Frequently Asked Questions

We clean  rugs from all around the world.  Wool, silk, cotton, linen, viscose, jute, sisal, acrylic, polyester/synthetic rugs.  Hand knotted, hand and machine woven,  loomed,  flat weave or kilim,  tufted, shag, braided, hooked, chainstitch embroidered, tribal, and animal hides.  We also specialize in cleaning and correcting prior cleaning damage on fine upholstered items.  We do not clean wall to wall carpet, but have a very dependable recommendation for this service - please ask. 

Mike and Diane Rudolph have been in the furnishings and textile service industry since 1995.   Cleaning and restoration of leather, wood, fabric furnishings, upholstery and rug cleaning.  Diane Rudolph heads up our rug division.  We are an ARCS member in good standing, with industry certifications from IICRC in upholstery, carpet, and oriental rug cleaning, IICRC training in odor remediation, and restorative airbrush dyeing and colorist certification.  We make it a point to travel around the country for seminars and training on the newest products, techniques and cleaning equipment.   Oriental rug and textile restoration is our passion.  It is a lifetime learning process.  You can trust that we have the necessary training, experience, and most importantly, the love for what we do.  We are  very dedicated to the care and preservation of fine textiles, antiques, and woven art.  

Hand knotted rugs possess certain inherent characteristics which aid in their uniqueness. Color variations in the field and or border, known as abrash, are a beautiful example of such a characteristic. The term abrash, from the Arabic word for mottled, is typically used to denote color changes or striations running horizontally across the face of a rug. These color changes will appear within the same color ie., a light blue field may have striations of darker blue. However, abrash can also refer to a more general variation of color throughout a certain field of color causing the area to have a mottled appearance. Abrash results from variations in the dyeing process. Most commonly, different dye lots may not result in a perfect match, particularly if small dye batches are used. The weaver runs out of one batch and restarts with another which may result in a shade difference. Differences within the same dye lot are also possible. Variations in the yarn density and twist, especially with hand spun yarns, allow for different absorption rates of dyes. In addition, the time spent in the dye bath may also affect absorption rates since the yarns on the outside of the skein will absorb color faster than the yarns on the inside of the skein. Occasionally, abrash may appear more apparent following a professional cleaning. Sometimes the true colors are obscured by soiling, and often the rug owner will very closely inspect the rug noticing slight variations which were pre-existing, but have long been forgotten. Although some may prefer consistent and precise coloring in their rugs, abrash is often prized as a beautiful characteristic of an oriental or hand made rug.   Many machine made rugs often incorporate abrash in their designs to enhance their appeal. It is often discussed in the rug community how much of abrash is an “accident” of the dye process or how much is intentional by the weaver. The question only adds to the mystique of oriental rugs.  Source:  ARCS. Association of Rug Care Specialists

For a standard wash, from the time we receive your rug until the wash process is complete will be approximately 5-10 working days.  For rugs with unstable dyes, pre existing dye bleed, mildew issues, repair needs, heavy staining, urine contamination, or antique rugs, this process can take longer.  We ask that you allow us the necessary time to give your items the personal attention they deserve.  If you have an upcoming event or need a faster turnaround time,  please make us aware when dropping off, or at the time we schedule your pickup.  We will work with your schedule.  

Our full submersion rug wash is very different than a top down rug cleaning (carpet wand cleaning). Because of the very thorough nature of this type of cleaning, there are careful steps and precautions to follow to ensure that no damage is done to the rug.  When a rug is washed incorrectly, shape distortion, ripples, shrinkage/stretching, fiber damage, texture/pile distortion, and mildew/odor are just some of the problems that can occur.  When your rug cleaner picks up your items, ask them about their process.  How do they thoroughly rinse, and then extract and dry your rug? Besides dusting method, these are two very important questions to ask.   Rugs that are not rinsed properly or not dried fast enough, (especially thick pile rugs) will harbor odors and residue.  The submersion rug cleaning process is our specialty.  

We do offer a surface cleaning package as well, on many rug types.   This more economical package includes our multi method dusting process which removes the impacted dry soil in the rug's foundation prior to cleaning.    Hand washing and/or dry cleaning for certain delicates are two other options.  We carefully and very thoroughly dust these items, hand clean, and then use alternate safe methods to dry them quickly and safely.  We take all of the proper precautions to ensure the safety of your treasured items.

There are always risks involved when attempting to clean or restore certain types of rugs.  The extent to which your rug will succumb to any of these risks will depend on the extent of the existing damage or odor.  We take care to preinspect every rug thoroughly before our process begins.  Pet urine deposits, residual previous cleaning products, and home stain removers can cause discoloration and destabilize dyes.  This can often go unnoticed until bleed occurs during an otherwise "safe" cleaning process.  We do our best to manage all of these risks and provide you with the deepest, safest professional cleaning possible.