Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Joe H on July 11, 2008, 08:04:44 pm
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Collected this rug to clean - its a chineese rug 5' diameter but has brown speckle marks all over it.
I suspect it has been cleaned before but owner not coughing up to that.
any ideas what the speckles could be and how to get rid of if possible.
one photo taken with flash, the darker one without flash.
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Does the discolouration extend a fair way down the tufts or is it confined to just the tips?
Bit difficult to get a feel for it from the pics unfortunately :(
The size of area covered and the shape of the spots doesn't seem to be consistent with dog pee or even a drink spill, weird.
I suppose it may have been a cup of tea that was dropped and landed the right way up and just splattered out in all directions, but normally there's a puddle at the epicentre of the splashes.
Do you think they have put something on it but lied to you? Sounds a bit suss, I'd drop it like a hot potato if their prime concern is getting rid of these marks.
Have they given you any idea of how the marks got there or just said they haven't got a clue? It's very rare that they don't have any clue whatsoever, normally they can tell you exactly what it was and how it happened.
What location had the rug been used in?
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I see this often Joe, it may be tea or coffee they have dripped whilst walking with an overflowing cup, usually a nightmare to remove fully ???
Mark
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The owner has about 5 chineese rugs, the largest being about 12' x 9'
He has given me 2 - to try me out! The other is a 7' x 5' and not too bad.
This circular one - I dont know what position it has been. It was folded on the floor in a bedrom but I there was not enough room there for a 5' circular.
I did ask did he know what it was but nothing positive came forth.
I did inform him that a he didnt know what it was it might be difficult to remove.
I then told him I advertise "stain treatment" not stain removal as not all stains can be removed.
He accepted that, and said he wouldnt worry too much if they did not come out - "try your best"
Jim, the browning only goes about 1 mm down the tufts.
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Joe
I bought one of those a couple of years ago out of the classifieds for about £25
used to clean it with blitz every 6 weeks due to kids came up a treat even though the colors did eventually fade .
never could get rid of the odd spots like yours .
Neil
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Joe
You might find just MS will shift it, or I use a rug spotter by Ashby's.
You may hit trouble with POG or citrus gel though.
If you can see it's knotted on the back it would be an ideal rug to try immersion cleaning. Do you have softish water where you are?
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Hi Mike
Yes, soft water area.
Shot of the back of carpet
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Joe
That's fine.
Bear in mind it will take 24hrs to dry even with movers. Get as much moisture out as poss before drying.
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Between the eyebrows, me and the Liahona we have decided (we are all in my lounge as we speak) that the spots are cause by previous cleaning and that even a saturation clean will probably not sort.
Lord Liahona's question time is now open (although I am about to post this before I tell him I am going to)
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I had in my mind it could be perhaps a previous clean but not haing seen browning thro poor drying before I was not clear, also the fact it was spotted.
Ive go the carpet for up to 2 weeks. I have no indoor cleaning facility so need good weather (I can but hope).
As I said previous, it would be good to take it back better then it is, but at end of the day maybe the best it will be is clean but with the marks still there.
Can but try.
Pete, if its your show weekend then I hope it a success for you, sure sounds like you put a lot of effort into it.
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Thanks
Bit slow today, but did pick up an interior designer :)
and I learnt just a bit from Dave ;)
Pete
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Who knows what those marks are, but it will all come out in the wash no doubt. ;D
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If it's only 1mm on the tips, trim the buggers down, job done ;)
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I will mow the grass today and just run the machine over the rug at the same time. :o
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Good idea Joe, but don't get grass stains on it. ;D
Paul
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I've heard of an easier way of keeping the grass down.
Spray beer over it............it comes up half-cut ! ;D
Seriously, I've come across that type of marking before, wondered what it was, and been spectacularly unsuccessful in doing anything about them.
Joe , I wish you well and if you have any success then do share.
Roger
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why bother cleaning it just throw it in the skip .
this one is £24.99 + £11.99 delivered if you collect it saves you a tenner.
h
ttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TRADITIONAL-CHINESE-PINK-BEIGE-RUGS-120-x-170cm-56-x-4_W0QQitemZ160132677840QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116#ebayphotohosting
Joe why not be honest with them pays off in the end
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Neil, that's not anything like the rug Joe has posted pictures of.
For a start it's rectangular.
More to the point, it's about as chinese as fish & chips, it's mis-described. It's made in Belgium...out of... wait for it....
"Berclon Polypropylene".
The pattern is copied from chinese designs.
I was really surprised at your reply, to be honest!
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Joe
I presume you told them you cannot guarantee any stain will come out, especially as they reckon theu don't know what it is. My line is- well whether they come out or not it will be clean, yeah? And see their reaction. If they don't go along with that pull away until you get agreement or walk.
We always like to please, but not at the cost of our wallet.
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Jim
I,ve seen loads of them very popular in the 80s/90s.
Not worth the time when you can pick them up for £20 to £30.
If you have penty of time on your hands and your doing it
a) because they can bear to part with it
B) The customer can,t be bothered looking in the papers
c) it,s a favour
D) you need the money and figure you can get £40 to £80 for cleaning it
fair enough ,I wouldn,t bother unless it was C
Neil
PS It is exactly the same as the rug I had even down to the fading from over cleaning with high ph and heat .
The link was just a quick example
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I did ask did he know what it was but nothing positive came forth.
I did inform him that a he didnt know what it was it might be difficult to remove.
I then told him I advertise "stain treatment" not stain removal as not all stains can be removed.
He accepted that, and said he wouldnt worry too much if they did not come out - "try your best"
Neil 47
I have been honest with him - here is my quote from last night!
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Joe thats fair enough ,
I just didnt think a rug of that sort was worth wasting time on as you can get large rugs from trago for £30.
But if they want to pay thats up to them .
Neil
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Neil theres copies of these rugs that you can get a lot cheaper now from Belgium and India that claim to be top quality Chinese rugs .. and if this cusotmer bought this rug in the 80s he would of payed a pretty penny for it and would a appreciate the fact youll try to restore the glory back into his prize collection of rugs and maybe he will have the other 5 rugs cleaned after seeing how this rug came up .. I wouldnt tell him to throw it away and get a cheap copy to replace it thats for sure.
Ive came across marks(stains) like that before , it looks to me the customer may have cleaned it by scrubbing it with some sticky shampoo that has wicked up to the tips of the fiber over time. Joe You seemed of said the right thing there its a shame you didnt stick up a pic of the finish rug.
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Sorry I didnt take a phot Kane.
The rug itself came up clean, the marks lightened a bit but did not disappear, and for what h was being charged/willing to pay I was not going to do any heroics.
He was happy though, paid up for those two I did, and let me loose on a 12'x9' which is a beast to handle as it is thick (more wheatabix at breakfast needed!), if I was to saturate it I would never move it - takes me and next door neighbour to move it when dry.
Then two more to come after this.
First time I have taken rigs away and I only have a drive way to do them on. British summer is spoiling my plans - cant rely on a good day so I can clean and dry at one go.