FAQ’S
Our rug cleaning experts have put together a list of the most frequently asked questions.
How much does rug cleaning cost?
Our prices for rug cleaning are based on 3 things, the size (Area) of the rug, the construction of the rug and the materials used to make the rug.
We can usually give you a price over the phone if you have the exact size of the rug and the answers to a few simple questions to determine the construction and type of rug you have.
Most details can be found on the label on the back of the rug to make things easier but if the label has fallen off then just a few simple questions will help us determine the cost to clean your rug, if for some reason we are unable to establish the construction and type of rug over the phone, we can give you a few different prices based on the size. If the guide prices are within your budget then you can bring it in and we can then confirm what type of rug you have and the cost to clean.
Our pricing is usually not as costly as you first might think. All we do is clean rugs, so we can be very competitive, in fact we would like to think our prices cannot be beaten at the same high standard of cleaning we deliver.
Can you collect my rugs?
Yes we can collect your rug(s) if you are in our catchment area, mainly Cheshire and close surrounding areas.
We do however charge for our collection and return service, reason being, if you are able to drop your rug off with us you can actually save money! We can get on with what we do best which is rug cleaning rather than being out on the road collecting and dropping off rugs.
Some companies offer a “free” collection and return service but let’s face it, nothing is free, it’s all factored into the overall cost and therefore you don’t get the option to save on the collect and return service If you would prefer to drop it off with us at your convenience. Plus we are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Saturday by appointment only
The reason most other companies offer free collection, is usually because they do other things as well as rugs, like carpet cleaning, stone floor cleaning leather cleaning, etc… and so they are not always at their office or worse still, they take them home, where they clean rugs on the driveway, which can lead to all sorts of issues and drying problems.
What areas do you cover?
We cover most of the North West but we do clean rugs from all over the country, where people have used a courier service to send us their rugs.
Courier costs can be very cost effective even for large rugs, so if your rug is a sentimental rug or a reasonably expensive rug then finding someone like us who will care for your rugs and provide the most thorough cleaning process possible, then its worth considering sending it to us.
We are based in Hartford, Cheshire and charge a mileage fee for collection so obviously the further away you are, the more it would cost for us to collect your rug, but no matter where you are in the country, you can always bring your rug to us or as already said, you can send it to us via courier, have it thoroughly cleaned and we will then wrap your rug up securely ready for your courier to collect and return it back to you, remember we are open 5 days a week so using a courier to collect and drop off is quite straightforward with us.
How much does rug repair cost?
Rug repair costs can range from a simple securing option to a complete restoration and therefore can’t be given over the phone, occasionally we can give a rough idea if you send us some good photos of the repair to be done but overall we really need to see the rug and the underlying damage before we can give a true cost of the repair.
We also try to offer you a couple of options that will range from cost effective securing work to more detailed restorations. It helps to be able to have a chat with you regarding your requirements and expectations.
Do we have to make an appointment to drop our rugs off?
No, you don’t need to make an appointment, as long as you arrive within our opening hours there will be someone here to check in your rug, release your rug or answer any questions/concerns you may have.
Although we are closed on a Saturday we do offer appointment slots for those who can not come during our normal business hours
We only clean and repair rugs which means we are onsite at all times during our opening hours, You can pop over anytime, even if it is just to see how we clean.
Can you clean thick shaggy rugs?
Yes we can clean thick shaggy rugs, and to a very good standard, These rugs are probably the hardest rugs to clean but with all the steps and rug cleaning equipment we have we can really get into these rugs to eradicate smells, odours and debris that collects deep into the pile.
A small minority of these rugs have issues with the fibres “matting” together and although we can clean them really well, sometimes some of the matting is beyond correction and may still appear slightly matted, You will however notice a difference in the appearance and it will look revitalised, So far we have had really good success cleaning these beautiful plush shaggy rugs.
Can you clean silk rugs?
Yes, silk is one of our favourite rug materials to clean and yet it can be really tough to clean properly due to its very dense construction but we have all the specialist rug cleaning equipment to clean silk rugs thoroughly and safely. Silk rugs are very durable and strong and respond very well to our way of cleaning.
My rug is still wet after trying to clean it myself (DIY) and is starting to smell, can you help?
99 times out of a 100 yes we can definitely help rescue your rug, it does slightly depend on how long the rug has been wet for and obviously the material/construction of your rug, but the sooner you bring your rug to us the sooner we can stop it from rotting and the dreaded bacteria growth setting in.
Can you come out to my clean carpets?
No, we don’t come to your home to clean fitted carpets anymore, rugs and carpets are very different in construction and density and therefore even a good carpet cleaning machine won’t clean a rug properly.
We decided a few years ago after serious consideration and training to just concentrate on rug cleaning and restoration, using equipment dedicated for rug cleaning which means we no longer had a need for a carpet cleaning machine which isn’t designed to clean rugs.
The colours in my rug have run into each other, can you help?
Different types of dyes coupled with different types of accidents on rugs can cause the colours to run in your rug, Urine being the main culprit for rug dye migration as it causes the dye to become unstable and they can then bleed into each other.
We have a few ways of dealing with dye bleed, colour migration, whether we use a dye fixer, clean using a product that doesn’t cause your particular dyes to run or worse case scenario a dry clean, we are very careful with your precious area rugs and therefore make sure we use all our skills to avoid this from happening, if however you have a rug that already has dye migration, colour run dye bleed, we can sometimes reverse this and actually make the rug look great again using specialist products that remove the loose dyes but leave the fixed dyes alone.
Will my rug shrink?
98% of rugs are made of materials and of a construction that can not shrink during a cleaning process.
They are rare but there are however a few rugs that can, they are mainly the Laura Ashley style flat weaves that may reduce in size from a couple of millimeters to a couple centimeters.
If you do have any concerns regarding any shrinkage and your rug is what we call a rare shrinker, we can actually clean it pinned to avoid the small shrinkage you occasionally get with these rugs.
Do you do fringe repair?
Yes, we have a number of options for fringe repair, depending on what type of rug you have. We offer securing off, to make them neat and secure to completely rebuilding the fringe. We can create new fringes on hand knotted Persian rugs using the warp foundations, we also have a machine that can create a woven fringe from scratch straight onto a machine woven rug. Or if you have made the mistake of cutting your hand knotted rugs fringes off but no longer want fringes we can offer a hand binding service. All these options can be discussed before we go ahead with the best option.
My pet has wee’d and it smells, can you get rid of pet urine smells?
Yes we can, our pet urine odour removal process is unrivalled in the UK and we are proud to offer our extremely thorough urine smell removal service. We don’t mask the smell with perfumes and fragrances we actually remove the odour.
Stains from urine, particularly in wool we can not guarantee as most urine stains are actually not stains but a colour change as the fibre has experienced a chemical burn, it can also strip the colour from the fibres leaving a yellowish coloured area and therefore a special treatment and colour restoration would be the only way to remedy this issue.
My rug says dry clean only, do you do dry cleaning?
Quite often a rug will say “Dry clean only” on the label this is so you won’t attempt to clean the rug yourself, This is common practise for rug retailers because they know that a DIY home clean attempt will lead to problems and only a specilaist rug cleaner should attempt to clean a rug that has ‘dry clean only’ on the label.
We always determine the best way to clean a rug and know when a rug really is dry clean only, if it is dry clean only we can offer this service in many forms from dry soil removal to solvent dry cleaning solutions. We truly are your one stop rug cleaning and restoration shop.
Can I use a carpet cleaning machine to clean my rug?
Home carpet cleaning machines and DIY hire machines are designed for the use on carpets, not rugs.
The construction of a carpet is very open and allows for airflow through the carpet which means a home machine or hire machine can recover some of the moisture from the carpet.
The construction of a rug is very tightly woven which means no airflow and therefore a home machine or hire machine can not recover the moisture that has been put into the fibres and leaves the rug in a very wet condition, A rug can take up to a week to dry. This is where more complicated issues are caused like strong odours, mould, fibre rot and glues breaking down and your rug begins to fall apart.
Professional carpet cleaners have the same issue of little airflow with their machines and to combat the drying issue while cleaning your rug in your home they reduce the moisture levels and give your rug a superficial surface clean, It may appear clean but 90% of the dirts and soils sit in the foundations of the rug and their machine just can’t reach them which means the clean isn’t a hygienic clean. We know this because we used to clean carpets and even our £10,000 carpet cleaning machine we used to have couldn’t clean a rug effectively.