Bears need love too

Here at At of Clean we don't just clean rugs and carpets. Every now and then, we're called upon to help a scruffy bear in need. This particular chap (I'm going to called him Geoff), Geoff, came to us with a case of dulling and drabness. He'd been knocking around the house for some time and more often than not, found himself lying on the floor of the little girl's bedroom, sunbathing and generally accumulating dust and muck. So, in stepped Art of Clean.

Please don't be horrified by the plastic bag, that's a professional thing.

Other cuddly entities that have graced us with their presence have gone on to live happy and fruitful lives as toys for second and even third generation children. 

Now, as you might imagine, cleaning a bear is a delicate process. It's not like we can just bung him or her in the washing machine and let the 'spin' cycle do all the work. No and on this occasion, Geoff required the full treatment. I'm talking shampoo, conditioner, bath bombs, a few bars of soap and a good scrubbing, but, I think you'll agree, he's come up good again.

He even smells nice too. 

So, if you're in the market for a rug or carpet cleaning, don't forget, there may well be a scruffy bear, a dirty cat, or a wrinkled dog lying around, in need of our spa services. 

Call the Professionals.

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

Benefits of rug protection

In this short video Anthea Turner demonstrates the benefits of carpet protection for repelling spills.

Unfortunately Anthea wasn't available to give us a demo for our rug protection , however it works to just the same effect, so take a look and see the remarkable beading effect that occurs when fluid is spilt on a protected carpet/rug....

For the finest rugs you need to employ the finest, qualified and educated rug cleaners.  Art of clean are proud to be the only registered Master Rug Cleaners in Cambridge.  If you would like some more information about our professional rug cleaning services please contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or visit www.artofclean.co.uk.

We are a professional cleaning company who specialise in Carpet Cleaning, Rug Cleaning, Hardwood Floor Cleaning, Stone floor Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning and Leather Furniture Cleaning for domestic and commercial clients through out Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

Short video - Pierre explains how a hand made Persian rug professionally cleaned

At Art of Clean headquarters in Chittering, Cambridge, we have the rug cleaning workshop.  This houses our state of the art equipment including rug centrifuge - the only one in the region!

We are a professional cleaning company who specialise in Carpet, Rug, Hardwood floor, Stone floor, Upholstery and Leather cleaning for domestic an commercial clients.

 For more information about our services contact the team on 01223 863632 or at www.artofclean.co.uk to find out more.

Art of Clean rug cleaning Cambridgeshire UK

How do you know if your rug is antique?

An antique rug can be a beautiful, eye catching accessory to your home.  A practical piece of art that welcomes visitors to your home whilst protecting the floor below.  Once only available to the wealthy, antique rugs have in more recent years become available to a broader spectrum of consumers.   When buying an antique rug, like with all art, you are making a financial investment.

But how can you be sure of you are investing wisely?

Aesthetic appeal and quality greatly define the rugs worth, and will possibly be the primary connection you make with the item as you consider its potential in your home.  However the age of a rug is the indicator of its antiquity.  And this definition as Antique makes a significant difference to the value.

What is the defining age of an old rug before it transcend to the status of antique?

Principally, it is very difficult to determine the exact year the rug was made, so only a rough ageing is determined.  But with in-depth knowledge of the history of rug making a trained professional calculate an estimated date of production by the type, colour, size and style.  Like a wine connoisseur, a rug expert can “read” the rug: where the rug was woven, the language or dialect of the weaver, and often her religion. Generally, antique status is given to a rug that is determined to be over 100 years old.

When buying your rug it would be wise to perform some research to educate yourself on some of the key points in rug making history so that you can be prepared to question the seller on details about the rug, allowing you to make your own informed decision on your investment.

Art of clean is proud to be the only Mater Rug Cleaners in Cambridge, one of only 14 companies in the UK.  If you would like some more information about our rug cleaning service please contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or visit www.artofclean.co.uk.

Rug Storage

The biggest dangers for rugs placed into long-term storage are BUGS, FLOODS, and THUGS.

Insect damage, flood or mildew damage, and theft are the most common problems we hear from clients who have placed rugs in a local storage unit or placed in a far corner of a closet or garage.  Many times rugs with high appraised or sentimental value are placed in storage to save them for family members, or to save them from a remodel mess, or to protect them from the summer sunlight.  You want to make sure you are not actually causing damage by incorporating the wrong storage procedures.

Safe Storage Tips

• DO clean and moth-repel rugs before wrapping for storage. You must clean your rugs of food and liquid material because though moths are normally the storage “bad guys” – ANY insect will eat sugars and other food spills, and they will eat the wool fibers that are holding this meal for them too.  An insect repellant will make your rug unappetizing to moths but you must wash the rug thoroughly first to ensure it is protected.

Prevent moth and carpet beetle damage through regular rug washing.

Moths! Wool is eaten, but the white cotton foundation fibers remain.

• DO roll your rugs starting at the bottom end to the top end, fuzzy side inside. To find the bottom end of your rug, you want to “pet” your rug to determine when you are going WITH the nap, and AGAINST the nap.  When you run your hand WITH the nap, it will take you to the tassels of the bottom of the rug (where the weaver began weaving your rug).  Roll from this end. Folding rugs causes cracking over time, so do not fold rugs being put in storage.

• DO roll your SILK rugs with the fuzzy side outside. Wool and cotton rugs have more “give” to them than silk rugs, so when placing silk rugs into storage, roll them with their fuzzy silk side outside. This creates less strain to the foundation fibers over time.

• DO wrap your rugs in TYVEK or brown acid-free PAPER. Wool has a moisture content even when it is dry, so changes in heat can cause it to “sweat.”  Because of this you should NEVER wrap wool rugs in plastic or you will create a potential mildew problem.  Tyvek Paper is best (tear and water resistant).

Properly wrap rugs for storage.

• DO elevate your rug packages off of the ground. Many storage facilities are built in lowlands that have a tendency to flood during bad weather, so whether in your home or their location you always want to keep rugs at least six inches off the ground in case flooding occurs.

• DO make certain nothing heavy is stacked on top of your rugs. Heavy items can cause damage to the rug’s foundation.

• DO acquire insurance to protect your rugs when placed in a storage facility. You also want a photograph and appraisal on file in case you need them.

http://blatchfords.com/blog/rug-storage/

DIY: Learn How to Make a Beautiful Braided Rug from Old Fabric

Image © Martin Labar

If you’ve ever cringed when your bare toes have come into contact with a freezing floor first thing in the morning, you can probably appreciate how much difference a rug can make to a room. As the mercury drops and frost begins to appear on windowpanes, having an extra layer of insulation on the floor can make a world of difference to your comfort level, and your heating bills. Here’s how to put together a simple braided rag rug—if you have basic braiding and hand-sewing skills, you can probably make this in a single weekend.

com

Image © Author

What You’ll Need:

• Long strips of fabric (old sheets and curtains are ideal, and far easier to work with than t-shirt scraps sewn together to make them longer)
• Sewing scissors
• A ruler
• Pins
• Safety pins
• Sewing needle(s)
• Thread in a color that’s neutral to the fabrics you’re working with

Braided rag rugs have been around for centuries, and with good cause: they’re an ideal use of upcycled fabric, and they’re so sturdy that they can last a really long time. Since you’ll likely be staring at yours for years to come, it’s important to use colors that you won’t mind staring at for the next few decades. You may be completely enamored by rainbows now, but you might not have the same passion for them down the line, so it may be best to either go with more neutral shades, or at the very least, a monochromatic palette.

You can often find some great deals on cloth at large fabric stores: if they only have a yard or two of a particular fabric left, they’ll often mark it down like crazy, and you can score some beautiful colors at 1/2 to 1/4 their original price. If you’re in love with a particular cloth, but they only have a single yard of it, get it anyway! You can sew the cut strips end-to-end to make one long one, and it’ll add a lovely vibrance to the carpet you’re creating.

Where Will It Go?

While you’re in the planning stages for your rug, think about where you’re going to place it. Its final resting place won’t just determine the colors you’ll want to use, but also its size and shape. If this is going in the kitchen, you might like a rectangular piece that’s just large enough to stand on when you’re at the stove or sink. If it’s for a child’s bedroom, maybe a round or oval shape would be preferable, so it can take up a significant amount of space in the room without interfering with furniture placement.

Image © Author

How to Create the Rug

Take a sharp pair of scissors and cut your fabric into long strips. Try to ensure that they’re of equal width and length, but if there are slight deviations, don’t worry about it. One of the easiest ways to do this is to take a ruler and cut little notches every inch or so along one edge of your fabric. If you have any loose strands fuzzing along the edges of your strips, just cut them away as you come across them. Once you have a nice, big pile of fabric strips, roll them into three equal-sized balls. To make very long, continuous strands, all you have to do is overlap ends and use a needle and thread to sew them together.

Image © Author

Now, grab an end from each of the three balls, overlap them, and sew them together. Take a safety pin and pin this edge to a couch, curtain, or other sturdy fabric item that you can use to secure it as you work. Keep the wound balls fairly close together (keeping them in a box on the floor seems to work), and braid the strips together, moving backward a bit as you work. As the braid gets longer, you can re-pin it to the base again and again so you don’t have to back out through your house and down the street to get it all done.

*Note: If you’re making a square or rectangular rug, you can just make a bunch of braids that are the same length, so all you have to do is sew them together side-by-side. For oval or circular rugs, you’ll need a very long, continuous braid so you can coil it.

Image © Author

Time to Sew!

As mentioned, if you’re putting together a square or rectangle, you can just lay the braids side-by-side, pin them together, and then use a needle and thread to sew them together. For a round or oval rug, coil the end of the braid so it looks like a snail shell, pin that together and sew it to keep it all in place, and then just keep coiling and pinning, and then use that needle and thread to sew all the coils together. Tuck the last bit under the rug to stitch it in place, and you’re done! You now have a gorgeous, sturdy, upcycled rug that’ll keep your hooves warm for years to come.

http://inhabitat.com/diy-learn-how-to-make-a-beautiful-braided-rug-from-old-fabric/

Art of Clean at Temple Newsam in Leeds - Rugs

We visited Temple Newsam and it was a great experience. Leeds City Council bought it from Lord Halifax in 1922.

We saw some beautiful rugs,paintings and tapestries.

Amazing needle work armchair that is made from colored wools and silk with panels showing biblical scenes.

It is amazing to look at real old items like this and wonder... how did they keep it clean so many years ago... They must have done a great job as we have the privilage of still visiting places like Temple Newsam and admire these items.

Many of them show their age but I am asure a lot of the things we fill our houses with these days wil not stand the test of time as these items have done.

Key to achieving this is the teams of people that take care of these places.

We had the pleasure of meeting the team at Temple Newsam.

It was amazing listerning to the stories they had to tell to the groups of visitors while we where there.

The Scouts and Guides clearly had a good time

Looking forward to our next visit

Rug Cleaning - Art of Clean

We cleaned one HUGE 12x16 rug last week and we wanted to share with you how much soil we removed. We use a special machine that vibrates and removes all the dried soil.

 

I have put together a short video for you to follow the whole process...

ENJOY!

Oriental Rug Cleaning Certification with Ellen Amirkhan and Aaron Groseclose

We are on training with the best rug cleaners in the world here in London at the Big Clean.
This is an amazing course where you learn different types of rugs with their country of origin, design, construction...
 

We also learn how Ellen cleans her rugs and how we need to block some types of rugs that have gone out of shape.


Tomorrow we will know more about repairing rugs.







This is all towards our Master Rug Cleaners Certification.