wool detergent may be used. Try to not increase the area of the spill.

Pet Urine

Pet urine can create severe problems. It can cause the colours to run and create a smell that is very hard to eradicate. Quite apart from making a rug more attractive to moths.
Persistent wetting can affect the foundation of a rug by weakening it to such an extent that the rug can actually crack or break.
Act quickly: Blot up as much liquid as possible with paper towels or a clean cloth. Try to rinse out as much of the spill as possible. Adding a cup of vinegar to a gallon of water can help to reduce the smell!

Spot Cleaning

Rinse the rug thoroughly without soaking it, then blot dry before using a non-shedding sponge or cloth to work rug shampoo (or a mixture of 1/4 cup of white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of liquid dish-washing detergent and 2 cups of tepid water) into the area.
The rinse again with clean water, blot dry and allow to dry thoroughly. Ensure both sides of the rug are completely dry before putting it back into service. Draping the wet rug over a couple of chairs, or similar, will allow the air to circulate all the way round and improve drying.

Remember: With rugs, always work in the direction of the nap.

Crushed Pile

Pile crushed by the legs of heavy furniture or similar can be teased out: brush the indented area with a soft brush, gently moisten the area (a plant spray is ideal) do some more gentle brushing.

Curled Corners or Edges

Curled edges or corners are often a result of the way a rug is woven - most can be eliminated, or at least minimised with careful laying out or in some cases bloked in shape when cleaned or in severe cases the rug will require a repair.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Why you need to choose professional rug cleaners for your rugs

Cleaning a rug professionally and without causing damage takes some training. The method is very complicated, and a great amount of machinery and space is needed - that’s why we are the only professional rug cleaning plant in Cambridge.

Most carpet cleaners will state that they can clean rugs and they do this by either cleaning the rug with a carpet cleaning machine or by farming them out to professional rug cleaning plants such as Art of Clean.

There are many stages of cleaning a rug, and our rug cleaning technicians have undergone several training courses to enable them to be able to clean rugs properly.

1- Some rugs can hold up to one pound of dirt per square foot before they look dirty, so dusting the rug before submersion is very important. We complete the removal of dirt by vacuuming the rug, then by using a vibrating machine system, which gently beats the rug, releasing all of the tiny bits of dirt. If the soil is left in rug then it will wear out more quickly.

2- Dye testing is done to determinate the stability of the dyes used in your rug. Most fibres are dyed using a mordant process, which is a chemical reaction that binds the dye to the fibres. If the dyes are not stable, they will bleed as soon as they get wet (one unstable colour can ruin an entire rug!!) Unfortunately there is no way to know if the dyes in your rug are stable unless we individually test them. Every hand made rug is unique and the dyes used in an individual rug are unique too. These dyes can be natural dyes, man-made synthetics or a combination of both.

Natural dyes: Until the late nineteenth century only natural dyes were used for colouring wearing yarns. Natural dyes include plant dye (come from roots, flowers, fruit…), animal dyes (come from animal sources that include insects) and mineral dyes - come from ochre (yellow, brown, red), limestone or lime (white).

Synthetic dyes: In the mid-nineteenth century, as the demand for handmade rugs increased in the West, their production increased in the East. The need for easy-to-use and less expensive dyes with wider ranges of colours caused the development of synthetic dyes in Europe. Synthetic dyes were imported to Persia (Iran), Anatolia (Turkey) and other countries. Colour testing is a very time consuming process and an absolutely necessary part before the wash process.
 
3- The next process is to decontaminate the rugs if it has been contaminated with mildew, urine, mould or insect infestations. We do this by submersing the rug into a decontamination of rugs, however this will not always 100% remove the smell from your rug.

4- The rug will be submerged and given a cold water shampoo bath, using soft brushes for mild agitation. The rug is soaked depending on how much surface soil needs to be worked out and rinsed from the rug’s fibres.

Removal of all cleaning and soil residue by means of clear water rinse is vital of achieving a thoroughly clean rug. The rinse process utilises clear water at a gentle flow rate to ensure the rug is left without any residue after the cleaning process.

5- At this point we use a rug centrifuge extraction system, this speeds up the drying time by 10 times compared to other methods, eliminating mould growth, colour run, browning and other issues associated with sloppy wet rugs taking weeks to dry. We are the only company in Cambridge with this system.

After the cleaning process has taken place we then protect the rug by spraying the rug and combing it through the fibres, this will prevent any further spills from being absorbed into your rug.

6- Finally we leave the rug to dry using humidifiers and air movers, this is a nice gentle drying process which reduces the amount of shrinkage. But we always take care not to overlap rugs within the drying process as it causes damage to the rugs.

So you can see from this article that knowing how to properly clean rug takes some knowledge, machinery and space.


Feel free to ahve a look at our website on persian rug cleaning and our main website: www.artofclean.co.uk

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

My rug has got colours change throughout? Has it been bleached? What is it?

What is abrash? It is when colours change in horizontal bands throughout the rugs. A band of light pink, for instance, may lie between larger areas of dark pink. The colour-variation is called abrash.

Most often abrash is caused by variation in dye lots and often happened when the rug is woven in relatively primitive conditions. It can also be that the wool absorbs dye a little differently.

The light pink on the picture may result from a batch of loosely spun wool that absorbed less dye.

We sometimes get rugs that are so dirty that it is not possible to see the abrash. After the clean, the dirt is removed and you can see the lines of colours very clearly. 

If you are not sure if this is abrash or not, you just need to check the back of the rug and if you also see the colour variation at the back, then this is definitely abrash.

Moth eating your rugs?

How to treat moth infested oriental rugs?... We use a safe method of carefully freezing the rugs to -15 at our Cambridge rug cleaning plant.

Rug Cleaning Services Cambridge

At Art of Clean we have been cleaning an extraordinary amount of rugs at our rug cleaning plant in Cambridge.  Marty Johnson our rug cleaning technician ensures that all rugs that are brought into the plant are properly cared for during their stay.  

We have a huge variety of different rugs given to us to clean, this week we had a beautiful white and coloured rug which needed cleaning. It’s always a pleasure to see a dull and discoloured rug brought back to life with a good clean. It takes between 10 and 14 days to clean and return a rug to its owner.

For more details about our Fine Rug cleaning plant please visit http://www.persianrugcleaningcambridge.co.uk/

Urine contamination in Oriental and fine rugs

The combination of pets plus beautiful soft furnishings can sometimes equal disaster, especially if your fury friend has the occasional accident. At our rug cleaning plant in Cambridge we recently received a rug that had been saturated with urine. However before bringing it to us the customer has tried every different type of cleaner from her cleaning cupboard and unfortunately by the time she brought the rug into our rug cleaning plant in Cambridge, the colours had started to migrate, this is when the dark and light colours mix together.

Urine contains urea, creatine, uric acid, carbohydrates, enzymes, fatty acids, hormones, sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium and ammonia, so as you can imagine this can be a bit of a potent mix, especially when it hits your precious rug. After a while this mix will start to develop bacteria, and it’s this bacteria which if left will cause the true damage to your fine rugs, this type of damage is usually irreversible, so it is imperative to act quickly. Above and below are photos where the colours of this beautiful rug have run.

So here is some advice on what to do if your pet has an accident on one of your fine rugs or soft furnishings…

You will need to dilute the urine and remove it as soon as possible. To do this you will need to follow these instructions:
Make a 10% mix of white vinegar and tap water – AOC Spot remover
Cotton towel – preferably white
You aim to pour down double the Vinegar and water solution compared to the urine –
If it is a small dog approximately 50- 100 ml of urine – for bigger dogs 200 – 400 ml
So pour down double – 200 ml of urine means 400 ml of solution

First of all pour the solution onto the polluted area, and use an old cotton towel to soak it up – repeat the process until you have absorbed all of the urine. Change the towel if/when required. If you do this quickly enough you will not be left with a yellow stain. Use a weak detergent solution safe for carpets, such as the AOC Spot remover and gently dab the area and towel dry. Do not rub the rug or carpet as you will destroy the pile. Rather press down firmly on the stain – you can even stand on the towel on the carpet, or leave books on top of the towel to totally absorb the liquid.
Once you have absorbed all of the liquid open some doors and windows to encourage air movement and let it dry.

If in doubt give Art of Clean a call and we will be able to advise you on the best method.

Another successful rug training course in Cambridge at our premises

We show professional cleaners how we clean rugs at Art of Clean and most of all what can go wrong if the oriental or antique rug is left to someone who doesn't know how to properly care and restore fine rugs.
Here at Art of Clean in Cambridge, we use the most advanced dusting Technics. It has to be done properly before any cleaning can start:

See how much dust has been removed from this Chinese rug at our rug cleaning plant in Cambridge!



We will not submerge your rug before we properly inspect and dust it!



Spot cleaning, pet urine contamination, rug shrinkage… so many things can go wrong! There is a lot to know about rug cleaning in Cambridge so if you have any questions, we will love to help! Call us on 01223 863632. See more by clicking this link Art of Clean.

Our rug cleaning service

We offer a specialist Persian rug cleaning service, we do not use any harmful cleaning products and we have a team of specialist rug cleaners who will ensure your rug doesn’t loose its original colour and is restored to its original state.

We have a 9-step professional rug cleaning process including:
1. Audit of your rug, to check the type of dye which has been used in your rug, to ensure there is no colour loss. And also the type of method used to weave the rug.
2. Rug Dusting – some rugs can hold up to 1 pound of dirt! So we vacuum them first.
3. We put the rug in a special rug bath – All rugs with odour causing sources such as urine, mould, mildew, or insect infestations require decontamination.
4. Rug washing The rug will be submerged and given a cold water shampoo bath, using soft brushes for mild agitation
5. Rug rinse – Removal off all cleaning and soil residue by means of clear water rinse is vital of achieving a thoroughly clean rug.
6. Rug Centrifruge drying system – This ensures that the drying of your rug is speeded up 10 times compared to any other method used by other cleaning companies.
7. Rug protector – After the rug has been cleaned we can move on to applying the protector. This barrier coats each fibre to protect against re-soiling and staining. This allows you to simply mop up spillages as it prevents the fibre absorbing spills.
8. Rug drying – Air movers and dehumidifiers are used to help facilitate drying, without the use of high heat (so there is no worry of shrinkage).
9. Rug fringe work and washed- Fringes are inspected and occasionally washed an additional time. They are then dried. The rug is given a final grooming with a brush.
Your rug will now be as good as new, with no loss of colour or texture.

To see it for yourselves please check out our You Tube channel.

Art of Clean
Denny Lodge Business Park, Ely Road, Chittering, Cambridge, CB25 9PH
Phone: 01223 655 656 or 0800 231 6116
Email: info@artofclean.co.uk
http://www.artofclean.co.uk/

Pierre and Laurence de Wet, owners of Art of Clean would like to give you some rug care tips, to help you keep your rugs looking great for longer.

Vacuuming your rug is the best thing you can do. If you have pets and children, this could mean as often as twice a week. Think of all the dust that settles daily on to your hard floors… that same dust settles on your rugs and needs to be removed, otherwise it works its way into the fibres and causes damage you cannot correct.

However, you do not want to overly “brush” these fibers so the best tool to use is an upright HEPA-filter vacuum cleaner and just run it over the top of the rug fibres. Vacuum WITH and not against the nap of the rug’s “fuzzy” side (the rug’s fibres are similar to your pet’s fur. Going “with” the fur causes less friction)

If a lot of dirt seems to be collecting on the rug – like on your hallway rugs – then turn these rugs good side down and also run an upright vacuum cleaner along the back (stay away from the fringe tassels or you’ll suck them up!).

This “shakes” the dirt out of the base of the rug’s foundation and then you can flip the rug over and vacuum away all the dust, dirt, allergens, mould spores, bacteria, and other “unmentionables” that have been brought into your home by lots of shoes, feet and paws.

You should also wash your rug, some require washing as often as every year.

Remember you must deal with pet stains right away to avoid damage, permanent staining and unsanitary conditions.
- Pet urine and vomit is HOT and ACIDIC, so it penetrates the rug fibres completely. Because hand made rug dyes have “acidic dyes” this means the pet urine essentially permanently “re-dyes” the fibres yellow.

Building a Drying Room for drying clean rugs faster

With winter upon us - we decided to build a specialised drying room for our rug cleaning division. This will enable a much shorter turn around time for rugs to be cleaned.

Our rug cleaning plant currently offers a turn around time of between 2 - 3 weeks. With this special drying room we will be able to turn rugs around in between 1 - 2 weeks - even in the winter.

We have called in the help of Guy-Noel – Laurence’s father from France.

Here are some pictures of what we have done in the past 2 days.

Rug Cleaning on Saturday.

We had such a busy day yesterday. We had to deal with a few rugs that was in desperate need of some urgent TLC.

Some of the rugs needed to be cleaned due to urine contamination. This was done by fully immersing the rug into our rug cleaning pool and using Purified water to rinse the contamination out. This process can take several hours.

Here are some photos of the process.