Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: bpb on July 17, 2007, 12:14:27 am
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Hi,
Does anybody have any advice on cleaning needlepoint rugs please?
I have been asked to clean 4 large rugs, a couple of which are over 100 years old.
Methods? Products? Charges? Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thankyou very much
BPB
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Pass them on to an experienced rug cleaner. 100 year old needlepoint rugs are not something to practice on :o
I think you are in Yorkshire so maybe you could take them to Franklins in Sheffield?
Nigel
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I don't intend practicing on them - if the recommendations are not to clean them by any method that I personnaly have then I will not clean them.
I just wondered if other people had cleaned them and if so by using what method and what products? One of the rugs has been cleaned in a washing machine - they were told by the specialist seller that this was fine. Therefore I was thinking that for me to clean by hand would be ok - but I'm not going to touch until given practical advice as to whether I should or should not.
Thankyou for the name of the co. in sheff I will look them up.
Regards
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Needlepoints are dynamite to clean. They are virtually guaranteed to go askew. (out of square)
We will care for these by:
1. get client to sign a disclaimer after inspection. They are usually out of square to begin with.
2. test for colour fastness.
3. use wool safe cleaner
4. Use tack out floor. tack down around edge of entire rug using stips of wood nailed every 2" or so. Keep streaching it out to get it square before nailing final edge.
5. put high speed fan on top for quick dry.
This is our procedure. Does anyone else on that side of the pond do these like this.
btw. not for the faint hearted. Best advise is to pass it off to an experienced expert.
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Most needle points and I understand not all change their shape due to ambient "air" and certainly change their shape when they are cleaned.
My experience is they are usually placed on top of an anti-creep mat and sometimes even double sided tape stuck down. This said make sure you bring this mat with you so that when you have the new shape textile you will have a template to block the rug back to.
I have cleaned many of these and what I have described is kind of an acceptable "cheat".
As to them being out of square. Absolutely. I dont think any of them are square. I wouldnt try to square them up for 2 reasons. 1) Its a pain in the bum to do and most important 2) you will want to bring back the rug in the shape you picked it up in. Not square if it wasnt in the first place.
If the rug was on a hard wood floor and the floor had faded around the rug (which it will have done) if you now bring a square rug instead of the diamond you took away you will have a problem that could and should have been avoided.
I have done these where they have been over 2 feet out of square and accordingly wouldnt even consider squaring it up.
Anyway, hope this makes sense.
When I block textiles I use thousands of pins. Well ok, maybe hundreds. They are over lapped to say the least a bit like the number 5 on a dice. Sorry couldnt think of another analogy. I wouldnt use wood on a textile but if something else is needed I have used aluminium door strips or similar. I find these work quite well in that they are hygrophobic and so the textile can be cleaned and or wet and there not be any risk of secondary damage.
Best, Dave.
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Thankyou all for your responses and advise.
I asked the question to somebody who is well known in carpet cleaning circles and has played important roles in both the NCCA and the IICRC and I was told - clean with HWE using products close to neutral and that will be fine!
Hmm... think i will pass back to be honest not worth risking.
Kind regards
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There isnt a risk to take but I understand what you mean. Get someone else to clean them. That way your client is happy, so is whoever cleaned them for you and you make a little for doing nothing. Everyone wins. Your advice to hwe is ok but be carefull as needlepoints dont like too much solution pressure and you can do a lot of damage, irreversible at worse. The same goes for the vac slot on the wand. This too can also cause irreversible damage.
If you just hose the rugs down and use the wand as a squeegy you will get quite a decent clean. This way will also reduce any chance of damage primarily or secondary.
Best, Dave.