The first crucial step in our process is to remove dust and other particulate matter from the foundation of the rug. In this post, we will explore the negative impact that foreign materials can have on a rug, and why it's so important to remove it prior to cleaning.

What does dust do to your rug?

Why is removing dust so important when cleaning a rug? To understand why we take this step so seriously, it is important to understand what the presence of dust and particulates in the foundation does to a rug. On a microscopic level, footfall creates friction between the fibres that make up the pile and foundation which, causing them to wear down over time. When the soft material of the rug is peppered with relatively hard particles the amount of friction is increased massively, along with the rate at which damage accumulates.

Another important reason to ensure that the foreign material is extracted from rug before we begin our cleaning process is that once it comes into contact with water, it becomes even more difficult to remove. Even a small amount of moisture will cause dust and other particulates to cake to the fibres. While this may not be a problem with the surface layers where it can easily be rinsed away, the structure of the rug provides ample nooks and crannies for foreign matter to become enmeshed deeper into the pile. This can become very stubborn and will continue to cause the increased friction described before, even after the rug has been cleaned.

The final benefit is that the process removes more than just dust, it also shakes out any moth (dead or alive), moth eggs or moth larvae that may be present in the rug. This renders them incapable of causing any further damage and ensures that the carcasses are dislodged and removed prior to cleaning.

How do we remove it?

To purge the dust and other detritus from your rug, we put it into a large spinning drum. The drum turns and carries the rug to the top of its arc, whereupon it falls back to the bottom, releasing plumes of dust from its most inaccessible recesses. Once the rug is no longer releasing any dust, it is time to take it out and begin the main part of the cleaning process.

While it may sound a little rough, this technique is actually the most gentle and effective way to remove dust from the rug. The more standard method is to hang it and beat the back, a practice that we avoid for the following reasons:

1. The force is applied unevenly: When the rug drops from the top of our machine to the bottom, the force of the impact is spread across the entire surface area allowing it to safely absorb the shock. When beaten, the impact is localised to a small region, which can cause damage and loss of shape through deformation of the foundation.

2. Our process is more effective: The uneven application of pressure also results in uneven dust removal. With our spinning technique, there is nowhere for dust to hide.

3. Our process provides better results with less effort! With just 10 minutes or so in our machine, we save time, prevent damage, and get the best results.

Conclusion

We take care to ensure that every rug that comes through our facility is thoroughly cleared of all foreign materials before the rest of the cleaning can begin. We make sure to do this in a manner that is as gentle as possible and does not cause any damage to the rug. This means that when our customers receive their rugs back from us they can be assured that it not only looks clean, but is free from any contaminants - from pile to foundation.