[Johnny Czarnota]

subject explains itself

[Jim_77]

Lots of info to work on there!  Is it latex backed?  Does it have a fabric edging around it?

I would presume it is looking dirty so probably a waste of time adopting the VLM approach, which is the only "safe" way.  If I could get the customer to agree to a "fix it or bin it" approach I'd use a saturation clean the same as any other rug, but you need to make sure you won't end up being blamed if it goes wrong.  Legally if you ruin it you own it, but 99.9% of customers will accept the risk themselves if you explain it professionally enough.  You have to work it round so they tell you to clean it, so the onus is on them.  Your judgement call entirely, as you are on shaky ground in liability/legal terms

You'll either come out a hero or have to sheepishly take it back broken and hope she accepts it was a goner anyway and shrugs her shoulders.

It might lose colour, end up patchy, suffer browning, or most likely it will go wavy but you could block it.  Personally unless I was 100% confident with this sort of thing I'd leave it alone

The money has to be right as well, might be £200 worth of work depending on the size of the runner and how much work needed

[Paul Redden Countryfresh]

Sisal = Run! 

[Johnny Czarnota]

it is on the staircase. 25 steps, I have not seen it but asked customer if there is any stains on it. Just few minor plaster stains which does not sound bad, and as i said its probably more dusty rather then dirty so maybe proper suction with small amount of water will do the trick. Do you think i can ruin it?

[bennymon]

To much water and it will be a stair carpet in a dolls house 

[Nigel_W]

it is on the staircase. 25 steps, I have not seen it but asked customer if there is any stains on it. Just few minor plaster stains which does not sound bad, and as i said its probably more dusty rather then dirty so maybe proper suction with small amount of water will do the trick. Do you think i can ruin it?

Johnny,

That is a recipe for disaster in inexperienced hands. I assume you are inexperienced because you wouldn't ask this question if you were.

If you really want to clean it( and it really is a sisal) stick to dry compound cleaning such as Host.

Do you have insurance??

Nigel

[Peter Sweeney]

er, kind of with Nigel here.

NO WATER UNLESS YOU HAVE CLEANED THEM BEFORE (and by this i am talking misted, ph neutral microsplitter at the most).

Stick with the sponges, even when I mist i explain potential to customer

[Johnny Czarnota]

er, kind of with Nigel here.

NO WATER UNLESS YOU HAVE CLEANED THEM BEFORE (and by this i am talking misted, ph neutral microsplitter at the most).

Stick with the sponges, even when I mist i explain potential to customer

Done it b4 once and it was fine. I must do this otherwise I would have stayed unexperienced 4ever
What chemical would you recommend?

[Jim_77]

bleach

[Andy Hogarth]

I had some sisal runners that were really grubby.

Only thing I found that would improve it was a really light misting of craftex dry foam rubbed over with a microfibre cloth.

was a no brainer for me as if it didn't look better the customer was going to rip it up and replace it.

Can't say I was overly impressed with the results but the customer was over the moon.