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How to Solve the Problems of Rugs and Carpets

Author: rhusain
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Find some general advice regarding the care of rugs and carpets. You will also get some ideas what might be some special problem involving rugs that you have to put in attention.

How do I clean the rug, which is water-soluble dyes without damaging the carpet? And how do I removed the dye bleed on the rugs? Some guidance on cleaning the dyed rugs will help you maintaining your rugs and carpets.

AND NOW FOR SOME GENERAL ADVICE about the care of rugs and carpets. Small rugs should not be flapped out of windows or doors to rid them of dust. Such treatment is likely to break the yarns in the backing. Beating rugs is definitely passé. If bits of yarn sprout from a rug snip them off with sharp scissors; don't pull them out. Similarly, clip the ends of charred fibers from cigarette burns, then clean the area with a detergent solution and rinse. Once or twice a year turn your rugs around to distribute wear and, when you move heavy furniture to do this, lift, don't shove. Rubber or plastic slides under castors are a good idea; they prevent damage to the pile.

SPECIAL PROBLEMS INVOLVING RUGS include insect damage, shrinkage, "bleeding," and rippling.

INSECT DAMAGE. Spraying woolen and part woolen rugs with 5 per cent DDT spray once a year will safeguard them against moths and carpet beetles. All-nylon or rayon rugs are not attacked by insects.

SHRINKAGE. Few rugs, if any, are guaranteed against shrinkage if they contact excessive amounts of liquids, including plain water. This is because they are stretched on the loom when they are woven. When they are wet, the weave simply returns to its natural state, the amount of shrinkage being determined by the type of fiber and the looseness of the weave. Where dimensions are not important, shrinkage actually improves the quality of a rug; the weave becomes tighter and more luxurious and the rug lasts longer. Where dimensions are important, as in wall-to-wall carpeting, remember to be careful not to get it too wet when shampooing it. There are fewer hazards from the shampoo or foam-type rug cleaner since its use involves the least possible amount of water.

Sometimes a rug that has shrunk can be resoaked, stretched, and the backing resized to correct shrinkage. However, this treatment is seldom satisfactory. Ordinarily it is better simply to cut down the size of the mat under the rug and not to try any restretching.

"BLEEDING" more often results from spilled liquids than stains from the liquids themselves. Bleeding can result from any of three situations.

WHEN A RUG IS SOAKED in any area, the liquid may go through it to the mat which is often made of a jute-like material in which cheap dyes are used. The liquid in the mat causes the dyes in the mat itself to bleed up through the carpet. Certain types of rug backings also are tinted with low quality dyes that have the same tendency to bleed up through the carpet when it is soaked. The remedy for this is quite simple. Re-clean the soiled area lightly, using your rug shampoo. This will remove the dye.

WATER-SOLUBLE DYES also cause bleeding. In some carpeting low cost water-soluble dyes are used, but fortunately this situation is not common, and occurs usually only in the least expensive carpeting. A water-soluble dye will bleed on contact with any liquid and is difficult to deal with because a light spot is left on the carpet when the dye is picked up. The only sure protection against this type of bleeding is to make sure that water-soluble dyes have not been used in the carpet you buy. If you are uncertain of the dyes, test the colors in an inconspicuous place before using any cleaning preparation. Even in this case you cannot be sure because a carpet of this type will often bleed in one area and not in another.

RIPPLING is caused by uneven shrinkage due to soaking one area more than another. It may occur after cleaning and generally results from a double action: the backing and the fibers shrink at different rates, causing unevenness in the carpet. This rippled effect usually disappears after a week or so of normal use. If it does not, try recleaning the rippled section, then stretch it flat and place heavy furniture on it to hold it taut. In this way it may be possible to eliminate or at least reduce the ripples.

Avoid flapping the small rugs out of the window or doors to avoid the breaking of the yarn in the backing. Insect damage can be solved by spray DDT once in a year. Make sure that when you wash the carpet it won't be too wet. Avoiding rug bleeding by make sure that your carpet is not water-soluble dyes and test the colors before cleaning it. To remove the dye bleeding, re-clean the soiled area using the rug shampoo to remove the dye.