[Buckland]

Above: Smellovision rug!



Above: After brief encounter with smellovision rug!



Above: Back



Customer paid £300 for this 6 x 4 rug from a market stall and its got major odour issue - she says tom cat and she may be right - very bright colours and looks to be handloom knotted - I usually dont bother with TI but thought this was perfect candidate - got cold feet when I tested for fastness as the thing runs like daley thomson - really dramatic colour transfer on towel (see pic) customer is fine about change of plan -  have just done an extraction clean with no hint of migration and used an odour neut - now in two minds as to whether to actually do the TI anyway.

Any advice on getting a proven non-colourfast rug really wet and getting rid of the smell which is the only reason for TI? Btw I dont have special drying facilities.

[Neil Williams]

There's a shop in Bridport that sells shed loads of such like rugs, so like you do, you pop in to have a chat.
It turns out they wash them all in a bath, nothing more technical than that and just keep going until the dye run stops.
All said as they buy then sell I guess it doesn't matter so much if they really duck one up, whereas we are in a different situation.
"Yes Mrs J I know it was red but I thought it looked better in pink" doesn't always go down too well.

As for the smell I'd add a suitable amount of clensan to the wash procedure and make sure it's bone dry before taking back.

[Buckland]

Neil - thanks - just this minute came in from the rug having given the problem area a good dose of clensan and another f an f rinse - probably dose it with solution nat odor neut for good measure - just looking for someone to tell me to go ahead and TI it anyway! I suppose you did that in actual fact!

I just cant believe the guy could have sold it to her for that sort of money with cat pee in it plus its nearly threadbare and mothed in places - I have a feeling the design is Caucasian but no expert

[Steve Chapman]

The one thing to remember with bleeders, is that you don't stop rinsing until the water runs clear, if you do then that's when your in trouble !

Steve

[Owen R]

Why not use a Dye Stabilizer?

[Buckland]

Just remembered I started this thread so should finish it - in the end I decided the smell was just unbearable so I used a rotary with clensan and then basicly pressure washed it good and proper with a lance, very hot with the tm and an acid rinse - took steve's advice and didnt stop till it ran clear - had a couple of days of excellent drying weather outside - 80 squid - bobs your uncle.
Now looking for a suitable portable immersion pool to do more ti rug cleaning - satisfying knowing you've really clean rinsed through the whole rug!

[Steve Chapman]

Good to know it was successful and worked out well for you

Steve

[Simon Gerrard]

What's TI rug cleaning?

Simon

[Nigel_W]

Total immersion

Nigel

[Simon Gerrard]

Ha ha, simples.
What's the technique, apart from the obvious?

Simon

[robert meldrum]

The one shown looks like it's been saturation rather than total immersion.  Not many have suitable facilities for immersion so the alternative of saturation over a grid is used