Rug spa experts

[benjam99]

I have been asked by a customer to clean an area rug that I'm not feeling too confident working with. It is labeled as 100% wool, has a shag pile and of course is mostly off white. Not to mention that a cat barfed on it.. spot goes all the way through to the back.

I haven't made any promises to the customer that dropped it off.

Any advice? I don't have a pit, or specialized chems for wool.

Anything like this I normally refer out to da burns or renaissance depending on which is closer for the customer to deal with.

 

[Mikey P]

What wand and hand tool do you own?
What Upright do you own?
How about mild cleaning agents, pH under 9?
Any oxidizers and reducers?
Any idea what was in the car when it barfed? What color is that spot?
How and where will you dry the rug?


And how much did you quote the owner?

 

[benjam99]

What wand and hand tool do you own? Wp14, sapphire scientific upholstery, zipper
What Upright do you own? Not sure what you mean..
How about mildcleanung agents, pH under 9? Have some fine fabric prespray.
Any oxidizers and reducers? Oxi clean
Any idea what was in the car when it barfed? What color is that spot? Actually the front looks mostly ok, customer wants the back to be cleaned too.
How and where will you dry the rug? I have a shop and blowers..
Quoted if I can do anything with it it'll be the minimum charge of 65.

 

[Mikey P]

"Upright" vacuum cleaner..

Many will clog up in that long pile

 

[Desk Jockey]

That braided fringe is going to be a bitch to fool with. I'd take it to Burns.
Choose an easier one to play with. This one could bite you.

 

[Papa John]

Invest in your future. You will need a leaf blower or dog dryer to blow out all the junk. Make a pit with PVC pipe n plastic. Or make a Rug jacuzzi. Buy a Rug Sucker to rinse and extract better and easier then wand. Buy proper chems and get better training.

 

[Cleanworks]

If you are going to persist in this, one-raise your prices, maybe $165.00. Without have a rug pit or similar, the one tool that will really help you will be a 175 with a solution tank. After prespraying the rug with a fine fabric prespray and letting it dwell, shampoo the rug with the 175 using a fine fabric shampoo or Prochem's cotton shampoo. On a white wool like that, it will help with brown/yellow stains. Shampoo both side. you may have to hand clean those fringes. It is really hard to rinse with a wand. First sprinkle rug with crystal defoamer and start rinsing with just hot water. Yes, you can use heat on this one. You have to thoroughly rinse both sides, take you time, multiple passes with the wand and multiple dry strokes. Groom it and put on rack or put blowers around it to dry. Ps. you may have to take your hose cuff to the fringes to thoroughly extract them. Lotta work for $65.00

 

[Larry Cobb]

That rug should be picked up,

immersion scrubbed with detergent AND Reducing agent,

brushed, and dried hanging.

Charge ~$240.

 

[benjam99]

Thank you for the helpful replies. Pretty much what my gut was telling me.
BTW my upright is a power flite 14.

Most of the wool area rugs I've done have been salvage jobs with the customers understanding that this is really a last ditch effort to keep it from having to be replaced. Evidently the rug itself cost around what Larry says it should cost to clean it.

This particular customer dropped the rug off yesterday and told my wife that she'd like it to be done by thursday!

 

[Papa John]

I bet within 5 seconds of using an upright vaccum cleaner on that rug you will be frustrated.