Do you clean rugs in the home?

[Mikey P]

Husky brand
12x400
$24

 

[BIG WOOD]

Plastic is cheap.

Nah, I'm too lazy to take that step

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Nah, I'm too lazy to take that step

I've got your new uniforms!



I went by McDonald's and picked them up for you.

 

[The Great Oz]

Last week, I cleaned 4 very valuable rugs ($8kish each) in the home. The customer was insistent that it be cleaned there on top of the hardwood floor. They said the previous cc had no trouble with cleaning it on site. Iranian rugs with very bright red and blue colors. I did the normal with treating them with a neutral prespray and CWE with wet passes on the pull back only, and the acid rinse turned on. They came out great. It's one of many rugs I have cleaned like that with no problem. I was more concerned with the bright colors possibly bleeding but they cleaned really well.

Can you afford to drop $32k if they find something wrong after your cleaning? Insurance to cover workmanship is uncommon because it's expensive, and the insurance company can refuse to pay if you haven't followed accepted industry protocols. I know someone that was sued and the insurance company went to court. As soon as the opposing lawyer got him to admit what he did wasn't by the IICRC book, the insurance company lawyer said he was on his own and walked out.

Chances are those rugs had a "suggested" price to convince a buyer that $2k is a steal. Iranian rugs that are actually worth $8k each aren't owned by people that want them cleaned in their home. If the customer told you what they believe the rugs are worth, they're telling you what they expect to receive in compensation if they can find a flaw in your cleaning.

Dyes bleed at the end of the drying process, which you don't control when you clean rugs in place.

On another job, I cleaned a polyester rug out in a driveway because their living room floor was an engineered wood that didn't like water. Not worth the risk. The dirty driveway was the only other option, lol

Plastic rugs are typically as safe as installed carpet, but there can still be complications. We had to pay for refinishing a floor because our tech did the customer "a favor" and cleaned a cheap rug out on the deck. It started to rain so the customer brought it in and put it back on the wood floor. Stupid customer? Sure, but the fight and repercussions of defending the tech's bad decision weren't worth it.

The only rugs that I insist be taken away are the ones that have carpet under them that I'm cleaning or just don't have any place for me to clean on site

You take large risks to save your customer money. I've learned that people that want you to take on additional risk and so they can get a cheap service will tell you anything to get you to do what they want. Once a perceived damage is done their knives come out and they'll deny everything they said. The sweetest people prior to cleaning can become the most vile if they see an opportunity to profit.

Good luck to all that routinely clean rugs on site. Maybe you're careful, maybe lucky, but don't buy rugs because you're doing a favor for a cheap customer.

 

[RustyD123]

Last week, I cleaned 4 very valuable rugs ($8kish each) in the home. The customer was insistent that it be cleaned there on top of the hardwood floor. They said the previous cc had no trouble with cleaning it on site. Iranian rugs with very bright red and blue colors. I did the normal with treating them with a neutral prespray and CWE with wet passes on the pull back only, and the acid rinse turned on. They came out great. It's one of many rugs I have cleaned like that with no problem. I was more concerned with the bright colors possibly bleeding but they cleaned really well.

Can you afford to drop $32k if they find something wrong after your cleaning? Insurance to cover workmanship is uncommon because it's expensive, and the insurance company can refuse to pay if you haven't followed accepted industry protocols. I know someone that was sued and the insurance company went to court. As soon as the opposing lawyer got him to admit what he did wasn't by the IICRC book, the insurance company lawyer said he was on his own and walked out.

Chances are those rugs had a "suggested" price to convince a buyer that $2k is a steal. Iranian rugs that are actually worth $8k each aren't owned by people that want them cleaned in their home. If the customer told you what they believe the rugs are worth, they're telling you what they expect to receive in compensation if they can find a flaw in your cleaning.

Dyes bleed at the end of the drying process, which you don't control when you clean rugs in place.

On another job, I cleaned a polyester rug out in a driveway because their living room floor was an engineered wood that didn't like water. Not worth the risk. The dirty driveway was the only other option, lol

Plastic rugs are typically as safe as installed carpet, but there can still be complications. We had to pay for refinishing a floor because our tech did the customer "a favor" and cleaned a cheap rug out on the deck. It started to rain so the customer brought it in and put it back on the wood floor. Stupid customer? Sure, but the fight and repercussions of defending the tech's bad decision weren't worth it.

The only rugs that I insist be taken away are the ones that have carpet under them that I'm cleaning or just don't have any place for me to clean on site

You take large risks to save your customer money. I've learned that people that want you to take on additional risk and so they can get a cheap service will tell you anything to get you to do what they want. Once a perceived damage is done their knives come out and they'll deny everything they said. The sweetest people prior to cleaning can become the most vile if they see an opportunity to profit.

Good luck to all that routinely clean rugs on site. Maybe you're careful, maybe lucky, but don't buy rugs because you're doing a favor for a cheap customer.

Place a sheet of plastic under the rug and clean it where it lies.

 

[Tom Forsythe]

Sorry I missed this frank discussion when it occurred. Cancel culture usually happens as high priced rug washers shame you into believing you can only clean a rug if you follow their steps and use all of their equipment. I commend the rug plant owners by providing good information with humility. I am a proponent of good (Low Moisture), better (extraction), best (pit wash) superior (all the best equipment including wash tub, automated dusting, automated washing, centrifuge and dry room)cleaning. Cleaning decisions should consider customers wishes, economics, the rug in question, the knowledge and skill of the washer, and the available methods of the cleaner.

 

[Mikey P]

Cancel culture usually happens as high priced rug washers shame you into believing you can only clean a rug if you follow their steps and use all of their equipment

oh my!

 

[Tom Forsythe]

Cancel culture usually happens as high priced rug washers shame you into believing you can only clean a rug if you follow their steps and use all of their equipment. I commend the rug plant owners by providing good information with humility.

Oh my!! Trying to take my quote out of context to stir things up on a slow Monday morning.

 

[FredC]

Context? Can you start by explaining how it even makes sense? I think you just wanted to say cancel culture this morning.


A term best reserved for rubber room topics btw....

 

[bob vawter]

I had a custy who wanted her rug cleaned other than the 2 paw prints that her (sob) beloved (sob) dog, had left as a puppy after the deck had been stained...

I almost had a heart attack when I lost track of where they were and thought I'd removed them

Dig him up and re-do....!

 

[bob vawter]

I had a custy who wanted her rug cleaned other than the 2 paw prints that her (sob) beloved (sob) dog, had left as a puppy after the deck had been stained...

I almost had a heart attack when I lost track of where they were and thought I'd removed them

Dig him up and re-do....

 

[Tom Forsythe]

Cancel culture is a catch phrase for intimidation being used to keep people from feeling freedom to contribute any idea whether it is political, religious, business practice, etc. I was commenting on one of the most balanced discussions I have seen anywhere between rug cleaners at all ends of the cleaning spectrum. This is what a forum should be like, give and take, with the freedom to discuss opposing views without feeling judged.

 

[FredC]

A term best reserved for rubber room topics btw....

 

[Mikey P]

Cancel culture is a catch phrase for intimidation being used to keep people from feeling freedom to contribute any idea whether it is political, religious, business practice, etc. I was commenting on one of the most balanced discussions I have seen anywhere between rug cleaners at all ends of the cleaning spectrum. This is what a forum should be like, give and take, with the freedom to discuss opposing views without feeling judged.

I would agree, SOME rug fags are very unwilling to be open minded to customer' s rug needs.


I would like to cancel the whole "pit wash or nothing" culture...

 

[scotty747]

I had two in the last week I was planning on doing in home but they had them rolled up ready to go by the front door. I'm glad they did because by the time I got em home my van stunk like piss. If its easy light one pass with the wand do it there, otherwise take it to the shop.

 

[Cleanworks]

I would agree, SOME rug fags are very unwilling to be open minded to customer' s rug needs.


I would like to cancel the whole "pit wash or nothing" culture...

We're not all or nothing but there's a big difference in what we can do in the home and what we can do in the shop. You just want a light refresh? Sure we can do that, even with a wool carpet but if you need it clean, it has to go to the shop.

 

[Dolly Llama]

You just want a light refresh?

enCrap it


interesting dichotomy I've noted

not directed to anyone personally and only if the shoe fits...

some suggest the only way to get a rug "cleaned right" is to give it the full monty at the shop ....and anything else is halfazz.
(which I won't disagree with)

BUTT...those same folks don't think twice about wiping a dirt slurry around an empty W2W if it's easier/fa$ter than TM

not that I GAS either way someone mines their gold.
Just seems a tad out of whack to me

..L.T.A.

 

[Mikey P]

I get it but I believe that my hypocrisy makes total sense.

 

[Brian H]

You just want a light refresh?

We use similar verbiage.

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

I get a window seat...

Im ashamed to say, I didn’t want to move the piano off a wool, didn’t want to move the marble coffee table today, didn’t want to move the king sized bed frame off the rug....

I did however, use appropriate chemicals, I did turn my temp down to 130, and I did 5 dry’s to 1 wet....

on the upside, we got tipped 85$ on that job...

 

[BIG WOOD]

Last week, I cleaned 4 very valuable rugs ($8kish each) in the home. The customer was insistent that it be cleaned there on top of the hardwood floor. They said the previous cc had no trouble with cleaning it on site. Iranian rugs with very bright red and blue colors. I did the normal with treating them with a neutral prespray and CWE with wet passes on the pull back only, and the acid rinse turned on. They came out great. It's one of many rugs I have cleaned like that with no problem. I was more concerned with the bright colors possibly bleeding but they cleaned really well.

Can you afford to drop $32k if they find something wrong after your cleaning? Insurance to cover workmanship is uncommon because it's expensive, and the insurance company can refuse to pay if you haven't followed accepted industry protocols. I know someone that was sued and the insurance company went to court. As soon as the opposing lawyer got him to admit what he did wasn't by the IICRC book, the insurance company lawyer said he was on his own and walked out.

Chances are those rugs had a "suggested" price to convince a buyer that $2k is a steal. Iranian rugs that are actually worth $8k each aren't owned by people that want them cleaned in their home. If the customer told you what they believe the rugs are worth, they're telling you what they expect to receive in compensation if they can find a flaw in your cleaning.

Dyes bleed at the end of the drying process, which you don't control when you clean rugs in place.

On another job, I cleaned a polyester rug out in a driveway because their living room floor was an engineered wood that didn't like water. Not worth the risk. The dirty driveway was the only other option, lol

Plastic rugs are typically as safe as installed carpet, but there can still be complications. We had to pay for refinishing a floor because our tech did the customer "a favor" and cleaned a cheap rug out on the deck. It started to rain so the customer brought it in and put it back on the wood floor. Stupid customer? Sure, but the fight and repercussions of defending the tech's bad decision weren't worth it.

The only rugs that I insist be taken away are the ones that have carpet under them that I'm cleaning or just don't have any place for me to clean on site

You take large risks to save your customer money. I've learned that people that want you to take on additional risk and so they can get a cheap service will tell you anything to get you to do what they want. Once a perceived damage is done their knives come out and they'll deny everything they said. The sweetest people prior to cleaning can become the most vile if they see an opportunity to profit.

Good luck to all that routinely clean rugs on site. Maybe you're careful, maybe lucky, but don't buy rugs because you're doing a favor for a cheap customer.

I don't know why I never replied to this comment, but it's very good advice for new beginners in this business. Because the newbies need to take these exact precautions until they're fully aware and informed of cleaning the rugs and which ones are safe to clean in the homes.

But for the comments in the blue, I'm very aware of the risk of sue happy people. When there are risky rugs that I see bleed on a bleed test, I refuse to clean. But like the example above, if the customer insists...they sign a release of the liability which lists the evidence of why I tried to refuse. If it ever went to court, which it hasn't in the 20+ years I've been doing this, I would have some ammo to protect.

And as for plastic rugs, if you had to refinish a floor, you made a bad decision not to fight the customer, because it wasn't your tech or business' responsibility to pull the rug in when it rained. The tech didn't make a bad decision to clean it outside, (which it probably could've been cleaned just fine on the polyurethane finished hardwood). You're just a giant multimillion dollar business that had the option to spend time and money winning the lawsuit or just making the money going back to work paying a subcontractor to screen and finish her floor. Sometimes you just need to protect your dignity and close the door on these sue happy Karens, no matter the cost. I know you can afford it

And for when you see as a cheap service to clean rugs on site, a new business sees it as feeding the family with extra grocery money. Once he's educated enough to know which ones to clean on site and which ones to refuse will help him be a professional. I know you're a big company with a multitrack operation and probably a $500k rug washing facility, so I understand your logic.

As for cleaning on site: I told a customer this week her rug that was a cheap tufted wool could be cleaned on site and she insisted that I take it to my rug washing facility (cost to clean was more than the value). She was opposite to the description above, so to make the customer happy, that's what I did. With the proper steps in place

 

[Brian H]

You're just a giant multimillion dollar business that had the option to spend time and money winning the lawsuit or just making the money going back to work paying a subcontractor to screen and finish her floor. Sometimes you just need to protect your dignity and close the door on these sue happy Karens, no matter the cost. I know you can afford it

I hear this from time to time. What makes more sense though, spending $10,000 to fight it or $1,000 to make it go away? Just because you can afford something doesn't mean that you should do it. You have to look at it to see what makes the most business sense.

Fighting one claim does not close the door on ever other sue happy person. There are plenty to go around.

 

[scotty747]

Its my understanding the IICRC is a standard, which is a suggestion. Unlike a building or municipal code which is required. Its not some goverment agency. Its some guys who got together and wrote down suggestions on how best to clean rugs and carpets. I respect it but I dont think it has any authority other than in the minds of the public, lawers and possibly the courts.

 

[The Great Oz]

ts my understanding the IICRC is a standard, which is a suggestion. Unlike a building or municipal code which is required. Its not some goverment agency. Its some guys who got together and wrote down suggestions on how best to clean rugs and carpets. I respect it but I dont think it has any authority other than in the minds of the public, lawers and possibly the courts.

You're right that it may not mean too much in the wider world, but standards count for a little more than a suggestion. This is why many in the industry would have preferred the term "best practices" to standards.

"In a lawsuit, the industry standard is usually used to establish negligence or failure to perform under a contract. If one performs at a level lower than the industry standard, the plaintiff may say that the defendant failed to meet the applicable standard, and should therefore be found liable." Rest of article

If you can explain why your chosen methodology was superior to the standard or explain why the standard didn't apply, you have a potential defense.

 

[Luky]

I take as many as I can to the shop. People don’t want to pay for pit cleaning, so they really aren’t my target “rug shop” customer.

What, they don't want to pay $280 for a $50 premium rug from Ross ?

 

[Doug Cox]

Is it really that difficult to determine when someone F’s something up? We carry insurance for a reason. Use it and stop pissing customers off, then the IICRC never comes into play

 

[CaffClean]

The culprit is hiding behind my son with an empty coffee cup...