A number of factors must be taken into account by the professionals you choose to clean your rug before they begin. These factors affect how the rug should be washed to preserve its integrity. In addition, these factors influence the amount of work that will go into washing your rug.
The elements that affect the price of rug cleaning include the material the rug is made of, the age of the rug, the length of the fibers, the type of rug it is, whether it is machine-made or handmade, size, and whether it needs an enzyme bath for odor.
Factors that Affect Rug Cleaning Cost:
MATERIAL- Wool washes differently than silk, which washes different from viscose rayon, which washes differently than polyester, etc. Some materials are quite delicate and will require special care. Silk, for example, should NEVER be cleaned with hot water. In addition, certain materials will need more frequent cleaning.
ANTIQUES- Antique rugs are generally 80 years or older. These rugs have weaker fibers due to their age and are usually faded to some degree as a natural part of the aging process. Depending on how they were displayed, antique rugs may be quite worn and/or threadbare. All of these things make antique rugs quite delicate and should influence the way the rug is washed by the rug master.
While handmade rugs should never be washed using machines of any kind, for antique rugs this is even more important! Cleaning machines are highly likely to unravel and damage antique rugs. Power washing is not good for any kind of rug. The pressure will destroy the foundation. Centrifugal machines used to remove water are also harmful. Machines that wring out water will stretch and warp antique rugs much more noticeably than a younger, stronger rug.
Newer rugs have a heavier, more durable pile than antique rugs. A thorough and energizing wash helps to mature the rug, soften it, and increase shine. Antique rugs do not benefit from strong washing, as what invigorates a newer rug can damage a fragile antique. Behnam Rugs never uses any type of machinery to clean antique, or any other kind, of rugs.
SHAG- The nature of shag rugs’ construction makes them difficult to clean. The length of the pile hides dirt, debris, and micro-particulates. On top of that, vacuuming cannot remove a large amount of the dirt hiding in the pile. Because of this, shag rugs require professional cleaning every year. Since it is challenging to remove the debris trapped in the rug, shag costs more to clean professionally. The methods used to clean low-pile rugs simply do not work as well on shag.
The process must be modified so that the cleansers and tools can actually reach the trapped particulates and clean the entire length of the fibers. More shampoo is needed to coat the fibers, and extra work must be done to fully agitate the material. Therefore, more labor, water, and supplies go into this process. Companies that offer to clean shag cheaply only do a surface wash, which cleans the top of the rug but not the length of the fibers. A surface wash leaves most of the rug still dirty.
The washing method needs to revive the volume and appearance of the shag fibers. Improper washing leaves shag flat and lifeless. Flokati rugs are a special type of wool rug woven in Greece that became popular in the 70s and are still around today. They resemble shag, but are handwoven, extending the life of Flokati rugs. A Flokati rug should be treated as both a shag rug and a handmade rug when being professionally washed.
TUFTED- Tufted rugs have a piece of fabric glued to the back to keep the rug from unraveling. When washing, you must be careful not to affect the bonds of this glue. These rugs are by and large cheaply made and cheaply bought. Often, the cost of professional cleaning is more than the value of the rug. If you own a tufted rug that needs cleaning, you may want to consider investing in a handmade rug instead. Tufted rugs only last a few years, and the cleaning process can affect that.
DECORATIVE- Decorative rugs often feature multiple fibers. For example, the pile may be wool, but the decorative aspects are made of cotton. Rugs that feature design elements such as pom poms require extra care to ensure they display properly after cleaning. This may mean that the rug expert has to fluff the design elements by hand or with a tool after washing. This added labor must be factored into the cost of cleaning.
HANDMADE or MACHINE-MADE- Handmade rugs often have higher knot counts than machine-made rugs. They can also be more delicate than machine-made rugs. Rugs that are more delicate must be treated carefully to preserve their integrity.
Size- The larger the area of the rug, the more labor and materials go into cleaning. Therefore, size will affect the total price, but not the price per square foot.
ODOR REMOVAL NEEDED- Since rugs live with us in our homes, they often fall victim to pet accidents, spills, allergens, and even smoke residue. Most professional rug cleaning companies offer odor removal. At Behnam Rugs, we use a variety of live bacteria enzymes and choose the best fit for the rug as an enzyme bath to remove these odors. The live bacteria enzymes effectively “eat” the odor particulates, digesting them, and removing the smell.
A professional, experienced rug master is the only acceptable user of these enzymes, since the method may call for hot water which can cause color runs when used by inexperienced cleaners. Since this is an additional treatment, it will cost more per square foot. At Behnam Rugs, an enzyme bath is an additional $1 per square foot.
DYES- It is important that the cleaning professionals do a colorfastness test before washing to ensure the dyes will not bleed. If unexpected color bleeding does occur, a rug master will immediately remedy the situation and stop the bleeding. Some rugs that have never been washed before will have unstable dyes that react to water and run. While the type of dye used to color your rug won’t affect the price of washing, it is essential that you specify to the cleaning professionals that your rug has never been washed before if that is the case.
In conclusion, when it comes to washing fine rugs, experience matters, and should come from generations of expertise, knowledge, and care. Choose your rug cleaner wisely, as inexperienced technicians cause permanent damage to valuable rugs- we have seen it over and over the past 42 years. If you care about your rug and think it is valuable, trust it with experts with decades of expertise if your rug needs repairs or restoration.
Rug masters know that the quality of the rug is what justifies the cost of repairs. They will offer you different methods of repair at different price points so that you can choose the repairs you want. For example, a rug that is not valuable that requires repairs does not need to be repaired in the best, most expensive way. A rug that is quite valuable should always be repaired in a way that will increase its value. Now that you’ve read our blog, you should feel prepared to schedule rug cleaning and won’t be surprised by the factors influencing your quote.
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