SURFACE CLEANING
Some rugs cannot survive a full immersion wash. Some rugs are not very soiled. Some rugs
are cleaned on a regular maintenance schedule. Shrinkage can be an issue with some rugs.
Stencil ink can become a problem with another one. So, sometimes surface cleaning is the
wise choice. What are some ways to surface clean a rug?
Low moisture surface cleaning
We want to control moisture, so that water does not get us into troublesome difficulty. We do
not want to get the backing wet, we would like to avoid rinsing with water. First, complete a
thorough inspection of the rug(s), see the tutorial “Hand Knotted Wool Rugs” for a good list
of considerations. Fill out a pre-inspection form.
LST is a great choice for low moisture cleaning as it will keep you out of trouble and it cleans
great. And most important, it does not leave a soil-attracting residue behind so rinsing is not
required. The pH is just right for wool fibers.
After a complete inspection :
1. Dust rug.
2. Lightly spray rug pile with Fringe PreTreatment (Sublime), if oily soil is present.
3. Lightly spray face pile of rug with diluted (8 ounces per gallon of water) LST solution. Do
not over wet.
4. Work in LST with hand brush.
5. Lightly wet out a pad or bonnet with LST solution to provide lubrication and prevent
excessive agitation to the pile of the rug. Spin the pad or bonnet with a rotary floor
machine. Flip over pad or bonnet when soiled and replace with a clean pad or bonnet,
when both sides are soiled.
6. Groom face pile with pile lay.
7. Allow rug to dry completely. Then dry vacuum or air dust.
8. Groom pile, and comb out fridges.
Some rugs can survive, more moisture, but still do not require full immersion washing. A
surface cleaning is all that is needed.
Extraction method
After a complete inspection :
1. Dust rug.
2. Lightly spray rug face, with Fringe PreTreatment (Sublime) if oily soil is present.
3. Apply LST solution (8 ounces per gallon of water) with sprayer, rain can or shampooer tank.
Wet out face pile, but not backing.
4. Work in with hand brush, shampooer, or other tool.
5. A. Use wet & dry, vacuum or carpet extractor to vacuum only extract soil and LST solution
from rug. Use slow and deliberate overlapping (50%) passes, to remove as much
moisture as reasonably possible.
B. If the backing is preshrunk, synthetic or otherwise able to take more moisture use
carpet extractor to rinse and vacuum away soils & moisture. Turn down pressure if
possible and use low moisture wand if available. Use only one or two wet passes. Use
three or four vacuum only passes. Just use clean, clear water with no extra chemicals,
let the LST do the work.
6. Speed dry with fans.
7. Groom pile.
8. Allow rug to dry completely. Then dry vacuum or air dust.
9. Groom pile and comb out fringes.
No equipment method
After a complete inspection :
1. Dust rug.
2. Lightly spray rug face, with Fringe PreTreatment (Sublime) if oily soil is present.
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3. Lightly spray face pile with diluted (8 ounces per gallon of water) LST solution. Do not over
wet.
4. Work in with hand brush.
5. Wipe face pile with cotton towels or hand bonnets to extract soil and moisture.
6. Groom face pile with pile lay.
7. Dry with fans or in direct sunlight.
8. Allow rug to dry completely. Then vacuum or air dust.
9. Groom pile and comb out fringes.