[james roffey]

Picked up this rug today to clean it is a 60% cotton 40% wool it is a type i have not come across before it came from laura Ashley i doubt that is relevent though.
Was going to use M Power and acid rinse and dry as quickly as possible to avoid browning would this be likely and is there anything else i can do to avoid this happening, plus what else should i be aware of any advice would be welcome

[ben fairhurst]

Why acid rinse with M Power? Neutral product won't damage anything. Spray M Power a bit more than normal and dwell. Just extract and dry. Simplessssss.

[derek west]

not simples at all

unless youve got the facility to batten it down then don't clean it, laura ashly rugs shrink when drying and will consetina (think thats how you spell it) when drying, they'll wrinkle all round the edges.

you have been warned.

[Len Gribble]

Have you ever tried to hang laura Ashley wallpaper 

[Steve Chapman]

probably one of the most problematic, as they really need to be wet cleaned but almost definitley as derek has said will wrinkle around the edges, you will have to warn the customer this could happen and not go back.

we have done loads over the years and always hwe, dry thoroughly and then lay a sheet of ply board on top for a day to flatten it again, its the stitching around the edge band that shrinks a bit, but will flatten with a bit of persuasian 


steve

[M.Acorn]

but will flatten with a bit of persuasion

Big bath towels do this when they have wide stitched banding,but it always goes back to normal when ironed,could that no be ironed flat,with towel in between ?

[Steve Chapman]

some do relax when they are dry and go back down, but ironing wont make a scrap of difference, it needs a bit of force over a period of time to straighten the banding and stitching,

some of the problem is these rugs have no weight to them so they have nothing to pull them flat again!


steve

[garyfindlay]

I cleaned one that was 100% cotton, and thinner than a curtain, using a misting of microsplitter, then rinsed with fusion clean. Used an orick, with minimal distortion. Pain in the arse as mentioned before. Could be nailed down onto a board and hwe, if you want to be perfect.

[james roffey]

Looks like i was right to be cautious and ask you guys, i am very reluctant to clean this now but what do i tell the customer i am going to look a right idiot, albeit not as bad as i would if i ruinined her carpet i suppose

[Jason Hedges]

Hi James,

I've cleaned these before but as mentioned hwe is normally a no go because the binded edging will contract with over wetting causing rippling which may be impossible to rectify.

I have cleaned these by vacuuming thoroughly front and back then lightly (and I mean lightly) misting with m/s and using a dry clean cotton bonnet pad on a slow speed rotary. Speed dry asap.

Dont over wet or if in doubt walk as these can be a nightmare.

All the best,
Jason.   

[Adam P]

james: if you don't want to have to ring the customer up to say you can't do it after you've taken it perhaps do a very very light hwe clean of it to see if that helps even just a small amount, then call and say it's too dirty for the method you've used so will return free of charge

[davep]

Just tell the custy she has a rug that cant be cleaned safely, they do distort and a pain in the whatsitadoodle 

[wynne jones]

Get on with it and clean it, just don't get the sewn on border wet on the back. You will have a hard time any other way other than a decent chem and HWE, unless it's very light soiling.

[Geoff Jewkes]

Done loads, light prespray, dwell, aggitate with cotton hand mitt / tampico brush and dry asap!!!! They will go back if they ripple but can take a few days. Had one where I ran a steam iron over the edges ( over a terry towel of course! ) and it was fine. Like yourself I too was weary of them at first!!

Hope you`re charging proper money as they can be time consuming!!

[PaulKing]

go easy, yes the shrink some times.
 so qualify this with the customer,
steam or blocking does help but best to inform the customer beforehand

or just let them  chuck it in the washer 

[ben fairhurst]

Why acid rinse with M Power? Neutral product won't damage anything. Spray M Power a bit more than normal and dwell. Just extract and dry. Simplessssss.

Done loads, never a problem. Just make sure you dry it fast. Any ripple will disappear. Roll it up tight when dry and leave for a day. No problem, don't be put off. BTW, most rugs shrink a little when cleaned. Contact a big industrial rug cleaning operation for best advice.

[Stu.Clem]

Own one very similar myself and clean it / abuse it regularly - pre qualify custy that it WILL buckle quite badly but will DEF return to normal after a week or so of normal use also warn of  unavoidable 5% dimensional change due to wet clean - slight shrinkage is unnoticeable and acceptable.  I always HWE mine using Nemesis 80:1 brushed in with modest dwell - wth wifey standing on corners it always comes up mint.  Tricky to clean as very thin (hence wife standing on corners! tho strategic 45lb weight does same job) ) - even done mine on the drive on top of a dust sheet....

Stu

[MAX Carpets]

done these myself. They shrink........dramatically