[Mike Halliday]

this is an email i got from Lisa Wagner thought i would post it here

FILTHY FRINGE TIPS

By: Lisa Wagner

 

I've been getting a lot of questions lately on "how do I get the fringe looking better?!?" - so I thought I'd send out some tips to help.

 

SCRUB.  Unfortunately there is no magic Fringe Formula that you mist on and your job is done. Fringe tassels, especially filthy cotton ones, need to be scrubbed. If the tassels are cotton, you can use cleaning solutions you normally would not use on the wool rug's face fibers - just apply carefully so you do not discolor or cause color loss on any wool in the process. If you are washing your rugs, then scrubbing them on the wash floor with a strong rinse spray take care of most fringe cleaning challenges. 

 

Products I've had good fringe cleaning performance with: MasterBlend CottonEase, Bridgepoint Boost-all, Procyon, and Sapphire's new VersaClean works very well also.

 

RINSE.  Often problems I see with fringes yellowing is not from browning but soil wicking back up. It just wasn't clean enough. Scrubbing helps this, but rinsing what you use from these tassels also is important. An acid rinse helps remove residue and lessens yellowing.

 

DRY QUICK. The longer tassels take to dry, the more potential discoloration you will have. Get an air mover on them to dry quickly. You can also lay cotton towels under and over the tassels and walk along top of them to help "squeeze" out excess moisture after extraction to help to speed up the drying time.

 

BLEACH AS A LAST RESORT ONLY. All fringe bleaches (oxygen and chlorine), and hydrogen peroxide at all dilutions, causes damage to cotton. If you are choosing to "whiten" the tassels get permission from the client, and be very careful with your application and rinsing process or you can discolor the wool face fibers. Also, make sure those fringe tassels are COTTON before you use these products because if the fringe happens to be wool or silk, you will be in serious trouble.

 

Finally, it is important to set realistic expectations with the clients. I ask my clients to think of cotton fringe as really soiled shoelaces - and you know how hard it can be to get shoelaces from your game day cleats clean again. Tossing them into the washer once will not do the trick, they have to be soaked and scrubbed... or you just buy new ones.

 

A rug's fringes are no different, they have been walked on and dirt and soil ground in day after day from feet, shoes, and paws. Making them "like new" again may simply not be possible, especially if they been allowed to get so bad that they are gray or black when they come to you.

 

You also have the option of replacing fringe too. =) That is our most popular repair when fringe gets just too bad. Hope those tips help.

 

Happy Rug Cleaning!

- Lisa

[Neil Williams]

Alteratively do what I do and suggest to the customer they carefully cut the d-amned things off.

[elliott cleaning]

The Bridgepoint Boost-all does work well on the fringes and agree with Lisa that accelerated drying overcomes any chance of discolouration.
Any bleaching agents, I steer clear of.  Many times clients seem to be of the misapprehension that their fringes were pure White when they bought new.  Fallacy! - unless it's a real naff rug - in which case cheaper to replace than clean

[wynne jones]

Alteratively do what I do and suggest to the customer they carefully cut the d-amned things off.

Hope you are joking Neil.

[mark_roberts]

Game day cleats. 

Is this a new pop band I havent heard off.

Mark

[Andrew Briscoe]

I watched Dave Leahona clean fringes, also sewing new ones on at one of
Paul Moss's workshop days. Should of paid more attention as i forgot 

Andrew

[Paul Moss]

Andrew we may be doing another one at the TACCA weekend next spring , keep an ear out  So you will have to pay extra attention. We may even test you before you leave

[Andrew Briscoe]

Typical as i had 2 rugs in today, one in need of re-fringing.

Cant wait for TACCA weekend, will be a good one.
Will pay more attention this time 

Andrew

[Neil Williams]

Alteratively do what I do and suggest to the customer they carefully cut the d-amned things off.

Hope you are joking Neil.

On really decent items, antique etc then yes I'm joking.
But on the bulk standard things we come across which have been trashed and will be trashed again after we have cleaned them, and which the customer isn't willing to pay too much for it to be cleaned....then yes because I'm not willing to spend as much time cleaning the fringes as I have for the main body of it.

[John Kelly]

Always found cotton cleaner sprayed on and agitated with a Tampico brush was adequate.

[Jim_77]

On minging fringes, in conjunction with the appropriate chemistry, I use my sebo duo, holding it by the main body of the machine, using just the front brush.  Works better and quicker than by hand with a tampico

Regarding Neil's comment about cutting them off... uhm.. !!!

On hand knotted rugs no way!!!

On rugs where the fringe is sewn on afterwards, they can be unpicked and replaced with a brand new fringe very simply!  Problem with that is cost versus rug value though.

[John Kelly]

Jim, such contraptions were not availab;e when I was doing it.

[Neil Williams]

On rugs where the fringe is sewn on afterwards, they can be unpicked and replaced with a brand new fringe very simply!  Problem with that is cost versus rug value though.

Exactly what I was saying.
The one I did last week which had become nothing more than a comfy dog bed and which the fringes had started to rot away/fall apart was never going to sell if I said "yeh why not have new fringes sawn on with the clean whilst I'm here.......that'll be £140." She could have bought a brand new similar item for less than £100.
Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture so that she gets to keep the item for more years without it looking like sh-te really because the fringes are falling to bits.

[Steve Rothwell]

cut em all off I say

 

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

As Neil has already explained really.

I've taken many rugs down to a place where they cut the fringes off and then whip the edge (ooh, Matron)

Also many clients are really grateful as it restores their rug to a feature and without too much expense....and, no more getting the fringe caught in the vacuum cleaner.

Rog

[Paul Moss]

Jims machine has been altered, it used to be a Sebo Duo but he altered it , its now much better as a Sebo Gayo. Contact Jim personally if you want to change yours.

[Billy Russell]

Jims machine has been altered, it used to be a Sebo Duo but he altered it , its now much better as a Sebo Gayo. Contact Jim personally if you want to change yours.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jim_77]

It'd go nicely with your pink marigolds Paul