How do you dry area rugs in the home?...

[Mikey P]

With no local rug plants and a rather thrifty but realistic client base here in NV, I am cleaning more rugs in the home than expected. Despite what the rug gurus tell you, there is a huge section of society that will not pay more than a buck a foot (at most) to clean a rug that they would rather through away than pay wash plant prices.

Take a look HERE, these are the rugs I'm talking about. Most honest rug washers don't even want to mess with these, because at their rates the expectations are set so high that unless the rug is sent back better than new, they have a very pissed off customer on their hands, who was never that bright to begin with.

When I hear the gurus yell NO EXCEPTIONS, all rugs MUST BE WASHED (and dont forget to tell red or blue that I sent you) from their pulpits, I just have to giggle.

Those of you who practice this rugf@g sin know that the biggest challenge is finding somewhere to dry the rug ('s)

Summer time is when fences, deck rails and old fashion laundry lines come in handy. Hot tub covers aint so bad either if they flip the rug often enough.
I'm not a big fan of using garage floors in the winter but laid over a piece of cheap visqueen with the door open, a clean garage can suffice. Just remember to put something BIG and obvious between the garage door and the rug so Hubby doesn't come home and drive right over it (yep)
Winter time in garages don't work well, usually the concrete is cold and damp. With the doors closed you'll have poor air flow and if you run a fan, you risk dust contamination. Last choice for sure.

Inside the home options are hard surface floors, use the Visqueen if it's not Vinyl and leave it there for the customer to dispose of when done. I almost always leave behind one of the new small snail fans with instructions on how to properly move it around. Most of the time the customer is more than willing to return the fan to your home or place of business if you don't charge them for it.


Shower doors and (sturdy) curtain rods are my favorite. Turn on the bath room fan and set a snail fan below and almost and "truckmounted" rug should be dry overnight.

What are your favorite drying tricks?




(chems and techniques, setting expectations and disclaimers are for another discussion)

 

[Bob Pruitt]

We always cleaned a lot of rugs because our Clients ask. I explain the best way to clean their rug would be a rug plant but I can make it look better if that is all they are looking for. I often use my upholstery tool and put a blower on the rug right away. Also will use a hair dryer on fringe.
I know and the Client knows it's just a surface cleaning. Cheaper rugs and rubber back rugs I just blast away. Never had a single problem.

 

[hogjowl]

Most of the rugs I run into can be cleaned on the floor.

 

[Mikey P]

Most of the rugs I run into can be cleaned on the floor.

And dried?

What about two sided flat weaves or braiders, which I would guess you see a few of..

 

[Cleanworks]

I'm not a rug "guru" but I clean most rugs in my shop. There are a lot of rugs that you can clean in a customers home but you have to understand your limitations. For example, if the rug has fringes, if you clean in home and get them wet, they will probably brown. In the shop we can control the drying a lot better. If it's a wool area rug with multiple colors, you have to know what chemistry to use so as not to cause bleeding. Most causes of bleeding are too much heat with to high a pH chemistry. I run into a lot of synthetic rugs that I clean in the home for $20-$40. Shop cleaning would be over $100 not including pick up and delivery. My customers who own expensive rugs, don't think twice about paying for shop cleaning but Mikey is right about them expecting a higher level of clean. Learn to identify which rugs you can safely clean and you provide a beneficial service to your customers, screw it up and it's going to cost you.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We use the Zipper so they get a good flush and extracted well. 6mil sheeting around the rug while cleaning and we will leave an airmover over night. Build it into the price.

Don't care to do them on location but as you mentioned some people don't want them taken in.

 

[ruff]

Good post Mike and from the real world of dealing with clients' needs and not the ivory tower of rug cleaning perfection.

When a rug is cleaned at that price point, setting realistic expectations is essential. So is the amount of time spent on the actual cleaning.
Considering the risks involved, the profit needs to justify the risk and so does the time spent fiddling with them. Most clients with these rugs (unless, of course, they live in Topeka) will not pay for a return visit to collect the air mover (our time being our most valuable commodity).

If I have time while there, I will use an air mover and or hang somewhere if safe. Safe (no breakage) being the deciding factor. Mostly though, I use less water and more dry passes. Most of the time the rugs dry fairly promptly without all the extra song and dance.





On the other hand when in Topeka:

 

[Mikey P]

SF would be a nightmare for fan returns..

 

[Mikey P]

In Grass Valley theyll return it and sit and visit for a while

 

[Nomad74]

How I dry large area rugs may be a little odd, but I don't have a rug rack. I like to dry them from the bottom to prevent any wicking. I usually set up three air movers and let the rug "float", drying it from the bottom. Works great.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We don't show it on the invoice. We just price it high enough to include it in the cleaning rate (value added )

Albeit we do live in a small town. 15 minutes will get you from our shop to anywhere. Plus there are always trucks and an estimator out and about to pick it up.

 

[jcooper]

Inside the home options are hard surface floors, use the Visqueen if it's not Vinyl and leave it there for the customer to dispose of when done.

That's exactly what I do. Big sheet of plastic for the rug to sit on, they throw away when dry.

They use their own fans.

 

[Shorty]

Just did three rugs yesterday & a large modular in the one house.

The rear patio of this house, on acreage, had a large undercover patio with two ceiling fans.

After cleaning, the two smaller rugs were draped over two outdoor dining chairs each.

The larger one was draped over four chairs, fans turned on and left to dry.

By the time I was finished the modular, they were pretty close to being dry.

Been doing it like this for this client for over fifteen years with no problems.

 

[Nomad74]

Let me just add, When I'm drying large area rugs, I have also found it helps to sit in my garage and play banjo songs to the rug as it dries. It really helps.

 

[Desk Jockey]

You are fookin crazy! lol

 

[hogjowl]

You say that like you're normal.

 

[T Monahan]

I'm not an instructor in the industry, but nonetheless have years of experience operating an on-location cleaning company as well as an in-plant rug washing operation. (I participate in designing, building and selling rug washing equipment in Blue, Black, Yellow, Green, Purple and Red too and non of the posts hurt my feelings on this subject).

This is what we do on-location for the occasional request that is absolute from the customers point of view to clean on-location. We decide if we want to do it. We determine the construction and sustainability of the textile that relates to potential alteration in texture and colors and then judge if we can safely top clean it on-location. If yes, we call it "appearance maintenance" and charge less than in-plant by 1/2. We never infer that it is on par with full washing at our plant. But neither is the cost charged. Usually these situations are with rugs that have no fringe, and are either tufted glue backed rugs made in India or the broadloom machine made into an area rug. (Never a Stark Rug on-location) For us it must be a rug that can take HWE safely and allowed to be left to air dry on its own without harm. If it does not fit these parameters, we graciously decline trying to do so and let them know why from our experience. We offer the rug(s) to come to our plant.

S0, does that surprise you Mr.Mike?

 

[hogjowl]

We only HWE the rugs that can't be HWE'd.

 

[Mikey P]

I'm not an instructor in the industry, but nonetheless have years of experience operating an on-location cleaning company as well as an in-plant rug washing operation. (I participate in designing, building and selling rug washing equipment in Blue, Black, Yellow, Green, Purple and Red too and non of the posts hurt my feelings on this subject).

This is what we do on-location for the occasional request that is absolute from the customers point of view to clean on-location. We decide if we want to do it. We determine the construction and sustainability of the textile that relates to potential alteration in texture and colors and then judge if we can safely top clean it on-location. If yes, we call it "appearance maintenance" and charge less than in-plant by 1/2. We never infer that it is on par with full washing at our plant. But neither is the cost charged. Usually these situations are with rugs that have no fringe, and are either tufted glue backed rugs made in India or the broadloom machine made into an area rug. (Never a Stark Rug on-location) For us it must be a rug that can take HWE safely and allowed to be left to air dry on its own without harm. If it does not fit these parameters, we graciously decline trying to do so and let them know why from our experience. We offer the rug(s) to come to our plant.

S0, does that surprise you Mr.Mike?

Not in the slightest Tom.


You're too straight to be a rug fag.

 

[Desk Jockey]

You say that like you're normal.

I'm not?

 

[BIG WOOD]

And dried?

What about two sided flat weaves or braiders, which I would guess you see a few of..

You can't clean two sided flat weave or braided rugs with a truck mount or a bonnet and say it's done correctly. I could see you trying to hang a heavy braided wet rug over a shower, and it falling, due to the weight.

But there's three different scenarios that I either take the rug home with me, suggest a rug washing only company, or do it on site.
When I did the rug on site ON the hardwood floor...the customer had a synthetic rug that was nailed to his hardwood. He obviously didn't care about his nice hardwood floor, so neither did I. And during the cleaning and after the cleaning, I checked the floor underneath, and it wasn't wet. I've done this several times and have had zero complaints, and I've followed up also and they were still very happy

And I've done uncountable times wool rugs on site on the hardwood floors with cold water rinse. Depending on where the traffic pattern is in the house determines how I prevac it. If the rug is used to take the main traffic, I'll vacuum both sides. And if the rug is used just for "show", I'll just vacuum the top.

I declined doing 2 rugs last week
One was a bleeder wool rug that was very old
And the other was wool that had a lot of urine on it.

The ones I've brought home were wool rugs and a few had urine on them. I just recently stopped bringing them home, because I just don't have the space to do them

 

[Shorty]

I just recently stopped bringing them home, because I just don't have the space to do them

Because of the link below, I will be cleaning rugs again, after selling off all my previous equipment.

I now have the Rug Sucker courtesy of Superior Cleaning Solutions.

Picked up my (SMALL) rug tower today.

Will be getting my portable (read break-down), wash pit this week-end.

http://www.therugsucker.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

 

[jcooper]

And I've done uncountable times wool rugs on site on the hardwood floors with cold water rinse.

When I did the rug on site ON the hardwood floor...the customer had a synthetic rug that was nailed to his hardwood. He obviously didn't care about his nice hardwood floor, so neither did I. And during the cleaning and after the cleaning, I checked the floor underneath, and it wasn't wet. I've done this several times and have had zero complaints, and I've followed up also and they were still very happy

That's good it's working for you NOW.

However, at some point the rugs drying on wood floor is going to get you in trouble. Wood is expensive!!!

For 30 bucks you can get a 100' x 12" roll of plastic(menards/home depot), cut it put under rug.

 

[Wing It]

We will start putting plastic under the rugs as some suggested, but have not in the past. Never a problem, but could see how it's possible. We turn down in home cleaning of any natural fiber rugs with urine contamination. We generally charge $1/sf and will only leave a fan on it as long as we are there. We have never cleaned a rug in home with fringes, but think it's possible with plastic, the right chems and an upholstery pro. The price would change though. Driveways, decks and the floors they lie on are all typical places for us to leave a rug. Always, we preface in home cleaning by explaining the limitations.

 

[Mikey P]

$22 for 12x 400' roll of Husky painters plastic.

Great for setting up cushions on to dry

Great for masking stainless in kitchens


Great for disposal of dead bodies according to Ladwigs

 

[Papa John]

I now have the Rug Sucker courtesy of Superior Cleaning Solutions.

http://www.therugsucker.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

The rug sucker was a disappointment to us and many others

You are correct-- many rugs just arent worth the high inplant cleaning prices. So we need to give the customers other options. I agree with what Tom and Matt said

And Rugs cleaned in the home should only receive a light surface cleaning to avoid problems.

 

[Mikey P]

Braideds left with a fan underneath are doable.

 

[Shorty]

The rug sucker was a disappointment to us and many others.

Thanks John, I appreciate feedback & honesty.

Can you explain why the Rug Sucker did not work for you??

What do you believe was causing you problems??

I try to do everything I can to make things work to the best of their (& my) abilities.

If something does not work for me, I like to persevere until I know the reason why.

Thanks for posting.

 

[Nomad74]

Here is a video I made of my rug pit with a urine soaked rug and testing out a home made rug pole I built. I want to be clear because the last time I posted this people pooed their panties. I am not trying to sell anything or take away from the real product that Mr Roberts and Mytee produces. Go buy a real one, i'm sure it's much better then my home made POS.

 

[Wing It]

I'm new to rug cleaning and I have not cleaned many rugs by submersion cleaning. However, the few I have cleaned, I used the rug sucker on and felt it to be a tremendous help.