Principles of Professional Rug Cleaning

Identifying and cleaning area rugs is both an art and science. New types and construction of rugs brought into the market require rug cleaners to stay abreast of changes in the industry.

Rug cleaning principles provide guidelines for simplifying what can be detailed and complex procedures. These procedures require knowledge, training, and experience. Which may change the approach to cleaning an individual rug based on fiber content, construction, and pre-existing conditions. Area rug cleaners should use professional judgement to determine the best cleaning process.

Fibers and dyes
Rugs can be made from almost any fiber, however, traditionally, the primary face yarn in hand-knotted rugs is wool, with cotton being the common foundation fiber. Machine-made rugs, whether woven or tufted, may employ natural or synthetic face yarns with backing systems, which often contain cotton, jute, or polypropylene yarns. When inspecting rugs, cleaners should determine if a rug is made with natural (i.e., protein, cellulose), man-made (i.e., rayon) , or synthetic fibers: or a combination thereof. Reading labels, which present, or performing fiber identification tests (e.g., chemical, burn, or microscopic) can help determine fiber content. Cleaners should select appropriate cleaning agents and methods to clean any rug.

Protein fibers (e.g., wool and silk) can bleed or degrade in the presence of high alkalinity, and wool can felt when subjected to aggressive agitation. Chlorine bleach will completely dissolve wool and silk; reducing or oxidizing agents can cause color loss or color change.

Cellulosic, or plant-based fibers, include seed fibers, such as cotton; bast fibers, such as linen, jute, ramie, and hemp; leaf fibers, such as sisal, abaca, and sea grass; or fruit fibers, such as coir and pina. Cellulosic fibers can shrink or brown when exposed to water.

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